Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Introducing Jackson Scott ~July 8th, 8lbs 4oz

At Roosevelt Hospital July 9th early am
This post is coming embarrassingly late (poor third kid), but such is life with 3 kiddos and a big move to the burbs.

Well he arrived alright! 5 days late, but on his own and once labor finally (finally!) got going, it was a speedy 2.5 labor and straightforward delivery. 8 lbs, 4 oz and 20 inches long with dark hair like his sisters and looking kind of like them as well. We spent a quiet first night in the hospital, with a little girl as our roommate taking turns being hungry, so moms didn't rest much at all.

After a hospital visit from big sisters Maya and Laila who came with Tata and Abuela, we came home to an apartment full of boxes (why do we keep doing this to ourselves?!) and a whole 5 days later moved to Westchester...... right.


Luckily the kids and I escaped to the Hamptons the day before the official move leaving Brian and his parents to it. A brilliant move really, because the whole situation would have been otherwise impossible. We were able to rest in comfortable accommodations with grandparents to help - Maya in pony camp during the day which she loves, Laila, Jack and I hitting up several of the kids programs at the library (and Jack good baby sleeping through everything in the ergo).

Happy 2nd Birthday Laila!

Laila turned 2 which we celebrated at home with cake and balloons, and then we came home to Larchmont to a house that inevitably needed work but was functional - Brian did a lot in the week that he was here alone (thank goodness! Would not have been able to handle it in my postpartum state). We're starting to get our bearings and the unpacking is still coming along. How many trips to the home depot/pier 1/ikea/ bed,bath and beyond/hardware store are humanly possible??

The girls have been great with their little brother, even little Laila seems content with his existence. Maya as expected has taken all the change in stride and is excited about her new surroundings and especially her bunk bed.

We headed back to East Hampton for an end of summer stint and also celebrated Maya's 5th birthday with family, and a last minute visit from Gabriel which is a treat because we don't get to see my uncle very often at all - last time we were in Uruguay was 5 years ago almost when Maya was all of 3 months old.







Happy 5th Birthday Maya!!

Checking out my new stroller mate

Smiling in Montauk

And then there were 5...


Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Maya's Prek Graduation... and moving on.

Yesterday was Maya's Prek Graduation from Little Ones which perhaps was the first thing in a while (as we've been running and running with projects) to give me some pause and reflect on what a good place that has been for her these last 3 years, and really for all of us- a neighborhood school where she and I have made so many friends that we will dearly miss when we leave.


They did a great job - the kids participated in skits in small groups that reflected the work they had done over the course of the year - their frog study, the rainforest, construction ..., they sang "One Love" (above) and they walked across a bridge to receive their diploma and we watched a video montage of what the kids wanted to be when they grow up (Maya said a ballerina). It was so sweet, yes there were several tears shed - tomorrow is the official last day of school so at least it wasn't a whole lot of goodbye's all at once, but Maya although excited for her new school in Larchmont has already expressed how much she will miss her teachers. I can't believe it's been 3 years that I have been walking her to that school - time indeed flies. I will miss them too. Can't believe how much she has grown while there.

It's been a doozy of a couple of months. We closed on the house in May and got straight to work - refinishing floors, painting, carpeting, tree pruning, furniture shopping etc.. etc... it's coming along and we're in a good place with the house for our move 2nd week of July. 39 weeks pregnant and baby still seems plenty content, unlikely to make an appearance early as I fully expected. Better perhaps as it gave us the time we needed to get organized and plan and pack. We've even started to work on our remodel for next year - playing with floor plans and options. Hoping that construction won't be overly stressful.

But for now our plan is to head to the Hamptons soon after the baby is born and get out of the way of the big move leaving Brian to it. And when we come home it will be to Larchmont, and not LIC, which will really feel weird at first. More on that to come...

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Westchester here we come!

So we bought! Finally! In Larchmont. After a frenzied spring market due to low inventory, lots of potential bidders all looking for essentially the same thing - we decided upon a fixer upper in a good location within walking distance to school and the village. The house needs a lot of different things but we'll live in it for a year before we start the renovation and expansion project and in the meantime finalize architectural plans, bidding, building permits etc.... Hard not to start planning the details of kitchens and baths already - the fun stuff - even without the final floor plans established. It will be a learning process for sure, but we're looking forward to it and excited to learn and be fully invested in the project. We hope to close on the house next month, spend June doing some repairs and cleaning to get it ready for a move in early July - right after baby #3 is born.... right, because that has to happen too. Sometime I forget with all the summer plans and schedules in full swing.

We'll likely split our time between Larchmont and East Hampton with Maya attending some camp in both locations. We've been planning this move for quite some time it's nice to be finally making some headway and have something concrete in the works. Maya is enrolled in kindergarten and Laila will be starting a 2's program a couple mornings a week at a nearby preschool.  Between researching contractors and different service companies, schools and after school activities - and at some point a babysitter - we certainly have a lot in the works.

In the meantime we are enjoying some well deserved milder temperatures after an eternal winter and the outdoor activities that it allows.  We'll miss our neighborhood and the great friends we have made here but we're excited about the next chapter as well.



Thursday, February 14, 2013

Think Blue! It's a BOY!

We had great news today  -  baby #3, due in early July, is going to be a little BOY! Shocker! We were a little surprised in the ultrasound room, somehow expecting that we were destined to be the parents of girls.

But no - pecker clearly spotted! Wow!!
(see arrow indicating pecker below - hee hee. Of course I asked for a printout!!).


Olivia and Ian & Fam
We're both very excited. Nice to have the variety and a different experience this time around, and it saves us from having to bribe Maya into accepting another baby sister. She was adamant!!  "No mommy, I do NOT want another baby sister, I WANT a baby brother!" Sheesh. Not sure why she thinks a baby brother is going to be less annoying (he'll definitely still mess with your stuff Maya) but apparently it will be an easier sell.

She also picked out a name - Ian, after Olivia's younger brother Ian. Not sure she'll get her wish there, but hopefully the news will be good enough. Laila is too little to know any better, she's 18 months, total busy body in her toddlerhood. But she'll be a few weeks shy of 2 when this one arrives and "baby" is already part of her vocabulary - so hopefully she'll take kindly to him.

Other than the baby news we're busy hunting for houses in Westchester, visiting frequently and sizing up potentials. Definitely looking forward to the move at this point and being in a house with a yard. We'll keep y'all posted!

Happy Valentine's Day!
Much love -
Verena, Brian, Maya, Laila and little boy