July it is!

38 weeks and counting - official due date 7/21. We'll see if this little girl makes it to then (I'll suspect she will) or if she'll be late like her sister (although I really hope not a whole week late). Still feeling fine thankfully, managing the heat as best we can (it's consistently 90 degrees in NYC these days) and taking it easy now that work for the time being is over with no foreseeable timeline of resuming in the near future.

We started off the month as if on a vacation - childless! Maya went to East Hampton for the long July 4th weekend with my parents and brother - and really how easily one adapts to being childless. We slept in, ate out nearly every meal, saw Billy Elliot on Broadway, Bridesmaids one night and Midnight in Paris the other - both really funny and worth seeing. Sad to say but it's been ages since we've been to a movie - and it will be ages I'm sure before we get to another one. We live by movies on demand and netflix (although we are working through all the episodes of Lost at the moment which we never watched and are rather hooked - averaging about 2-3 episodes a night, I highly recommend it if you've never seen it).

Ms. Maya had a ball and went to the beach with her grandparents and apparently didn't ask about her parents once. She knew she was going to be spoiled and they would put up with her shenanigans - which included driving around until they found some deer grazing in a field because she asked to see Bambi - an indulgence her parents would likely have little patience for. But that's what grandparents are for I guess.

She started her summer program at her preschool this week which carries a whole rainforest theme for the summer. Her challenge has been to say goodbye to her favorite teacher who did all the art and yoga for the school and who Maya adored and was very attached to. Her not being there resulted in some tears this week when I dropped her off. But she won't be back in the fall so sadly for Maya she will have to adapt to not seeing her there everyday.

And so the waiting game begins in these last few weeks of my pregnancy and being able to take it easy and stay local with lots of trips to the neighborhood playground and sprinklers is pretty heavenly. And yes... the cake in the picture was as fun to make as it was to eat. Butter cream cheese frosting, mmmm.

Here comes the sun!

Ahhhhhhh memorial day weekend and we've sprung into June... the official start of summer, and it sure has kicked off in NYC with several consecutive days of 80 and even 90 degree weather. We were off for the long weekend to East Hampton, battling some crowds for sure, but also managed to get to the beach despite some fog and break out some of Maya's kiddie pools and sprinklers in the backyard, and made it to a nearby water park for a day trip. That was fun. Maya loves water slides. It was marvelous to enjoy sunny warm weather.

We have a busy June ahead. Now at 34 weeks with about 6 weeks to go (or less or more) until the arrival of baby girl #2 we've started to think about what our life will look like with two kiddos. There's certainly been less to do to prepare for her arrival, but at some point we do need to decide where she will sleep and make the switch on the stroller from seat to bassinet (so sorry Maya, I did at least buy you a footboard so you could ride on the stroller standing). I've been pulling baby clothes and other items that we had packed away, got the infant car seat back in car which leaves no room in the backseat, and pulled the bouncy seat and other items... and boy do I wish I had more closet space. I think we'll be ready to move to a larger abode in a year. There are some not so distant plans at present to move to Westchester county sometime next year. Closer to Brian's job, more space and good schools and communities. We will miss LIC but are both feeling that our life will require the move and in we're both (yes, even the city slicker here) looking forward to it. More on that later.

This weekend, we're headed to Williamstown for my 10th year college reunion. Time flies! And rounding off the month - Maya finishes off her first year of nursery school in a few weeks, although she will be with them for the summer program a couple of days a week.  She has a ballet showcase with her class to show off what she learned during the semester next weekend and she's likely to be totally uncooperative with all the extra attention. And then it's time to sit and wait, 37 weeks by the end of the month and hope for a visit from the contraction fairy. Who knows what's in store.

Orchids, chocolate bunnies & 3rd trimester

Spring is taking it's sweet old time in NY to really get going, leading us to continue to look for indoor activities believe it or not. We're all a little sick of it and really ready to shed our winter coats (especially if you have no waist to speak of and there isn't a chance in hell you will get anything closed around you to shield you from the wind).

Ahem, yes we're ready for warmer weather.

So we headed to the NY Botanical Garden for their annual Orchid Show. The theme was 'orchids on broadway' and the entire exhibit weaves you through a massive interconnected greenhouse/conservatory passing by several temperate zones. We really enjoyed it. The rest of the garden was still very dormant, barely a touch of green on some trees.

To fully embrace the Easter spirit (well.. the mainstream commercial one involving chocolate eggs and bunnies), we hosted an easter egg decorating play date for several neighbors. Never really know what a group of 2 and 3 year olds will do when presented with paints, markers, colored eggs, lots of sugar and free reign... but the kids did very well. Sort of a prelude to the Easter festivities we are looking forward to in Wellesley next weekend when we go to visit Grandma and Grandpa Hen.

And finally ... I bid farewell to the second trimester and bonjour to the third this coming week. Certainly feeling a little more tired this time around, but I blame most of that on Maya. Overall feeling really good, and making lots of time for yoga.

Birthday Surprise!

Happy Birthday Brian!!

Thanks to everyone who joined us for lunch and for surprising Brian with a belated 35th birthday celebration!

Disney World!

Our trip to Disney World is perhaps best told in pictures. Overall it was a fun and action packed trip and Maya did really well - it is a lot for a 2.5 year old to take in. We met all the princesses, had dinner with several of them one night at the Akershus Banquet hall in Norway at Epcot, stayed up late to see the light parade in the Magic Kingdom one night, went on all the key rides that we had our eyes on (immediately discounting all roller coasters not suitable for little her and pregnant me) including an animal Safari and saw shows and even made time for the hotel pool and man-made white sand beach.


We stayed at the Polynesian which is conveniently located across the lake from the Magic Kingdom giving us easy access to the monorail and ferries. Maya even made it through the Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted House! It was a really fun time with beautiful weather. Made it back Thursday night so we have the weekend to rest up and get ready to hit the routine again next week.

Round 2 ~ bring on the pink!

Here we go!! Down that parenthood path yet again, this time expecting another baby girl! Baby 2 is expected to arrive sometime in late July, so we'll have some summer months to enjoy together before heading back into hibernation. Very much looking forward to doing it all again, even though it feels like we just did it and were just getting out of the weeds! Brian's excited at the prospect of not having any excuse to buy anything girly - I really did keep everything of Maya's when she was a baby, not just all the gear but every article of clothing to the point that I ended up giving a bunch of stuff to the Salvation Army. But it does make us feel like we have some idea what to expect with another girl - although we're most likely kidding ourselves!! Who KNOWS what she will be like.

Little Ms. Maya has some idea of what is to come, she saw the baby on an earlier ultrasound and occasionally gives the belly a pat pat or a hug. Must be all incredibly confusing to her but so far she's taking it in stride. Of course, we will see what she actually does when presented with an infant to compete for attention with. At least she'll be in school a few days a week this summer so she'll have her own thing going on. We've bought some big sister books to try to lessen the blow but still, who knows how that will go. We do have a special trip planned just for her - we leave Sunday for Disney World (right after Brian's Birthday) for 5 days. Did I mention it is 80 degrees in Florida now? Princess mania here we come!!

Taking name suggestion on this one - feel free to throw in yours in the hat!

New Year, New Projects

The year kicked off with a bang for all three of us. After hosting 10 toddlers for a Christmas cookie party, a special surprise building visit from Santa, a week off for the holidays spent in East Hampton and at home, and a quiet New Year's eve spent mostly cooking in preparation for a fun New Year's day brunch we hosted for friends, things actually got busy (ha!) with work, school and activities.

Maya started attending nursery school 3 days a week (instead of the 2 she did in the fall) - in large part because she loves it and the weather has been so miserably cold and wintery that she was far more engaged with her friends, music and yoga class (that's right folks - 2 year olds do yoga, her downward dog is actually really good) and art projects than she was at home cycling through Disney movies that it felt like the right thing to do. Plus it gives me a day alone to run errands :) Never a bad thing.

She also started ballet for 2's at the Long Island City School of Ballet - which is just adorable. Two of our neighbors also attend and the girls get to play with lots of props - wands to put magic on their feet (so that they'll do magic ballet steps) and get to strut their stuff around the room.

She was a disaster the first class (lots of lying on the floor with her eyes closed), much better the second time although a little shy during her solos and apparently very cooperative and motivated for her third class (today, dad went, mom had to work). It definitely requires that they perk up their listening skills to follow all the directions given - no small feat, and a great confidence builder when they realize they can do it. It's been fun to watch her progression in just a few weeks.  

We've contemplating doing and easy ski trip with her to a local mountain, but realized it would be a challenge when we trekked her through the snow to do some sledding at the Gantry state park near our apartment and she wasn't too thrilled - until she figured out the sledding part, that was fun! Might need to wait till next year, although Brian is itching to take her.

Brian's been busy at work but pleased with his year's performance and looking forward to projects on the horizon.  I continue to work part-time and from home which has been a great arrangement. We're gearing up to go to Disney World for 5 days in March which we are really looking forward to.  Maya will surely be on princess heaven - overload and it should be a lot of fun. My parents in true retired fashion are spending 2 months in Uruguay, the warmest months of the year there and rounding off their travels with a trip to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

 Now if we could only get NY to thaw - but by the looks of it another Northeaster is just around the corner. Stay warm folks!