SUNSET ON THE CITY

Last night I met some friends for drinks to celebrate my friend Steven's birthday.  We met on the rooftop of a new hotel in Hell's Kitchen called Ink48.  The sunset was incredible and even more amazing was the reflection of the sunset off the buildings.  This was taken with my iphone so the quality is not fab, but you get the idea.

MONTAUK 2010

Last August Nathan and I discovered a small town on the northern most point of Long Island called Montauk.  Past the pretentiousness of the Hamptons, Montauk is the working man's beach town with a surf culture that reminded us of our sunny summers in Cali.  We spent a long weekend there last year however, so did Hurricane Bill, bringing stormy weather to the beach town.  I also happened to forget my suitcase that trip (who does that, right?), so out getaway was less than ideal.  This year we decided to try again and planned for our first family vacation con bambino. The hotel we stayed at last year was strategically located at Ditch Plains, the premier surf spot in Montauk.  Unfortunately it was sold out for the summer, so I searched Craig's List for a potential rental.  I came across one that looked promising and risking potential Craig's List fraud sent the owner our deposit check.  Sure enough, the owner was good to his word and when we arrived to the condo, the key was under the mat, clean sheets on the bed, enough towels to dry an army, and a decorative motif of lighthouses (East Coasters love their lighthouses!).   The condo was situated just over the dunes from the ocean with a nice wooden deck overlooking a sprawling green lawn and a heated pool.  From our deck we watched the neighbor kids play tag and in the evenings catch fireflies.  It was definitely a spot that families return to year after year reminding me of vacations to Balboa with the Fiore's as a kid.

We slid right back into the beach culture, enjoying the simple things that used to be part of our everyday life in Newport.  We barbecued each night - taking in the smell of the coals heating up and later the food cooking.  I took the opportunity each afternoon to go for a run on the beach, loving the feeling of the cool ocean breeze and watching the setting sun cast a silver sheet over the ocean.  I had forgotten about the extra workout you get only-on-the-sand and how you use those special muscles to launch from each sinking step, not to mention the necessary sprints around the white foam water of the rising tide.  We walked into town for ice cream cones from the fudge shop and ate chowder on the docks.  We also snuck in one really long session of extreme Smashball while Annie E. watched from the shade.  She sat totally alert in her chair, loving the clack of the ball hitting the rackets and seeing her parents run around like wild animals. In the evenings pulled on long sleeves (a first for the summer), sipped chardonnay on the deck and played highly competitive games of Scrabble.

Aside from all our activities, it was just nice to be together and hang with our girl.  She is getting so big and is noticing everything around her.  She loves to try to stand on her newly chunky legs while we support her under the arms and sitting "like a big girl" with her dad.  Her hands are now constantly flailing for her mouth and the drool along with bubble blowing has begun.  Her hair is filling in in the front and appears to be coming in blondish and slightly curly.  We are both curious to see how her hair will end up in the long run.  Her toothless smiles that are more frequent every day lead me to believe she is a happy baby and we are loving watching her discover the world.  Here are few pics from our Montauk adventure...

THE GREATS

At the beginning of August we took a last minute trip to California to attend the celebration of the life of Nate's Aunt Susan.  Although we wished we could be there under happier circumstances, the trip did include some silver linings.  One of which was Annabelle was able to meet the whole family, particularly exciting was getting to meet her Great Grandmas.

Great Grandma Irene

Great Grandma Jean

NURSERY RHYMS

An old friend from high school, Christina, recommended I check out the following site featuring fabulous rooms for kids: www.ohdeedoh.com

So cute.  Love the way they tell you who resides in each space, their age, a bit about the child, and give the location and room dimensions.  Great inspiration for some day when Annabelle finally gets a room to call her own. 

Nadia's Room, Age 5

Caroline's Room, Age 11

Osianna Olivia's Room, Age 1 Month

FIRST FRIENDS

ELLEN, ANNABELLE, BRADFORD

I mentioned in a previous post that meeting new moms is a lot like dating.  You meet, you click, you ask for the their digits and call to arrange a second meeting.  Easier said than done.  I am happy to report however I have ventured beyond the meet, click and ask for the digits stages and have actually met some fellow new moms which I now hang with.  Being that I will be on maternity leave for six months (with sadly less than 4 months left), I knew I needed to meet some mommy friends in the city so that both Annabelle and I could have social interaction throughout the week, whether it was through classes, play dates, or afternoons in the park.  My post-natal yoga class was canceled due to lack of interest, so I began to research other avenues. 

I discovered that my pediatrician's office was offering a brand new 5 week series for new moms looking to connect with other moms, and have discussions facilitated by a childcare professional which would cover "the emotional, physical, and logistical differences you’ll experience as a mother."  Sounded right up my ally.  Unfortunately the class was not free, so I struggled with whether I should pay the price to meet new moms.  Somehow it felt very sorority - pay your dues, be placed in group, and potentially meet friends.  After discussing with Nathan and Ade, I decided to take the leap and do it.  Classes with professional instruction most likely come with a price attached and the other women in the group would be in the same situation as me - looking to meet other moms.  I clicked "purchase" on the enrollment page of the website and kept my fingers crossed.

On the day of our first class, I arrived to find that there were only two other new moms in the class.  Disappointed, I seriously considered whether the class was worth my investment.  The instructor said typically they cancel classes with less than five attendees, however given this was the first time they were offering the series they would go for it.  Hmmm...  Only two potential new mommy friends - what if we didn't click and I ended up dreading the class.  Fortunately that was not the case.  The class ended up being quite good with lots of sharing and good advice from the instructor.  I really liked the two other mommies and both of their babies shared Annabelle's June 4th B-Day, such a coincidence! All three of us moms come from really different backgrounds, however we all share the common mommy bond.  I found myself really looking forward to getting to know the new mommies more at our next class.  Sure enough, the second class was even better than the first and as we left the building we had exchanged cell numbers and emails.  Now that the class is over, the three of us plan to still meet weekly.  It has been so fun to see our three little cubs grow together since they have been hanging on a regular basis since they were 4 weeks old.  Here is a pic of Annabelle with her first friends, Ellen and Bradford. 

BLOCK PARTY

I am attempting for the first time to upload a video from my iPhone to my blog...forgive me if this doesn't work.  Though you might want to check out Annabelle in action. 

JULY IN REVIEW

Time seems to be flying by...can it be that sweet Annabelle is already 2 months old?  Where does the time go.  At 9 lbs. 8 oz. and 23 1/3 inches long, she is a happy and healthy little baby.  July was a whirlwind of activity. The weekend following the 4th of July Holiday we received an invitation to stay at our friend, Justin's, vacation rental on Shelter Island.  Not to be confused with the movie, Shutter Island with Leonardo DiCaprio, Shelter Island is located in the sound between Connecticut and the northern tip of Long Island.  It is a tiny, quiet island of homes with wrap around porches and sprawling lawns leading up to the sea.  Away from the crowds of the Hamptons, we were thrilled to venture for some relaxation and good conversation.   We sipped wine on the porch, read, sat on the shore, watched the boats go by, Nate golfed and we enjoyed a dinner at the country club.  It was the perfect first weekend away with our girl.  Annie E. had her first road trip, beach day and sleep away from home.  Aside from pulling over in parking lots along the way to feed her, she did great at all three.

The following weekend we were thrilled to have Adrienne come for a visit.  We did not make many plans other than relaxing and catching up, which was exactly what we did.  The first night, however, we had tickets to see Modest Mouse play at Williamsburg waterfront.  We took the L train to Brooklyn and scouted out a seat on the grass ready to hear some tunes from one of our favorite bands.  Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate and an incredible lightening storm broke out over Manhattan.  After just three songs, the band was forced off the stage by the park officials since the lightening posed a safety hazard.  Fortunately, the Mouse is cool enough to return for a make-up show in September as not to disappoint its fans.  By September, Annabelle's hearing protector ear phones should fit her small head a little better!

 

Aside from the Mouse show, Ade, Annabelle and I spent our time picnicking in Central Park, going to movies (another first for Annabelle), taking walks, shopping at the Chelsea Market, cooking great meals, experimenting with our camera settings, and hanging tough at the apartment.  I was so thankful to have  quality time with my sister and so glad that she could get to know her little niece.  Annabelle is quite taken with her Aunt and looks forward to seeing her again at the end of the month.

 

Other July happenings included - watching the World Cup, a visit from Matt Johnson, and my first run since October!  It is going to take me awhile to get the old body back into running shape, but it certainly felt good to be out there again!  We also experienced Annie E's first smiles, which melt my heart every time she flashes that toothless grin. We have been getting into the groove of being new parents and love watching Annabelle discover the world around her.  Looking forward to an exciting August ahead.

FUNNY FACES

Annabelle

Adrienne

Our little Annabelle is full of funny faces that keep us entertained for hours.  Friends keep asking whether I think she looks like more like Nathan or more like me.  It was not until my mom pulled some of Adrienne's baby pics that I am now convinced Annabelle looks like the most like Aunt Ade!  The shot to the right was taken at around the same age Annabelle is in this photo.  Can't deny there is definitely some resemblance!