JUST CLOWNING AROUND

This weekend the Teter's were in town.  We had a great time cruising around, had an adult-only dinner at Il Buco, and hit up the lanes at Brooklyn Bowl.  We also stopped by this Levi's project downtown called the Photo Workshop.  They have tones of antique cameras you could rent, photo sets where you could do a shoot, and all these Macs set up so you could do photo editing.  We weren't quite sure what it was all about - the scene was a bit overwhelming!  They did, however,  have a cool photo booth that we took advantage of.   Good friends, good times.

TIME

So now that I am officially a working mom I find that there is just not enough time in the day.  Now more than ever, I wish that there could be 75 minutes in every hour instead of just 60.  That would leave more time with my little person, more time with Nate, more time to blog, to knit, cook a good meal, and go for a long run.  More time to organize my photos, to take photos for that matter!  More time to send that last email, to run the numbers and triple check the budget.  More time to keep in touch and tell my friends and family how much I love them.  More time to Christmas shop and decorate.  I find as the days go on, it gets harder for me to sit still and to relax for a moment when there is one.  There is just too much to do.  Rush, rush, rush.  So much to cram into every 60 minutes of the hour.  For now I will relish the 15 minutes of a hot morning shower and the moments at the end of the day when I get to rock Annabelle to sleep to the sounds of violins playing Chopin on the ipod.  It is my New Year's Resolution to be present.  Since time is becoming even more precious - I want to be physically and mentally present with each moment I have.

That said, I apologize for radio silence on the blog.  I know my blog is one of the things I enjoy doing that is going take a hit due to lack of time.  I will try my best to keep it somewhat up-to-date, though I know many more days will go by between entries. 

Off to go spend some quality time with my favorite two people...

THE BUG

The flu bug blew through the Ellis apartment this week.  It started on Tuesday night.  It was the lighting of the Holiday tree at Bleeker St. Park.  I planned to get off work a little early and meet our nanny there with Annabelle.  Upon arrival to the park, I said a quick hello to some of my mommy friends, and quickly scanned the crowd for my little one.  She was nowhere to be found.  I headed home to find Annabelle with sunken red eyes, a yellow-ish tone, nauseous.  Nothing is sader than seeing your little girl throw up.  I had know idea that tiny little humans have the exact reactions as their adult counterparts when sick.  Poor little dumpling.  She tossed and turned all night and we tried to comfort her.  Thankfully her six month check up was the next morning so we could get a professional opinion on what to do.  While waiting for her appointment, A. lost her cookies all over the waiting room - a real treat for the other parents waiting.  The doctor assured us that the stomach virus was going around and to watch for dehydration by giving her Pedialyte at intervals throughout the day.  She weighed in at just 14 pounds, lighter than I expected, but the doc said not to worry, and that she is just long and lean (she is still in the 84% for height - Nate says she is lean and mean).  The doc also warned that the virus is contagious and to be careful.  Turns out the doctor was right and by 3:00 am, I was feeling the symptoms, followed by Nathan around 5:00.  Both of us were down for the count and could not have been more happy to see the nanny walk through the door at 8:15.  We hope she doesn't catch the bug next. Throughout the day Annabelle showed signs of improvement and by her evening bath she was smiling and laughing again.  Nate and I are still ache-y break-y, but hoping to kick this darn bug by tomorrow.  My best lady, Dion, arrives for a visit tomorrow and it would be terrible for us all to be sick.  Plus she went through this with her own little ones a few weeks ago.

Keep your fingers crossed that team Ellis is on the mend.

HAPPY 0.5!

 Today is Annabelle's 6 month B-Day.  Annie E., you are the apple of my eye!  Love you.

M.N.O.

Last night was our 2nd official M.N.O. (Mom's Night Out).  A few months back at one of our playgroups, the moms decided it would be fun to have a night out sans babies, so on that following Wednesday after we put our babes down to sleep, the mamas left the daddies in charge we headed to a local wine bar.  Strange as it was to see each other without the babes in tow, we had a great time and decided it must be done again.  Since then, it has been decided that M.N.O. will be a reoccurring event on the first Wednesday of the month.  I am thrilled about this - considering this is a mommy event I can still go to.

Last night Maureen, Cate, Ali and Wendy surprised me with a "back to work" gift.  I unwrapped the gift to find a beautifully designed calendar that was so tasteful and thoughtful it brought tears to my eyes.  Those sneaky mommies had contrived a way to contact Nate to get him to send over pics of Annabelle and the family over the past 6 months.  They compiled those photos along with some of their own to design and print a calendar for my office at work.  Ali and Maureen are both graphic designers, Cate does interior design, and Wendy is my crafty knitter friend - all with an amazing taste - so it is no wonder that this piece turned out so beautiful.  I am so excited to put it in my office as reminders of them along with Annabelle!  I know I have said it before, but I am so thankful for these amazing friends who have helped make mommy-hood so much fun.  Looking forward to the next M.N.O.