Zoe and Ana take on NYC

This past Sunday we had no plans. Actually, let me rephrase that... we had plans to do nothing. You know... one of those days where you actually say "let's stay home and do nothing!"

Well that quickly changed.

Nick took Zoe to church. While they were there the phone rang (which is odd for a Sunday morning). It was Marianne, a "mom friend". (Zoe and her daughter Anna were in the same class last year and we signed them up for dancing class together.) She had a last minute offer... 4 tickets to see the Laurie Berkner Band in New York at Lincoln Center. Anna and her brother were sick and couldn't go. I felt horrible for them... but I jumped at the chance for us to go. (I had actually been trying to get tickets.)

We love Laurie Berkner and sing her songs all the time. We have 3 of her cds in our car cd player. We have a dvd of her music videos. Nick even likes her music (and can be occassional caught singing a song or 2).

So... spur of the moment... we were in the car driving to NY. Zoe spent the car ride looking out the window and asking where the "big city" was and where Laurie Berkner was. It was all very exciting.

We made it on time with just a little bit of traffic and irritation caused by being directed out of the tunnel in the wrong direction. (Oh, Zoe enjoyed the tunnel... Ana didn't.) We were able to park and make it to the potty before any potty accidents (phew).

We took the little HP camera that I won from Stacy a while ago and I'm quite impressed with the results. Most importantly... it saved me from having to lug around the DSLR and a baby and a diaper bag. How do people manage it all on a regular basis in NYC???

So... pictures...

Wow!!! Lincoln Center! Now... where's Laurie Berkner?
Happily sitting in our seats. Free seats are the best seats!
Daddy and Zoe... getting more and more excited.
Ana... not so excited. She enjoyed the concert in her own way.
Yeah! Yippee! Laurie Berkner!!!

Thank goodness for easy going children and spontaneity.

One of our favorite songs... Pig on Her Head.

They tell you to bring and animal to the show... so Zoe had a lion on her head...
The funniest part of our little excursion was when we left the theater and we actually saw a man outside with a cat on his head. A real live cat just sitting on his head. I tried to get a photo... but it's not great.

We took a short walk after the show. It was a beautiful day. A longer walk would have been nice except Zoe with no nap doesn't make for very pleasant walks.

So Zoe and Ana have had their first trip to NYC. It went well. Hopefully we'll be able to do some more fun city trips in the future. Zoe already had her eye on the Little Mermaid on Broadway billboard!

Ana TV

All Ana... all the time.

In this episode you hear Mommy making silly noises... Ana making baby noises. Oh... and look... you see a few smiles.

Exciting huh?

Enjoy!

I Love Your Blog!

As far as blogging goes... I don't think there is anything better than hearing that someone loves your blog. Unless of course... they tell you they love your blog AND pass on this really cute award.

I'd seen this floating around... and was thrilled when Kristi at Music Mom of 2 passed it on to me. (Kristi... I love your blog too!)

I'm finally getting around to posting and passing on what could be the cutest award ever. Since having Ana I've been much more limited with my blog reading and writing time. I was forced to go through my Google Reader and narrow down my favorite blogs (unfortunately cutting out quite a few... but still probably keeping too many) just so I could keep up. It made it a bit easier to decide which blogs I truly love and feel like I should pass this onto. My favorites of my favorites. (alphabetically pulled from my Reader even!)

Altering Life
and the duck said...
Barely Controlled Chaos
Two Little Monkeys
Chicken and Cheese
Hip Momma's Journal
Inverse Candlelight
Jeanette Verster Photography
Jenty's Ramblings
Jodifur
Miss Zoot
Mommy Knows
Momology
Moosh in Indy
My Life as Me
Playgroups are No Place For Children
Slurping Life
Squidgyboo
Suburban Turmoil
Synchronization of us
Taken with a Grain of Salt
Taste Like Crazy
The Benson Family and Other Stuff
The Gav Menagerie
The McGeary-Stella Family
The Wink
Tumble Dry
Wiping up Snot

Hmm. 2 dozen people. And that's really just my really truly favorites of late. The blogs I just can't skip reading. The one's I relate to, or that make me laugh, or cry, or go "hmmm". The ones I try (and try is the key word) to comment on if I have a moment. These aren't even all that's in the Google Reader. Maybe I need to work harder on cutting down my subscriptions.

Or maybe I could sleep less.

Or shower less.

Or stop doing laundry and food shopping.

I'll figure it out.

But... if you have time... go check them out. I love them!

Wordless Wednesday - Just for you

Black Boxes

So... I have a new addiction (like I have time).

Have you seen the Black Boxes around? I got my first fix through Mountain Momma... and now it's all over. I can't get enough.

Go ahead... click it... I dare you to say you can resist. I refuse to be obsessed alone.

If... like me... you can't click enough times... visit Caroline Smailes to find out more about the black boxes and to get your own.

Pediatrician Appointment

Both girls went to see the pediatrician this week.

Zoe went (finally) for her 3 year well visit. Her appointment was uneventful. Weigh, measure, chat. Check heart beat, pulse, eyes, ears, nose, etc, etc, etc. It was the first time they used the blood pressure cuff on her arm. You would have thought she won the lottery with the look on her face.

Zoe Stats: (@ 38 months)
Height - 37 1/2 inches (50th percentile)
Weight - 31 3/4 pounds (60th percentile)
Zoe is one very healthy girl. We go back to the doctor in a year for her 4 year old check. Oh... and on October 1st for a flu shot.

Ana had her 2 month old well visit. A little bit of nervousness... but all ended well. When the nurse listened to Ana's heart she got a pulse rate of about 188 (which I was told was quite high) but she was crying when the stethoscope was on her chest. The doctor came in then and put the tiny monitor on Ana's toe. She was calmer... but it was still a little high. She checked again while I breastfed a bit (eating calms babies. Hmm... I think eating calms me too... heehee) and Ana's heart rate was fine. So, no worries. Totally normal... when stressed, her heart races.

When the doctor asked if I had any concerns... I only had one. Ana is one of the gassiest babies I have ever met (and remember... I worked for years in a day care infant room.) I wouldn't worry if she just burped and farted a lot (which she does... and she can be mistaken for an adult with the later) but she also has times that I can feel all of the gas bubbling inside of her... and she screams like she's in the worst pain. Especially at night. When all is quiet. It's rather stressful.

So, the doctor checked Ana out. Listened/felt/squeezed her tummy. She said all seemed fine and that some infants are just bothered more by gas. She then told me that she thought that Ana seemed like "a sensitive baby" and that it wasn't surprising that she was so bothered when another infant might not even notice the gas. She said she seemed much more bothered by the general exam than some infants. I do believe that Ana is more sensitive than Zoe ever was (Zoe is the MOST easy going and flexible child ever) but I don't know that I would put her in the "sensitive" category yet. I guess we'll see. The doctor said that Ana should become less upset by her gas as she got older. We'll hope.

Then we finished off with vaccinations. Lots of them... but combined into 3 injections and 1 oral. DTP, IPV, HepB, HIB, and Rotarix (the oral... it's new for rotavirus). The oral was simple. It must have been tasty because Ana just slurped it down. The nurses do a double team effort for multiple injections. (Count "1 2 3" and then 2 shots go in at one time) The one nurse commented that we would expect crying (duh) since she was sensitive. I was ready to smack someone and was thrilled when Ana just did an initial scream and then stopped crying as soon as I picked her up.

Ana Stats: (@ 2 months)
Height - 23 inches (75th percentile)
Weight - 11 lbs 3 oz (60th percentile)
So, other than being sensitive, Ana is a very healthy girl. We go back for on November 12th for her 4 month check.

(Interesting - At 2 months old Zoe was also 23 inches long... but she was only 9 lbs 10 oz (25%)

Just reading my meter

I just realized my site meter edged up past 25,000. (25,521 actually) I almost missed it... and you know how I like to just document my numbers to look back on.

Guess I've been just a tad preoccupied with something else. Hmm... what could it be?

Oh... yeah...

Reading that site meter just reminds me of how many people are out there checking in on me and my little family. Thank you all so much for continuing to read!!!

Now... I'm off to do a quick nursing with Ana, pick Zoe up from school, have a quick bite to eat, and then head to the Y for Zoe's dance class. Phew... I'm tired just typing that. Or maybe I'm tired because Ana woke me up EVERY SINGLE HOUR last night. Could be that.

(Oh, and by the way... during this busy busy busy week... Nick is on a business trip in Istanbul. It's not every day you get to teach your 3 year old to say "My Daddy is in Istanbul, Turkey!" I should try to get video of her pronouncing that.)

Gotta run!

True Love

So big...

Today was Zoe's first day back to school.

After almost 3 whole months she is back in school. This year she is going Monday through Thursday from 9-12. Four days this year. Yikes.

She is no longer in the toddler program. Since she is 3 years old and potty trained she graduated to the "big kid room".

Preschool.

New room, new teachers, and new friends (just her friend Collin has moved up into the same classroom).

In toddlers they had a cubby... in preschool they get a locker in the hall.

There is a computer in her preschool room.

They have a real circle time where they talk about the weather and the calendar and all of that fun circle time stuff.

And... on the very first day... there was paint set up on the table for them to do ALL BY THEMSELVES. Without a teacher actually doing the activity with them. In their "first day of school clothes"!!!! aaaahhhhh! (by the way... she came home without a drop of paint on her... how is that possible?)

Zoe was in heaven. My girl loves school.

How is it that my baby became this preschooler? And just who went and told her she was allowed to get so big???





I guess I can be thankful that the front door of the school at least gives me the illusion that she is still my tiny girl.

Happy (belated) Labor Day

Alternate title... The post showing way too many photos for one weekend!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend. Ours was busy busy busy (even on our one "lazy day").

On Friday we went over to Uncle Gene, Aunt Andrea, Larisa, Alex and Nina's house for a birthday/farewell dinner for our friend Gilbert. He was here from Germany and was staying with Gene (etc.) for his vacation. Unfortunately I didn't take my camera... so no pics. (A cute note... Zoe calls Gilbert "Gil Bird"... sort of like Big Bird.)

On Saturday I went and had my nails done AND my hair cut. My hair hadn't been cut for exactly 7 weeks and 3 days (the day I went into labor) and boy did it need it. Getting my nails and hair done all in one day... oh my did I feel spoiled. When I got home we all packed up and went to a Labor Day/Firemen's parade in Boonton. Ana's very first parade.

We started out watching the parade from inside the pizza place where we stopped for a quick lunch.
Excitement quickly took over and we headed out to get a better view of those trucks. Aunt Andrea (my sister-in-law) and I both have lots of parade memories because both of our dads were (always will be?) firemen. I think we get just as excited by a parade as the kids.
Would you just look at Zoe's crazy legs? Leftover flexibility from the hip dysplasia.
Who looks more uncomfortable? Me in the casual skirt that was an inappropriate choice for curb sitting... or that pregnant woman to the left?
I think Nina would get the vote for most comfortable.We finished off the parade with ice cream for everyone.
Oh, and as for how Ana enjoyed her very first firemen's parade? This is what she looked like the entire time. She slept. Through firetrucks sirens and bells, through marching bands, through cheering and clapping... Ana slept.
Sunday was supposed to be our "do nothing" day. Nick decided his car wheels needed some washing though. As with just about anything Zoe was quick to yell "I NEED TO HELP!!!" So instead of just washing his car wheels he also had to do my car wheels... because Zoe said so.
And then... Zoe decided the wheels weren't enough. Mommy's car needed to be washed all over. And then Daddy's car needed to be washed all over.
Then Zoe was all wet and she insisted she needed to wear a bathing suit. It was then that Daddy really stopped washing cars and started supervising the washing of cars.
Once the cars were all clean Zoe decided she needed to use the "bubble water" to wash herself too. Who knew car washing could be so fun?

And finally... pictures that are actually from Labor Day. We spent the day at Grandma and Grandpa's house (my in-laws). We had a wonderful lunch... and then a surprise dinner (Uncle Gene smoked/cooked pulled pork for what seemed like a crazy amount of time -24 hours? or something. It wasn't done in time for the planned lunch... but right before getting ready to head for home it was done. Oh my, was it ever delicious.)

Zoe had fun with her cousins.
They spent some time in the garden picking all kinds of yummy veggies.
Grandma and Grandpa look like they're in the middle of a jungle... but it's really their backyard garden. Talk about green thumbs!
Can you tell Zoe had fun?
Finally... everyone took a run through the sprinkler. They were a little hesitant because the water was chilly. That didn't last long for Zoe and Alex though.
You know Zoe... she'd spend her life soaking wet if she could.
And Ana? Well, Ana stayed nice and dry. While we were all outside she spent a little quiet time with Aunt Pru.
So there you have it. Way too many activities and photos for one long weekend. We had a great time though.

Summer Florals

I photographed some flowers in the last week. These are all straight out of the camera... no editing at all. I think some of my very favorite photos are of flowers (right after photos of Zoe and Ana, of course.)