Beachin' it

We had a great afternoon at the local beach yesterday. Here are a few pics of our running around. Elisa loved the water as much as last time and didn't flinch when the cold water rushed over her toes. It was a little breezy so the jacket stayed on, but the sunshine was warm and the sand felt great underneath. Considering it's still March, this is pretty early for such a nice day but we'll take it. And we're looking forward to many more trips this summer.

Headin' South

We made it in to Wilmington, NC last night around 7 p.m. after a smooth flight which Elisa tolerated quite well. Perhaps after the mad dash to LaGuardia where we checked in barely 30 minutes before the flight, Elisa picked up on my sense of relief. Traveling standby was always such a thrill pre-baby, but now it is usually more chaotic than comforting. Luckily I know my way around that airport pretty well and I navigated the security line (always shorter over at Shuttle), picked up a snack, hit the restroom and made it to the gate as boarding was just getting underway. Timing is everything. Without having to wait, we were on the plane just 25 minutes after pulling up at the curb and by the time we sunk into our seats, Elisa was all bright eyes and eager to have a look around. Part of why we were running so late getting to the airport was because she decided to take a second nap. Or I guess, I decided for her. Just three hours after waking from her morning nap, she was acting tired and cranky and so I gambled on putting her down even if for only 45 minutes. I had almost everything ready beforehand so that extra bit of time without her was a nice break, but I found myself not wanting to wake her. Just a few more minutes, I thought, which turned into 10 more, then 15 more and by the time I had attempted to raise her from the dead, she was having none of it. She simply rolled over and curled up again with the thumb firmly planted in her mouth. Finally, we were up and loaded in the car and Nacho found a new way to get to the airport (thanks, hon, for that last glorious scare!). But in the end, it all worked out, and we made it. And now we are excited to hit the beach nearby to soak up some of this gorgeous spring weather and maybe find some shells or sharks teeth. My kind of day. Pics to post soon!

Sunshine on my shoulders...

Yesterday afternoon was the kind of breezy, sunny spring day that makes you fall in love with the city all over again. There was a feeling of let's get outside NOW...and so we did. After a good nap in the a.m., Elisa and I met up with Jessie and her son Oliver and hit Central Park for a long walk and some quality time outside. Unfortunately, most of our favorite spots were still roped off for spring seeding and maintenance, but we did find a patch of sparse grass to take a breather.

Elisa enjoys a snack while we hang out on the grass.
Oliver pauses just long enough for Jessie to catch her breath.
A beautiful quilt made by Jessie's sister--love the colors!
Elisa looking all 35 inches of height in her spring gear.

We couldn't sit for too long with these fidgety kids, but that was okay. The afternoon in the park and jungle gym area was just a taste of the months to come and that was really my inspiration for going out in the first place. It feels like we have turned a corner and hopefully, the sunshine and warmer temps won't recede in favor of more winter. Well, with only a week and a half of March left, one can hope!

It's in the air

With the daylight savings move last weekend, we are all definitely feeling the difference. What used to be a 5:50 a.m. wakeup is now 6:50 a.m. (or even sometimes 7:15 a.m!) which just sounds so much nicer, and the air just feels warmer and each day this week lovelier. Yes, it's been that kind of week. So good in fact that today I am thinking we'll head into the city to Central Park to roll around in some actual grass in this nearly 70 degree weather. Today also marks Elisa's last music class of the winter semester and she had so much energy for it that I was happy to see her progress in just a couple of months. I think we're going to need to get some instruments and bang around on them each Thursday morning at home (plus hit the bakery around 10 a.m.) just to keep up with the groove. I decided against enrolling her in another music class for the spring semester since swim lessons will start in May and I plan to use the next few weeks to travel and just enjoy getting out in the sunshine a bit more (weather permitting of course).

In other news, we seem to be over the cold/teething nightmare of the past few weeks. Elisa's sleep schedule has returned to almost (dare I say) normal with just a bit earlier wake-up but much less fussing at night. She's been in bed by about 8 p.m. and staying down until nearly 7 a.m. which is really all I could ask for. And the naps have been much easier with her just waving goodbye to me as I exit the room and she plays and sleeps for close to 1 1/2 or 2 hours twice a day. Like I said, it's pretty awesome. And I'll take it. Of course, we're going to road test all that this weekend with our trip to North Carolina, but I'm confident that she's doing better and will hopefully give us a few more weeks of this springtime bliss. Maybe it's all the sunshine but I just feel happier and it seems to make the days go that much smoother. Looking forward to seeing her run with the cousins this week and maybe even hit the beach a time or two (just for walking around since it's still too cool). But for now, we need a good nap and then some park time to soak in the city before we go.

Wearing the green

Before the day finishes, we had to post some of Elisa's wearing of the green. She must have been in the St. Patrick's Day mood because she only wanted to eat kiwi for lunch. Go figure. Lately, many of our tried and true foods are getting thrown on the floor, smeared in her hair or otherwise destroyed with smashing fingers. To say it's frustrating is putting it mildly. I don't know why her eating habits annoy me some days or have the ability to set me off like my hair's on fire, but they do. I try to remember that this is all part of the game of toddlerhood. That what she likes today has little bearing on what she will eat tomorrow, but that's so counter intuitive it's just more reason to flip out. Since I am the sole person responsible for feeding her--I mean, let's face it, Nacho can prepare a meal, but he needs guidance and does not shop for her food--it falls to me to make sense of her daily dietary intake. And so I try, and try, and try to find things that are accessible and nutritious and appealing. And it ain't always easy.

Forget that I made a kid's pasta dish today that I saw Giada make on Everyday Italian. It was a simple baby farfalle with peas and cream cheese sauce. Delish. But did she even try it? NO. So I ate some with such gusto that I was sure she would take a bite. No deal. I don't know why I prolong the pain sometimes. So finally, I just switched tactics and offered the kiwi. Devoured. She was handing me the bowl back in a matter of minutes with a look that said, "Duh, mom." So, once again it's the ability to stay mentally flexible that matters most. And not obsess about what she's eating--even if that means kiwi for lunch. Hey, at least it was green.

Swing into Spring

Can you tell we were excited to get out of the house today?

Tiny bubbles

With the rainy weather we've been having lately, I'm running out of good ideas for killing time indoors. Elisa can only read so many books, toss around so many stuffed animals and dance so many times to her new Yo Gabba Gabba soundtrack. And as easy as it would be to leave the TV on all day, it just gets old. So today we broke out the bubbles I'd stashed a few weeks ago.

Here she is taking a dip. Her blowing skills haven't developed quite yet. She more often tries to lick the bubble wand. But at one point, she did manage to blow a couple of bubbles. Once.

Chasing the bubbles became the name of the game after a few minutes of me huffing and dipping, and puffing. I tried blowing them in her face a few times which she loved but it also tickled her silly. I think she really just wanted me to keep up the pace of bubbles everywhere.

Later when I tried to put the bubbles away, she came around the cornering whistling and puffing and making a fuss. I had to laugh at this never ending game of charades we play. It was a great reenactment of my expert bubble blowing, but unfortunately, the jig was up. That's part of what is so sweet about this new phase with her. We're definitely getting more of an idea of what Elisa wants, through her actions and sometimes words. And it's such a delight to see that and to communicate back that we understand her and we can *sometimes* oblige her requests. But when we can't, when it just isn't feasible for whatever reason, watch out. Because when Elisa realizes that we get it, but we just aren't going to do it, she has no trouble expressing her disappointment. And I have to admit that Nacho and I usually turn away to chuckle when the stomping and blubbering begins. But when she gets her way, whether it's bubbles or another rendition of her favorite song, she can light up those eyes with such amusement. It makes me melt.

Looking forward

This week we are finishing up our last music class on Thursday and after that, we'll be heading to North Carolina on Friday to visit my family for a while. The second half of March holds two special birthdays--my nephew Jordan and my dad--so this was a good time to plan a trip. I'm even thinking of packing some short sleeves for Elisa and a dress or two since it's been in the 70s there a few days. Hurray for spring! While my mind is on the weather and making sure I have birthday gifts covered, my niece Mia has been busy getting ready for our visit as well. Here is the note she left on the kitchen counter for all to see:

Make no mistake--this sucker is for Elisa. So hands off. Such a sweet gesture, and if Elisa could reciprocate by marking a toy, perhaps a Yo Gabba Gabba stuffed animal for her cousin, she would totally do it. I know she would. We look at photos of family every day (MULTIPLE times a day), and recently Elisa has even started mimicking her cousin's name. Not quite "Mimi" but we got a "Nini" and a "Migi" for sure this week. I am getting excited to see how the two interact this time around, since we had a great time at Christmas with Mia visiting us for a change and keeping Elisa occupied for hours on end. They are quite a dynamic duo.

Playing with the water and helping Elisa shovel sand during our beach week last fall.
Checking out photo albums with her cousin.
A quiet moment between two special girls.

Whether Elisa ends up having a sister or not, I know that for sure, she will always have her "big sister" in cousin Mia. They both have such a fun and playful spirit that it's great to watch how they are growing up together. Hopefully, this won't come back to kick me in the butt when Elisa wants to do everything her Mimi does (only much sooner in life). Of course, if I know Mia, she will be there to help guide her cousin and provide that much needed big sis perspective in life. Just like mine was.

Now what...

So it's been kind of a slow week around here. What with me fighting off a sore throat and sluggishness and Elisa changing up her nightly habits. Not sure why, but within the last week and a half, she's decided that 10 hours is enough sleep at night. Now, don't get me wrong--that's a decent amount of sleep for any kid. But when she has been doing 11 or 12 or sometimes even *gasp* 13 hours a night, you get used to having that little bit extra. Especially when I am accustomed to sleeping from 11pm til about 7am. It's quite a rude awakening at 5:15 am to hear murmurs and cries for "Momma, mmmmooooomaa!"

I can't really tell if it's related to her molars coming in or not. Or the lingering nasal congestion she's had too. It's possible that this is just another road bump in the 18-20 month range where we went from her frequent, multiple night wakings to now sleeping soundly but waking earlier. Not sure which one I would rather, but I guess it doesn't matter anyway. If there is anything I've learned as a mom, it's I don't get to vote. So we are dealing with this and just hoping that with daylight savings coming this weekend, we'll at least get to say goodbye to the 5 a.m. wakeup calls (6 a.m. just sounds better, right?).

We also had her 18 month check-up this week and as always, her height (at around 35 inches) continues to climb the chart. Her head circumference has thankfully come back onto the chart--apparently she went over the 99th percentile last time. Who knew?! And her weight is in the 90% (around 27 lbs.). The doctor got to see all too well how Elisa likes to go from HIGH (screaming, sobbing, turning red in the face) to LOW (chatting, waving hands and generally smiling) within about 30 seconds after she started to pack up her stethoscope and hit the door. The flailing and fuming little girl turned suddenly pensive, and the pediatrician almost stopped in her tracks at the about face. Yes, I said, she certainly has a flair for drama. Oh, the drama.

Just this week, I got my first ever smack down from Elisa. This happened after some mundane task, probably removing her from the bathroom and shutting the door. Then suddenly, the beast emerges. I picked her protesting body off the floor and that's when she unleashed her fury. Like fists pumping all over my head and then a cheeky hair pulling. That girl has moves! This ended up with me--with surprising calm--holding her arms to her sides as I placed her in her crib and said "No, we do NOT hit momma" and then left the room. She got the message because when I returned in a couple of minutes, she imitated hitting herself and then fake cried. Yeah. She gets it. All too well.

Celebrating two!

This morning we headed over to Kristin's apartment to enjoy a brunch in honor of Jen, the first Sunnymom in our playgroup to have a new due date. Yes, that means we'll be meeting a new member of the playgroup (boy OR girl--to be determined soon) later this month. It's the first of what I'm sure will be many more sibling arrivals, and it brings with it all the excitement and a little bit of anxiety that new babies deserve. Having two under two will be a challenge, no doubt, but it seems to be a reality for many families here in the city. We even have another mom, Lisa, who is due in April with her second (a boy) and I have another friend in Astoria who will be expecting a second any day now. It's a busy spring!

Elisa took a short power nap this morning to be able to join the festivities on time.
Hiro digging into a snack while Elisa looks on in the background.
Jen and Lisa share stories of the second time around...
Genevieve and her momma enjoy a quiet moment before the new arrival.