Sunny days are here again...

Feels like summer came in March and then April was the return to a cool spring. So now in May, we're finally warming back up and enjoying some lunches at the park again.  Today Elisa was in fighting form and wanted to ride around and around on her favorite bike which was fine except that she nearly broke my toe rushing up and braking on top of my foot--twice.  I'll chalk it up to inexperience, but really, the kid is pretty good on the pedals so who knows. But man, does she ever look grown up.

Our friends Kip and his brother Ren were also looking for something fun to do today, so we decided baby races pitting Ren against Carolina were in order. The side by side baby walkers didn't make for good racing cars though, since mostly the babes just wanted to scoot and back up in them. Oh well. It was nice to at least be out in the sun and enjoy some conversation and picnic like in weeks past. In a way, I'm looking forward to Elisa being out of school this summer and us just hanging out all day at the park, splashing and eating outside. Last year I was pregnant and often hoofing it back and forth all day long, but this year I think I'll conserve my energy and make Carolina learn to take her afternoon nap in the stroller. Yeah, that sounds like a plan. But for today, we came back home around 2 p.m. and now both girls are blissfully sleeping and I'm staring at pics of that blue sky and brilliant fluffy clouds. Ahhhh...this kind of day can stay forever. 

Rainy afternoon

This is how I'm keeping my sanity today.

9 Month Check Up

We took Carolina for her 9 month check up today and she weighs an incredible 21 lbs. 9 oz. (90th percentile) and measures 30 inches long (off the chart). This means she's almost ready for the size 4 diapers I just bought, and she's officially out of her baby car seat. Sigh. I feel lighter already just thinking about unloading that Snap-N-Go. Baby gear be gone! We need more room for the toys!

Turning one all over again

The season for a new wave of 1st birthdays is upon us as May kicks off with several from our playgroup.  It feels like just yesterday we were having our pregnant mama brunches and now these little guys and girls are nearly a year old. I've said it before, and it's terribly cliche, but this second time around everything has happened so much faster.  Seeing Kira toddle around and enjoy her first birthday cake today was just another reminder.  That's it. One year down. Amazing stuff. And then there are the three-nearly-four year olds that continue to blow my mind with their personalities and conversations.  Watching them run circles around the babies at the party was like watching my life on fast forward.  This is where we're heading again and it's such a fun ride.  The older kids all played well today, shared toys, ate way too much sweet stuff, and yet no one had a meltdown.  For us, at least, that's major.  It's kind of snuck up on me, but lately Elisa has had a number of outings or playdates where she's really handled herself well.  And when she hasn't, she's at least recovered faster which makes life so much more pleasant. I've been praising her every chance I get and the streak is starting to make me think four is going to be a little calmer.  Even at the party Elisa was tired on the way out, but she managed to leave without a fuss and we enjoyed the walk home with Leonardo and Zara.  Epic success. 

So yeah, the Birthday Bonanza Take Two is just beginning, and I'm so thrilled for all the families who made it through the newborn stuff once again.  It's not easy starting over when your firstborn is becoming more manageable and life feels comfortable.  But for me, it's been so much more fluid to bring Carolina into our world and keep moving onward.  And when in doubt, I've had some great friends to look to who are paving the way.  Just like the first time with our clustered birthday babes, it's been fun to see a sneak peek of what's to come with these second round kiddos.  Somehow I can be in total awe of Kira turning one, but in complete denial that Carolina is getting anywhere close.  Why is that?  And with two mamas delivering brand new babies just this past week, all I can think is they'll be here too before they know it.  Singing happy birthday to a roomful of familiar faces and new ones too.     

Salad days

I had this idea for a post the other day in the middle of a morning while I was rushing around trying to get myself ready and organize a day for the family. I was doing my usual mad dash to get everything and everyone prepped so we could leave the house when it started to dawn on me that Carolina was already tired and it might not work to take her out.  But Elisa was really raring to get to the playground and it was looking like a nice sunny day.  Nacho was off work and I didn't want to waste his free time either.  I wanted to do it all. I wanted for all of us to go out and have some picture perfect day in the sun together.  I suppose in truth I was actually feeling bored and frustrated myself and didn't want to stay in and look at the little piles I've been shifting around the apartment for months or the dirty dishes in the sink.  For a while now I've been feeling like I'm just spinning my wheels around here. Every day is the same and I spend all my energy maintaining the status quo: a dirty apartment, food made-eaten-cleaned up, and kids cycled through eat/play/sleep routines all. day. long.  I just wanted to go somewhere.  Why was that too much to ask for?  And as I stewed in my anger and irritation, I realized that the solution was simple. Let Nacho take Elisa to the park while I made lunch for us and Carolina napped.  I would suck it up and stay home.  It wasn't what I wanted, but it wasn't the end of the world. Yet for some reason that day I just couldn't get happy. I wanted more.  I wanted to do something--be distracted from my life.  Time was ticking by and I needed to make a decision.

So I waved them off and put Carolina to bed for her second and final nap of the day.  She was tired and went down easy for me.  And in the space of about five minutes, I realized I'd made the best decision for everyone.  The pressure lifted.  I started thinking about lunch and pulled lots of little bits out of the fridge for our salad.  It was just a small task, but I really focused and it was amazing how my anxiety started to dissipate. I didn't feel so overwhelmed and irritated. I was busy rinsing and chopping and appreciating how good this meal would taste.  I enjoy working with food, and it was fun to let my mind wander.  And in that zen moment, I realized that life is so much like making a salad. Sometimes you get distracted with all the choices before you--the pressure to make everyone happy. What to do?  Where to go? How will everyone feel? [Because let's face it, at least half of parenthood is emotional management] Is this the right thing to do?  But when you narrow down the choices and work with what you have, what's right for you becomes clear.  Carolina needed to nap. There were two of us home to divide up the girls and let them each do what they should.  I just had to take one element at a time and break it down and suddenly life was more palatable.  Each ingredient was allowed to shine and that's just how the salad came together.  And it was delicious.      

9 months

Carolina turns 9 months old today. In three more months, I'll have a birthday party for her. Oh, God. It's these kind of flickering thoughts that make me realize time is moving forward, and maybe, just maybe I shouldn't be in such a hurry for her to be older. To be walking. To be talking.  Most days I really do want to see all that and I lament that we aren't there fast enough.  I just feel like we're so housebound with the napping and it takes so little to throw off her routine. Not that I don't push the limits. I mean, we can't always stay home. But in general, it would be nice to have a late night out in the city with the girls or to leave the house around 10 a.m. for a change.  But that's not happening a lot these days because of this little person who needs lots of sleep and crawl time and time to just be.  So I'm glad when I sit and reflect for a minute and can see all the progress we've already made. In just the past few weeks, Carolina has started crawling and maneuvering herself from tummy to sitting up and back again with such grace.  She is also eating chunkier purees and has learned to pick up finger foods with aplomb. Maybe because I have less anxiety about all these changes, she seems so much more natural at them. It's like she's been doing this forever.  And of course now that she's crawling, she loves nothing more than to pull up to a standing position with our help and try to take a few steps.  She's eager for more. More movement. More new foods. And in a way, I think she's made me appreciate all these stages of development in a new way.  Because with each milestone, I feel not just the newness of it, but the lovely bittersweet last-ness. This will be the last time I have a baby learning to eat solids, and walk and talk, and yes, sleep through the night.  Life is always most meaningful when you know it's fleeting.  So in celebration of these nine glorious months of constant changes and growth, we are home today watching it rain and letting this little girl get two full naps under her belt. Because tomorrow the sun will be out and we'll both want to play.

Why we still go to a pediatrician in Manhattan

Yes, we still go to our original Manhattan-based pediatrician almost four years later. Even with two kids. I've thought many times about finding a doctor closer, but I like the practice, they never make us wait and it's a stone's throw from the best burger in NYC (Shake Shack at Madison Square Park).  Don't even think I'm joking about the last reason.  So, for all those reasons and the ones you see below. We stick with it.  And since Elisa had to have her throat checked out today because she's been running a fever on and off for a few days, this is what we did before and after...

First stop, Hill Country Barbecue on 26th Street. We'd been to Hill Country Chicken a few times after other visits, but today was a more meaty kind of day. So we checked it out and I have to say, the ribs, chicken and brisket did not disappoint. But I wouldn't give them bonus points for the bizarre "meal ticket" idea. It's kind of cafeteria-style with the setup which makes it feel like more work when you have two kids to seat and manage. I just want the food brought to me.  But nevertheless, we made short work of the fixin's and next time I'll have to get some pie.  Elisa didn't eat a lot with her sore throat, but man, Carolina chowed down on some cornbread. It was sweet and crumbly and she made a total mess, but it was fun to watch.  Lately our dining out has been almost pleasurable with Elisa's quieter antics and Carolina's silent munching. The girl just keeps shoveling it in which is great since it frees us up to concentrate on our meal. Imagine that...actually taking the time to eat without worrying about either child. It's baby steps still, but the progress is palpable. And sometimes, gasp, we manage to have a conversation.  Afterwards, we walked back down 26th street, past this gorgeous church. Elisa loved it and wanted to know if Santa lives there.  The red door on the charming office might have thrown her off. But no, I said, I think Santa is still in the North Pole. "Let's go there. Tomorrow." Hmmmm...on to the park...

We stopped briefly by the park on the way to the pediatrician's appointment before doubling back and hanging out in Madison Square Park for a bit. Nacho somehow miraculously got this baby girl to fall asleep in the stroller while I took Elisa to get checked out. So by the time we had the verdict (not strep thankfully!) we were back to let Elisa run around fever-free at the playground while Carolina dozed away. It was a beautiful, mild day after this morning's rain and the flowers and smells wafting around were a reminder that spring is still hanging on for a few more weeks. With two sets of visitors coming to town this month, I think we'll be doing lots more city runs as long as the weather allows.  And if today was any indication, there's potential here for some real enjoyable family time out of the house and out in this big, beautiful city.