June

June is a great month. Not too hot, not too cold, not too many tourists but just lovely in the parks and neighborhood.

The kids seemed to grow like weeds and add new tricks every time we blinked.

We went on a family trip down to West Village to get Jaime's haircut and have lunch.

We went on many walks in the park. On one particular Saturday afternoon walk through the ramble, Jaime spotted a guy playing a guitar across the pond so we followed him over there to sit in the lawn and listen to music.  Jaime loves music and guitars.

On Father's Day we had a little picnic in the Park at Summit Rock (what a difference 13 months makes! last May at Summit Rock)

More afternoons featuring bubbles, followed by the playground.

Awesome walks in the park. Jaime knows which bridge will echo if he yells loud enough.  More running, and more swinging.

A playground trip with Dad followed by an ice cream sandwich on a bench.

Ellie finally got a crib, Jaime was so excited to help put it together.  He's an amazing helper, next stop power tools.

We had dug out the bug chair for Ellie to enjoy.  Jaime like to show her how to make music with the ladybug.

And there was that time we tried to go to the Brooklyn Flea but basically just did a long subway ride, then a long cab ride, and ferry ride.  Dan didn't hear which stop to get off the ferry so just got off at the first stop (instead of the third) while Jaime and I were on the top deck checking out the views.  At any rate, Jaime loved the ferry ride and the pier.  Another attempt will be made in 2015.

Some random pictures of resting and relaxing.

We did a beach trip which was a blast. And a lot of work with two under two!!!  It was our first time driving a Toyota Prius, so that was exciting.

 

We finished off the June days with runs, relaxing and more time in the park, including a trip to a very fun splash pad at a pier.

Summer days are here!

A Family Visit

It is hard living so far away from family, so it makes it extra special when family comes to visit. Pam and Matt and their two kids came to visit us for a long weekend and it was so much fun. We loved getting to hang out with them and Jaime just adored getting to show some of his cousins his favorite spots.

We started out with a trip to Mariner playground and the Pinetum as it is such a long drive so it's good for the kids to just let loose.  We had dinner at Good Enough to Eat -  that is right it was a table of eight with four adults, two highchairs, one kid on a seat, and one kid on a lap. That place is pretty mellow with lots of stuff/decor for kids to look at so it worked out nicely.

The next day after breakfast (Jaime was beyond excited to share the table with other kids) we saw the dinosaur floor, saw ducks, tossed rocks into the pond, and had Shake Shack for lunch. Pam and I left the men with the kids and went to get manicures - I loved getting to chat with my sister.

After naptime we headed down to Bryant Park so that they could see a part of town with some skyscrapers but also is a kid friendly destination.  It was pretty cute how Jaime and Lainey would chat and share snacks back and forth in the stroller, just like old friends.

Then we did a nice long hike stopping for pizza before catching the subway home. The kids were pretty wild still when we got back to our apartment and enjoyed playing more.

The next morning was a trip to Hippo playground, one of our favorites, after a light breakfast at the corner bakery. We then had lunch before saying goodbye.

It is great to have their family closer than when we were in Chicago even if it is still a pretty long trip. It was so good for us to spend time with family.

May in snapshots

May flew by in a blur.  We were full steam ahead as a family of four with both parents working full time. 

Ellie was outgrowing her little bassinet (pack and play) and sleeping pretty poorly, so I was up a lot.  She would go back to sleep quickly but it was still very draining for me.  Jaime was sleeping pretty solidly and consistent so that helped.

Ellie was more and more alert and fun.  She was rolling over and blowing raspberries.  Jaime was growing leaps and bounds in his motor skills at the playground- climbing up things like a monkey.

After some serious deliberation I turned down a job in Chicago.  It was such a hard decision, but we aren't quite done with New York.  And in May our neighborhood is filled with such springtime charm that it helped it feel like home.

May also marks the beginning of playground season. Mornings are spent at the playground with an early afternoon nap at home then back to a playground or park till time for dinner.

The kids had different needs for sleep schedules with Ellie needing a morning nap and Jaime needing morning exercise. Sometimes we would all go out and Ellie would sleep in her cocoon. Sometimes one of us would go out with Jaime and one would stay home and nap with Ellie.

For Mother's Day we went to the NY Botanic Gardens. That place is beautiful.

We went to Touch a Truck, so our vehicle obsessed boy could sit in some of his favorites. Ellie slept the whole time and it was loud, yup Jaime loves Fire Trucks.

Jaime would start his afternoon nap before Ellie so she got some solid one on one time before her nap. She was outgrowing the rock and play quickly, a tiny peanut no longer.

Bubbles! Always a win for Jaime.

There was lots of cuddle time and down time.

Farmers market trips, running, reading in the stroller... the stuff of Sundays.

Memorial Day was just me and the kiddos, as Dan had to work. We went on a picnic, went swinging and spent more time lounging on a blanket under the trees. It was a good solidly lazy day.

 

A nice and easy month.

April in a nutshell

April was another month of transition for our family.

I started back at work in the mornings and was home before naptime ended in the afternoons for two weeks. Then I was back to work full time. The working mom morning and evening routine had been a delicate dance with just one kid and was a handful with two under two years. It was hard.

We were also finally seeing the end of a cold winter with spring weather and blossoms to brighten our spirits.

The month was mostly about getting into a routine and finding our groove as a family of four with two working parents. So our adventures were pretty humble and home-centered.

With the weather warming up and days getting longer we tried to get out for nice walks.

We did a trip to the carousel in Central Park. Jaime loved the carousel at the Fourth of July the previous year but not such a fan this time. He loved to watch it but was a little uncertain about being on the horse.

Dining out was mostly still easy if we timed it while Ellie napped.

For Easter we took Jaime to an egg hunt. We waited forever for this thing to start. Nothing like having a group of toddlers waiting in line for eternity. Once it began Jaime had a great time filling his basket with eggs... filled with stickers (doh!).

I had a great time hiding eggs. This year I put a couple of mini jelly beans and m&ms in the eggs, all in he had a very small amount of candy but Jaime thought it was awesome. He would eat the contents of each egg as he found them. I also had fun putting together their baskets.

After the egg hunting/candy feasting, we headed out for a walk in Central Park.

We finished off Easter with some quiet time at home enjoying new toys, Ellie was fond of her wrist bugs and Jaime loved his dump truck and the phone from Grammy.

We made it to the Central Park Zoo for a morning visit. Jaime loved watching the seals.

And then more general family fun, regular old life stuff.

These two make me so happy. I love them so much.

And that, in a nutshell, was our April.

March + Final Weeks of Maternity Leave

After my mom left we had only three weeks left for full on maternity leave. We found a rhythm and started to even out after the big adjustment to becoming four. Dan was commuting out to Queens so left early and got home just in time for dinner. The weekends were spent doing childcare interviews and relaxing. The weekdays were largely me and the two-under-two crew.

We played a lot, scrambled to throw together meals, let our home get messy, and had a lot of fun. I typically showered at night right before bed to make the mornings easier. I searched on the internet for toddler activities that would make our playtime more varied and a learning experience. And I snuggled both of my babies as much as I could.

There were still lots of cold, snowy, and generally yucky days so we spent a lot of time inside exploring through play and household items.

We did do a lot of napping as I got both kids on a pretty solid routine. All the napping pictures are Ellie, not sure how Jaime escaped these this month. I was getting about an hour of overlapping naptime that I used to catch up on job searching and working out.

Remember how I used to take photos of what we were eating/making. Right.

We did get out almost daily, unless it was snowing. I preferred places where I could let Jaime run a bit but keep him contained as it isn't always easy to keep up with an infant napping in the stroller. We had a few very nice days with sunshine but a lot of gray ones. We went to the great lawn and the mall...

And to the Riverside Park Promenade to splash in puddles...

To the pinetum for the swings on our way to the lake to check out the ducks...

And to the playgound (of course).

I also took more than a few selfies with my kids. Because I fear that there will be no photos of me with my babies as I take most of our photos.

I braved the final weeks of music class, the museum, and storytime with both kids by myself. Wow, that was a wild time. I should note that we have to get to the library before it opens and stand in line to get a ticket to get to participate in storytime.

We loved when Dad was home. It was extra nice at the playground to divide up into pairs.

And the museum is much more fun in grown up to child pairs.

The kids were cute together. Jaime was really sweet with Ellie. He loved to hang out with her during tummy time and show her the toys in her little baby gym. Ellie watches Jaime and tracks him across the rool. They also started to get the hang of sharing my lap for snuggle time.

March 31st I started back at work part time to ease back into the both parents' working routine.

And that in a nutshell is our March. It was a whirlwind.