Year-end update

Well, I've done it again. It's been a busy several months and the blog/journal has been terribly neglected. I think about blogging often, but life's been...well, hectic. I laughed a little to myself when someone I know told me that a good day is when everyone in her family has survived- two little kids, herself, and husband. BUT, I'm starting to see things her way just a little. Yup, just surviving is a good day all right. So, anything outside of just surviving is a treat. A really good day.

And today was a really good day. We are just starting a nice week where Chris has time off. Family time is all too rare and precious around here. And C is very lucky that I did NOT, for the record, forget about his birthday (as we all know he did mine!). To spend his 34th birthday together, as a family was really great. The day was sunny, happy, and warm! The past couple of birthdays have been rather cold I remember driving through a snow storm to get to dinner a couple of years ago!

We started the day off at Peet's Coffee (where we managed to find a table for the first time of all the times we've been there!) and lunch at...where else Rod Dee!

iced coffee, anyone?

BFR with crispy chicken, of course

I was inspired to blog today because I remember Chris' past 2 birthdays so well. They were of course, topics here and here. I realized just how important it is to me to keep up with my journaling. There's something about the written word that brings me back to exactly where I was or what I was thinking and feeling at the time and it's something that just photos don't seem to as accurately convey for me.

Christmas gift shopping. Kendrick also got his first pair of shoes. Getting them on will be quite the  challenge!

This holiday season, I'd really like to do the Twelve Dates of Christmas like we did a couple of years ago, so I've got to get a-planning! We really won't be able to get to a full twelve events, but just half of that number would be marvelous!

Here are some things we've been up to over the past couple months:

Thanksgiving dinner preparation with my brother!

Our veritable feast!

Kendrick's first Thanksgiving! We continued my favorite tradition of watching the Macy's Day Parade
and then the Dog Show

The day after Thanksgiving, we headed to Volante Farms in search of our Christmas tree. To our surprise, the nursery was turned into a Christmas decor market and we found some great ornaments.

Ear muff Christmas tree ornaments- we should have gotten this one!

One of the photo contenders for our holiday card!

The 2nd annual MSPCA photo with Santa. But this year, we added Clementine and Kendrick!

*First photo: our decked out Christmas tree! It was quite the ordeal getting all the lights working!

First Father's Day

Just look at these guys…I mean, really. Could they be any cuter? We were in Maine over the weekend and it made for a weekend of many many hours of car travel. Poor K cried/screamed/wailed pretty much the entire trip up. It was truly torture for him, for me, for C, and for Harry. Who could blame him though- we were in the car for 8 hours each way because of traffic, stopping to change diapers and all that jazz. Eight! But the ride home was so much more better for everyone. Little baby slept soundly most of the way, which was pretty impressive for the little guy. 

We'd never been to Bar Harbor before. We arrived late in the evening on Friday so it just seemed very deserted. The next day, though, we were able to explore the downtown area a bit and I was pleasantly surprised. It had cute, coastal, classic New England charm.

We first had breakfast at a fantastic place called Two Cats. The breakfast was one of the best breakfasts I've had in a long time (a long time out, that is…we make a mean breakfast at home). I had the lobster Benedict and instead of a traditional English muffin, they used a buttery biscuit instead. Why eggs Benedict is not always a biscuit instead of a muffin is beyond me. My mind is blown- just like the time I had cheddar cheese cooked into scrambled eggs for the first time in middle school. Seriously, that changed my scrambled eggs-life. I wish there were more places like Two Cats where we live!

For lunch we ate at Side Street Cafe, where C got a lobster roll and I enjoyed some delicious Southern sweet tea. K surprised us by being awake and quiet during the majority of lunch! He just sat in his car seat, looking around and at us. Towards the end of lunch I put him in the sling.

We had a nice little patio outside our hotel room that Harry enjoyed quite a bit!

Bar Harbor wedding time

A low key, Father's Day dinner at Sweetgreen

Afternoons of Leisure

We had a really full week last week- especially last Friday. And by "full," I mean we had a couple of nice, leisurely activities lined up during the day that were really quite pleasant. We've been on a "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" kick and C found a cool little diner in Somerville called Rosebud Kitchen that we wanted to try. It was a pretty hot day but they had a nice outdoor area which was totally relaxing in the middle of the afternoon (I'm not sure why we both look so miserable in these photos but I tell you, we had a good time!)

Basking in the afternoon sun al fresco… and waiting until the next diaper change/feeding

my lunch date and our fancy fizzy drinks 

I love a great retro diner and though the vibe was a bit hipster, any restaurant with a changing table is now a restaurant friend of mine. To top it all off, we both got some pretty nice drinks and I had an amazing lemon lavender fizz that had real lavender essence!

We then took a walk through the Somerville Community Path and stumbled upon a nice playground. 

where the bigger kids play

I took a photo of this mural that we saw along the path. I just thought it was so adorable. I mean, a bunny riding a bike with a dog in the basket- it doesn't get cuter.  I wish we biked more still!

Earlier in the morning, we went to Book Babies at the local library branch where babies and toddlers enjoy songs and stories. It was our first time and Kendrick liked it! He actually stayed up and awake the entire half hour, which completely shocked us. It was so endearing to see him looking around at the other older kids (he was the youngest one!) and listening to the songs. I think he even smiled a couple of times. It was so great! We went again this Friday as well and hope to make it a regular event.

our happy little book baby at the library

I love these guys

In the evening, we spent some time in the back yard and Anusha & Lindsey came to visit. I love that we live so close-by to each other that it's just a pleasant walk. We spent time out in the yard with the dogs, and enjoyed some cooling drinks and cookies. 

all we wear are stripes

I'm dreading the fact that our leisurely days together as a family are coming to an end soon. Actually, it makes me terribly sad. We still have a few more weeks though, so I hope to make the best of it!

The Most Unassuming Birthday

Well, it was the most laid-back of birthdays, that's for sure. What a difference having a little demanding baby with needs greater than yours changes everything down to the birthday plans. Let's not mention that C almost forgot it was my birthday until I reminded him the day prior. He insists that he wouldn't have forgotten, but he also doesn't fight it much when I accuse him of forgetting, so we all  know the truth, don't we?

It certainly was an easy, laid back day and I couldn't have had it any other way. C did his best to let me "sleep in" and it was nice. He even brought Harry upstairs for a morning cuddle- just like old times and it was delightful. Harry enjoyed it too. 

We made our way out of the house and ventured to Nashoba Brook Bakery in Concord. We've been buying their bread at Whole Foods for years. Not only is it delicious and the most perfect for avocado toast, but I enjoy the idea of  supporting a local bakery (even though it's arguably arm and leg-ish in price). I was excited about the fact that there is a cafe attached to the bakery. 

A perfect place to while away the afternoon. Coffee, sandwiches, & baked goods. We couldn't ask for more

Not only was it a beautiful day, but we got to sit outside right by the brook. 

Our little associate, finally calmed and full after his lunch. Now was can enjoy our meal.

Surely you've seen the Toughest Job in the World video? We just happened to come across it again the night before. The whole video is so great and right on point, but the one part that really stood out with us as parents was the part about lunch. The toughest job in the world position doesn't get to eat lunch. Well, there is no lunch break until the "associate" takes his lunch break first. Well, this is true at our house every day now. As soon as we got our scrumptious sandwiches and settled down in the perfect location outside, Kendrick started wailing. Our little "associate" couldn't care less if it was lunchtime and he certainly doesn't care that it's your birthday. 

Excited about delicious baked goods and bread.

We stopped by another bakery on our way home and got some delicious meatloaf for a dinner in. Meatloaf is one of my favorite meals and I couldn't ask for more on such a relaxing, laid back birthday. 

*First photo: A tired Mama with a tired baby out at lunch

A Real Doctor

There's been so much celebration these past couple of months. It's hard to believe that C's medical school graduation was just last week. It's been a fast four years- at least now, looking back. One of the silliest things (or most annoying, depending on who you ask) I used to do was to act skeptical whenever C would give medical advice and say that I'd wait to judge said advice until I heard it from a real doctor. Though funny for me, I'm sure it drove him nuts. Well, since someone's a real doctor now, I can say that no more! 

Kendrick and I are really so proud. (Though by the above photo you can hardly tell that's how Kendrick feels).

The morning of the graduation was the first time since Kendrick was born that we had to be somewhere  by a certain time. Boy was I nervous about getting a newborn ready and out the door. We did make it on time, though Kendrick and I weren't able to enjoy most of the ceremony since he was just so fussy. We trekked up and down the treacherous stadium stairs countless times, but miraculously I guess Kendrick timed it so that we were able to see Papa walk up to the stage to receive his diploma.

We were all so exhausted from the day's festivities that we needed a family nap after getting home and before heading out to dinner with C's family in Quincy. The nap felt marvelous. 

Family selfie after nap time…and a thumbs up from Kendrick

Here's to the next chapter for a real doctor and family!

First Mother's Day

It would be inaccurate to portray my first Mother's Day as beautiful and perfect. Mother's Day happened to also fall on Kendrick's four-week birthday, and the above picture is a pretty accurate representation of what our day was like. Mother's Day coincided with the peak of this little guy's fussy period, which started after his two week birthday. 

C tried very hard to make it a nice day for me and made a delicious breakfast of pancakes (my culinary request for the day), sausages, and eggs. He even brewed the last of my highly coveted, decaf coffee from Philz. During breakfast, a beautiful flower arrangement from C's family got delivered to our door. The lovely note was very uplifting. 

a bright bouquet on Mother's Day

C took charge of all our meals that day and grilled a delicious dinner of shrimp (my mom's favorite), salmon, and steak. It was the first time we've used the grill this year, which surely beats when we got the grill last year, I believe. Kendrick and I took a little breather outside to hang out with Papa while he grilled. We also took a few family photos while outside, but being as fussy as he had been, Kendrick looks crazed in most of those photos, so I won't share them here.

spending time in the backyard while Papa grills

This picture reminds me: Our yard is looking stupendous! C has been really working hard to make it look great and it's paid off in spades. What a refreshing change from what the past winter did to our yard! The azaleas I planted last year are starting to bloom around this time, our hydrangeas that we pruned last year are teaming with new leaves, and we discovered that we have a lilac bush! We planted some nice perennials along the back fence a few weeks ago, where previously, only tall weeds grew. This was spurred mostly by the fact that we can see directly into our neighbor's backyard and they put up some nice landscaping and plants all by themselves in about a morning. 

Here's to fewer fussy Mother's Days and more time spent in the yard in the next few months.

Daily outings

We've tried to leave the house at least once daily. It's been a little hard with scheduling around Kendrick's sleeping and feeding schedule, but we've been otherwise pretty successful. Most of our outings involve food (of course) and other times they involve household chores (like getting our snow tires changed out-  finally!).

Today, we didn't fully get up and out of bed until noon- yikes. K can really mess with our mornings. Well, and nights too for that matter (someone became fussy for a whole hour between 6 and 7 a.m. this morning). 

Our outing today was centered around finding a good bakery that we have never been to before. We found Bread and Chocolate Bakery in Newton and I'm glad we did! K slept through the entire lunch, in his baby carrier. 

After lunch, we walked around the little stretch of shops in Newton Highlands. Apparently it was Newton-Taiwan day (though we're not entirely sure what this meant). We also found the smallest farmer's market inside a gym. It was cute, but we were so stuffed from lunch that we didn't get a thing. The farm fresh eggs seemed very appealing, though.

Here are some snaps from other outings we've been on this past week:

A very chilly day at Volante Farms for baked goods and vegetable seeds for the garden

A baby in the flower nursery at Volante Farms

Selfie with baby (though you can't see him) on our walk to the local bakery, Quebrada. 

Welcome, baby!

Our baby, Kendrick, was born on April 12, 2015. One day, I'd like to write down his birth story because I don't want to forget all the details of the day before and the day that he actually arrived. Today is exactly his two week birthday and I just happened to look up at the clock and saw that it was exactly, to the minute, 2 weeks after his birth. He is a very sweet baby and we loved him immensely from the first moment.  It makes me a little wistful/sad to think that two whole weeks have past. They really do grow up so fast!

First selfie as a family of three

Here are some things we noticed about him really love about him:

• From birth, he will occasionally look at us with only one eye open- typically his left eye. Not sure where he gets this from, but it's darn cute. 
• Loves to stretch. He makes huge yawns and stretches his arms out wide. Definitely gets this from C.
• Mighty baby. From birth, this guy loves to flex his muscles. He can hold his head up for a surprisingly long time for being so young and C even had troubles cutting the umbilical cord because he was kicking so much!
• Baby acne. I don't think acne could be any cuter on anyone else
• "Eh? Eh, eh, eh?" This is how K communicates when he's awake and in a good mood. The sweetest baby noises

Of course there are so many other things and I'm sure I will document them from time to time. 

We've tried to take him on an outing every day since we've been home. However, this has proved difficult on certain days where we just get started late in the day, or if the weather is just not as cooperative. During the nine months of pregnancy, I dreamed about taking him out on Marathon Monday to watch the marathon around the corner. There's something about Marathon Monday where typically, you feel that spring is really in the air and the sun is shining and people are excited and happy. This year was the complete opposite. It was cold, rainy, and windy. We did attempt to go out, but it started drizzling as soon as we stepped outside and despite our efforts, we had to duck back inside before even leaving our driveway, to avoid getting too cold. It was a a major bummer.  

However, we did successfully take K to a restaurant that evening and he slept through the entire dinner. What a good boy!

First dinner out on Marathon Monday. He did great!

Running bucket list for Spring and Summer 2015

Once the weather finally warms up, we'll have to make the most of our time together with baby. I came across someone's summer bucket list today while blog-surfing and thought that this was a wonderful idea. Here is mine for these upcoming months! And several photos from last spring/summer to get us revved up for the upcoming season!

• Starting up the vegetable garden
• Make homemade popsicles (I'm thinking we need one of these)
• Stroll to the local farmer's market on Saturdays starting in May! (I am SO excited about our local farmer's market. I just got wind of it today! They were such a staple for us in NYC and we miss them quite a bit)
• Morning walks around the neighborhood with dogs and baby
• Bookbabies time at the local library for story-time and songs (I just found out this is a weekly event!)
• Read (and finish) a book for leisure- anything! (We used to go to the Harvard Coop often and I would take photos of books I'm interested in reading, so I think I've got a few options)
• Splashing away downtown
• Make more fruit and vegetable shakes with our Vitamix
• Bike rides with baby and dogs (we need this when baby can sit up himself, so it may be several more months! Likely in the fall, perhaps)
• Bake a fresh berry pie from scratch
• Dog park time in Boston and the surrounds
• Shucking and enjoying our own raw oysters
• Going to free Friday Flicks at the Hatch Shell. (This would have been so much easier when we still lived in Beacon Hill!)
• Make fresh lemonade from scratch (like we used to do in college!)

That's a sizable list for now, but I'll think of some more to add in as the weeks go by!

Back when the backyard was lush and green. Not demolished by hills of snow.

Looking forward to watermelon season!

Life lately: waiting around

We haven't had anything too exciting going on these past few months. The snow is FINALLY disappearing these past couple of weeks and I hear it's the last cold day of the year until it starts to become quite pleasantly warm! It's about crunch time for baby's arrival so when we've had the chance, we've tried to combine getting everything in order for his arrival and also enjoying/treating ourselves to meals out or sleeping in.

We had a delicious lunch at Toro a few weeks ago (above photos- tuna toast!), thanks to a birthday certificate from my brother from last year. We've always wanted to go, but it's quite the hip place at night even after all these years, and reservations are impossible. So, lunch was perfect. We were so intent on eating that we didn't really take too many pictures. The corn was my favorite part of the meal. I could go again and order just the corn and be completely satisfied. The best corn of all time!

A few weeks ago, we planned a last minute lunch reservation at the Capital Grille during Restaurant Week. We each got our favorite desserts! It doesn't get better than that. Creme brûlée for me and chocolate cake for C. 

Crema Cafe. The best English muffin in town.

This week marks the start of my maternity leave from work and we had the good fortune of C having the day off on Monday. We had a grand time walking around Harvard Square, going to our favorite cafe there, Crema Cafe and enjoying our favorite breakfast/snack, their English muffin with butter and jam (why can't we ever find raspberry jam this good?! Believe me, I've tried. C even gave me grief about always buying strawberry jam after tasting again how delicious the raspberry jam on the muffin is!) I ordered something new that I should try at home: an Almond Earl Gray, which is EG tea with steamed and frothed almond milk. 

We've done a little baking. Or rather, I should say C did a little baking. Bless his little heart- I haven't had much energy or patience these days for cooking, much less baking, but he loves it so it works out quite well. We tried an Asian Milk Bread recipe that I came across. It was delicious! And preservative free!

We've otherwise just been relaxing at home, on the couch, catching up on all our shows (and new ones) and waiting…

Life pretty much any day of the week: napping on the couch with comfortable blankies

Baby's Afternoon Tea

We had an afternoon tea party last weekend at L'Espalier (my favorite restaurant in Boston) to celebrate baby's upcoming arrival. It was a cloudy and snowy day, but it was toasty inside and we were so happy that so many of our friends were able to attend. It made everything feel very special.

The Library Room was perfect for the occasion- cozy, warm, and BLUE! There must have been the largest collection of blue books I've ever seen. Every single one of those books was a shade of blue, though you might not know it from the photos.  E confirmed that they were real books, too. 

There were delicious tea sandwiches and quite the selection of sweets- almost too many sweets for my taste, but who can complain about afternoon tea?! Not even the Queen (though as Chris kept reminding me, she would not be there).

just the most delightful selection of tea sandwiches!

These mugs will become veeeery familiar to you, Baby!

And these ones too- your aunts and uncles!

There's quite a bit to get together before baby's arrival, but week by week I feel like we're making some progress. Nine weeks left to go!