Stay Wild

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On Nico – T-Shirt: Beckett’s Threads / Pants: Just One You Made by Carters / Shoes: Pediped – similar

Things are getting wild over here at the Notes household.  Nico took 16 steps yesterday.  SIXTEEN!  He’s still a bit unsteady, but I’m pretty sure full on walking is probably going to happen before this upcoming weekend is over.  Which means things are going to get crazy.  That being said, I do feel pretty lucky that I have a son who enjoys reading as much as Nico does.  Yes, reading Hop on Pop 20 times in one day can probably drive you a little mad.  But he is starting to take to plopping down on his own and looking through all the books.  He loves to pull them all off the shelf, and then dive into each and every one.  I wonder what he is thinking when he looks at them…if he is remembering the words that go along or he’s making up his own rhymes in his head.  Eventually he will crawl over to me with a book in hand saying “Buh!” his big brown eyes telling me he wants me to read to him.  And I oblige every time, because I never want to discourage a good habit, and because who wouldn’t want to cuddle up with this little nugget while I still can.

On another note, how cool is Nico’s tee?  Beckett’s Threads is offering a 15% discount to all my readers through Sunday night on this tee and other rad baby gear.  There are even a few items for mom as well.  Just use the code PANDA15. Hope you are all enjoying your week!

XO,

Gina

{28} Lately…

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Lately I’ve been…

reading I Am Hutterite by Mary Ann Kirby.  An inside peek into the life into a Hutterite community (similar to Amish), leaving the community, adapting to the English world, and trying to reclaim a heritage.

writing  A practice schedule for today’s soccer class this afternoon.  Since I have some free time on my hands these days and there was desire for a soccer class in the neighborhood, I have spent the last few weeks obtaining a permit from the Prospect Park office, and my class is now ready to go!  We had our first one last week, and seemed to go well, so my assistant, Nico, and I are looking forward to the next 8 weeks of soccer fun.

listening  To a lot of kid’s music.  Luckily, we have amazing bands like The Dad Beats around here which makes listening to kid’s music (somewhat) bearable.

thinking  About the next steps I want to take career-wise.  Soccer class is great, my Poshmark closet is selling well, and I love spending time with my little Nico, but still craving something a little more creative in my life on the job front (that – full disclosure – can also bring in a little more cash for the family).  I have a few ideas in mind, but still researching and will see what might come about.

smelling  I can still smell those apple cider donuts in my mind that we ate at Stakey’s Farm on Sunday.  Mmmmazing.

watching  I FINALLY watched The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.  I was a big fan of the series, but wasn’t able to get to the movie theatre when this one was released.  It was everything I thought it would be.

wishing  Congratulations to Nico’s former nanny who just presented the world with a brand new baby girl last night!  So happy for her, and can’t wait to meet that baby!

hoping  To find some time to carve the amazing pumpkins we got from the patch.  I always say I want to carve, and then I rarely get around to it.

wearing  My new custom made Guilty Jean bracelet given to me as a gift from a dear friend.  The coordinates are from the place where we originally met.  Love love love it!

loving  The fact that our neighborhood is currently the set of the newest Steven Spielberg movie starring Tom Hanks.  He’s pretty much my favorite actor.  And I got to see him on set yesterday which was pretty damn amazing.  The film is also starring a friend of mine who I met on an airplane, who at the time was a soap opera actor and asked me to rehearse lines with him on the plane.  Although, I was incredibly embarrassed, I obliged because he was so nice.  He’s now making movies with Spielberg and Tom Hanks.  Way to make it big Billy Magnussen!  Can’t wait to see you rock out this film.

laughing  At how my son continuously manages to outsmart me.

wanting  A date night for the hubby and I in the near future.  It’s been too long!

needing  To figure out what I am going to be wearing to the black-tie optional wedding we are invited to this weekend!  And needing to figure out what Nico will be wearing as well.  Looking forward to seeing my cousin walk down that aisle!

feeling  So proud of my little guy who took his first steps this weekend!  He took even more yesterday, and this mama is going to be in big trouble soon!

craving  Candy corn.  I’m still wondering why we only eat this one month out of the year.

clicking  Away on career research. Thinking of making a switch up.  We shall see!

*

What have you been up to lately?

Hope you are all having a fantastic week!

XO,

Gina

***I was inspired by Tina of Like Ordinary Life to create this post, and she was inspired by Lauren of siddathornton, who started The Sunday Currently.

Confessions of a Stir Crazy Mama

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Well, this isn’t exactly how I planned to spend my first week back as a stay-at-home mom.  Yes, you heard that right.  I am currently a stay-at-home mom again as of last Thursday…the last day of my company’s existence as we know it.  The news came as a bit of a shock in terms of the timing, although when I think about it, I’m not really surprised.  I always knew the day might come when my boss got tired of the business and would want to retire or move onto other things.  I guess I never realized I might still be around (in the company) at that point.  It’s bittersweet for me.  It’s the place that I have called my second home since moving to the Big Apple with two of the only co-workers I have ever known in this city.  I have changed so much since my beginning there as a young twenty-something, and I have learned so much about advertising, production, animation, and so many other areas I had the opportunity of dipping into during my last seven years.  I have had the chance to meet and work with some incredibly talented and amazing people, be included in fabulous events, and learn the ins and outs of an industry from a rare point of view.  I am ever grateful for the mentorship, friendship, flexibility, confidence, trust, concern, and kindness my boss has shown toward me over these last several years.  As a newcomer to NY, it can be scary to embark on a journey in such a large city, but I felt welcomed immediately and knew that I had people that I could count on in my life through my work.

It’s bittersweet, because although I am sad to leave the comfort of my job and my day-to-day relationships, this does mean I get to spend more time with my son while I figure all of this out.  I also get the chance to start fresh and maybe try something new.  I have thought about trying something new from time to time, but then I always get sucked back into the day-to-day, and I lean on the comfort of my security with where I am at.  Now, I have no excuse for not pursuing those dreams.  I don’t even necessarily know if I have figured out exactly what those dreams are…but I know have the time to soul search, dig deep into myself to figure out what I am passionate about, determine what my strengths are, and possibly marry all of that together.  I do know that I want to continue working in some way, shape, or form.  I like having a job outside of the home where I can be someone other than “Mom.”  I love being Mom, but I also love creating and thinking and producing and connecting…doing all of the other things I know I am capable of in my life and in my career.  I have enjoyed the balance in the past months since I have finished with maternity leave between home life and work life.  I think that works best for me and my family…for my sanity…for Nico to grow comfortable with others…for my husband in regard to my sanity haha.  I would like to find a way that I can continue that balance going forward.  I don’t want to rush.  I want to enjoy this extra time with my baby while I can, because I will never get it back.  And I want to make sure my future decisions are based on careful, well-thought-out, heart-and-mind-fulfilling planning.

All that being said…this is not the way I planned on spending my first week back at home.  I was super excited to take Nico out on playdates, catch up on blog posts, find some time for soul searching and career planning.  And the most I have managed is two loads of laundry in four days.  I have basically been immobile on the couch or bed, feeling like I have been hit by a ton of bricks.  I have been bound by high fevers, chills, sniffles, body aches, head throbs, and a gnarly looking sore-throat…the absolute works.  I’m not even able to care for myself, let alone a small child.  My husband had to come home from work just to take me to the doctor, because I couldn’t get there by myself with the baby (and I also didn’t want the baby in the doctor’s office with a bunch of sick people.)  It’s a miracle he hasn’t gotten sick yet, and I’m praying he doesn’t.  Turns out, I think I have strep throat, and no wonder I am so miserable.  I have not been feeling like that supermom I thought I would considering I have a full week of quality time alone with my son.  Instead, it’s me moaning on the couch while he tries to play with his toys alone, wondering why I won’t play with him.  It’s him bringing me toys and books up onto the couch, saying in his own way “come on mom, you used to be fun.”  He’s been acting out, I think in defiance to my current state of being couch ridden.  Refusing to eat his food, refusing to take his naps, and demanding milk constantly.  Yesterday was an all-time low in regard to us spending time together.  I thought I might literally go insane and found myself wishing for the day to just end so I could go to sleep and feel better, and that is just sad.

However today is a new day.  I think the meds are finally starting to kick in, and it’s the first morning I woke up feeling not 100% miserable.  I am even contemplating a walk later…if I can just get the rain to cooperate.  Nico woke me up this morning with a kiss on my cheek complete with a MMMMWAH sound, and it just melted my heart.  No matter how trying our day together was yesterday, I know that little guy has an ultimate love for me, and I have it just as much, if not more for him.  When I woke up, I knew today was going to be a better day.  And as I’m typing, Nico is taking a nap, so we are already on the right track.  Although I haven’t gotten 1/10 of the things on my “first week back list” checked off I know I just need to be patient, regain my health, keep my family happy, and everything will work itself out in the end.

XO,

Gina

Outer Banks Vacation Photos

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I can’t believe it.  The official start to fall is next week, so I thought I would end this week with some of my favorite photos from our last summer vacation to the Outer Banks, North Carolina.  Hope you enjoy them, and have a great time on this last weekend of the official summer season!

We are headed to Maryland to celebrate our nephew’s 1st birthday and our friend’s child’s 3rd.  Party party!  These kids are growing up too fast!  Time for me to get to packing.

XO,

Gina

Nautical 1st Birthday Party

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Since Nico was born on Labor Day Weekend of last year, we decided to throw a little nautical themed bash to round out the summer.  The hubby and I spent the week prior crafting some decorations for the event, and I think they turned out nicely.  To create letters like the ONE shown above, check out my tutorial on the letters I created for Nico’s nursery.

My parents, sister, and her boyfriend came up from Maryland,  close friends in NY arrived, and Nico had his little buddies to hang with and jam out to the Munchkin Music Club sing-a-long.  I decided I did not want to spend the entire day in the kitchen, so we had the event catered by Fairway, and they did a phenomenal job.  I think we may have overdone it a bit…just a little bit…as we had food leftover for the entire week and then some.  The fabulous cake from Betty Bakery tasted just as good as it looked!  We appreciate everyone who came out to celebrate, and we hope you all had a great time!

XO,

Gina

Surviving the 1st Year: Gear

I am so proud of my little guy for all he has accomplished in his first year of life.  But I have to honestly pat myself and my husband on the back for surviving this first year ourselves!  Lord knows it was definitely not easy.  However, it was probably the most rewarding year of my life.  I remember back when I was registering for my baby shower and how overwhelmed I was at all the gear I didn’t understand how to use and all the options to choose from.  I decided to put together a little list of the gear we used and appreciated the most this past year…and let’s be honest, we probably couldn’t have survived without!

 

Medela Breast Pump:

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Nico and I had a lot of trouble with nursing in the first few months.  He had issues with latching, and even when he did latch, he would only do so for a short time before ripping away and screaming.  It was incredibly frustrating and made things really difficult when we were out of the house.  I’m still not exactly sure why to this day, and thank goodness he eventually got the hang of things to where we have a wonderful nursing relationship.  But those first few months were spent hooked up to a dreaded pump.  I was given a breast pump from my insurance company (a different brand in which I will refrain from naming).  It was absolutely terrible.  I mean terrible.  While it was supposed to be a double pump, only one side would really work at a time, and I would spend about an hour each time pumping multiple times a day.  When it was time for me to go back to work, it just wasn’t going to be acceptable for me to take one hour breaks three times a day.  I mean, that’s just crazy.  With a bit of help from my mother-in-law (god bless her), I forked over the cash to purchase a Medela Pump and Style, and I am SO glad I did.  It really made the transition back to work much easier knowing I had a reliable pump to make sure my son got the nutrition he needed from me.

 

The Dairy Fairy Nursing & Pumping Bra:

 

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This bra is an absolutely MUST for working, pumping moms.  There are many different size adjustments (since we are constantly getting bigger and small all day long), clips that come down for nursing and hooks that pull to the side for hands-free pumping.  The best part is that it is also a regular bra!  No more changing in and out of your regular vs. pumping bra.  This bra is incredibly comfortable and you can wear it all day long.  I wouldn’t have been able to get through work without this thing.  Amazing.

 

Aden & Anais Burpy Bibs:

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Nico spit up a lot in the early days, and these bib/burp cloth combos were the best for clean up.  We also really enjoyed this brand for their soft swaddle blankets.

 

Uppababy Vista Stroller:

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Now this item was definitely our splurge item (and many thanks to my parents and sister for making this splurge for us).  For a family that doesn’t use a stroller very often, maybe this wouldn’t be practical.  However, this stroller is essential for us!  Nico used the bassinet that came with this stroller for two and a half months before we moved him into his crib.  We used the adapter for the Chicco carseat which made it easy for us to transport Nico from car to stroller in the early days.  The best part about this stroller for us though is the convenience for our city lifestyle.  The basket is HUGE, and I was able to take so many trips to the grocery store, Target, etc. without having to use a car.  I didn’t drive much during the week, so I would load up this stroller and go out for the whole day with Nico on foot.  In the wintertime, we had TONS of snow in New York, and I don’t think I would have made it over the giant mounds of ice and snow without this monster of a stroller.  When Nico got bigger, we also ended up purchasing the Uppababy G-Luxe umbrella stroller (which I love as well; it’s fantastic for subway use because I can carry it up and down the stairs myself, and it’s also great for traveling.)  I still like to use the Vista when I am staying in the neighborhood.  Both strollers have a recline feature which is a must for us, because Nico will not nap in his crib, but he will nap for a long time in his stroller.  These strollers also have fantastic sunshades.

 

Beco Gemini Carrier:

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This carrier was (and still is) absolutely essential to our life in the city!  Like I said above, it’s not always easy to lug around our big stroller, especially on the subway, and sometimes you just need to get out of the door quick.  Nico enjoys being carried, and it used to be a sure bet to a great nap.  He will still nap in it sometimes now.  I love this carrier because it has great back support.  The weight is distributed to both your shoulders and your hips, so neither one is left strained.  Nico can face forward or backward, and you can carry him on your front, side hip, or back.  I have climbed three mountains on four mile hikes with Nico on my back in this thing.  I’m telling you, it’s amazing.

 

Halo and DeeDee Sleep Sacks:

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Due to the fear of SIDS, blankets, bumpers, stuffed animals or anything else really are not recommended for the crib until one year of age.  Sleep sacks are an awesome alternative.  We used the Halo velcro sacks when Nico was still being swaddled.  He would easily pop out of regular swaddle blankets at night, and those waving arms would wake him up every time.  The Halo sacks kept him sleeping soundly.  Once he got a bit bigger and we stopped swaddling him, we switched to the DeeDee sleep sack.  The winter one was my favorite.  It feels like a big comforter, but you wear it.  Kind of like a baby snuggie if you will.  Our apartment got frigidly cold this winter, and even with warm pjs, these sleep sacks were completely necessary.

 

J.J. Cole Bundle Me:

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This snuggly sack lines the inside of the car seat and kept Nico warm on all of our winter walks.  Of course you must still layer, but you don’t need quite as many layers when you use this.  It’s essentially a really warm blanket that stays put and won’t fall out of the stroller.  I have heard that you really shouldn’t use these in the car though, because there shouldn’t be any extra fabric between the baby and the car seat for safety reasons.  That’s just my side note safety tip, but we used it while strolling around all the time.  We plan on getting a toddler one as well for this coming winter.

 

Zutano Booties:

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I don’t know about your babes, but mine would always take his socks off as soon as I put them on.  These booties were phenomenal because they snapped on.  Nico wasn’t able to take them off, and there was no more searching for missing socks.  His feet were also kept super warm all winter long.

 

Phillips AVENT Pacifier:

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Nico was never really hooked on the pacifier and still isn’t, but this bad boy definitely got him to fall asleep for naps when he was cranky.  He only liked these in particular and spit most of the other ones out.  I am ever grateful for this paci!

 

Cerave:

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Last winter, Nico started to get a bit of eczema, or dry skin.  We tried all different kinds of lotions, and nothing seemed to work.  The doctor recommended we buy a tub of Ceravae, and this worked like magic!

 

Bright Stars Safari Gym:

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Nico absolutely LOVED this play gym.  There were times when I couldn’t get him to stop crying, and as soon as I put him on the play mat, he would stop and start smiling.  He always wanted to be on that mat, and he would just kick, kick, kick away.  I’m sure any gym would be fine, but this is the one we had, and we loved it.  I know Skip Hop also makes a good one that comes with a tummy time pillow.  We borrowed the pillow from a friend, and that encouraged Nico start embracing tummy time.  So I would recommend that mat as well!

 

Fisher Price Snug-a-Bunny Swing:

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We had the Rock and Play, the Jumperoo, borrowed bouncers, etc.  Nico loved all of them.  A lot.  But this swing was definitely the most loved and used for the longest amount of time out of anything.  This little here swing is what gave me the opportunity to shower on a daily basis.  Nico took the longest naps in this swing, and I sometimes wish they had bigger swings for bigger babies!  Haha.

 

Oball:

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This is the first toy that Nico was able to play with.  It helps with grasping, and they even make some of them with rattles.  Nico can still play with it now and he learned to throw, roll, and catch a ball with the Oball.

 

Panda Pals Book:

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At first I worried about Nico’s lack on interest in books, but cue the Panda Pals soft black and white contrast book, and he was hooked!  This was his first favorite book, and it opened up the doors to many more books.  He is now obsessed with them, and wants us to read and re-read to him all the time.  “Book” is one of the few words he can say out loud as well which makes me a proud mommy.  Some of our favorites are Dr. Seuss’s ABC, Hop on Pop, and Maisy’s Train.

 

Ella’s Kitchen Food Pouches:

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Most of the time, we made Nico’s food ourselves with a food processor.  We generally gave him whatever we were eating in pureed form or in small bites.  These pouches, however, are perfect for on-the-go or for vacation when we didn’t always have the equipment or storage for homemade food.  We used a few different brands of pouches, but this is this one that Nico seems to like the best.

 

Music Class/Mom’s Group:

I know these two things aren’t really gear, but I have to say, my Mom’s group in the neighborhood was absolutely essential to my survival of the first year!  We had multiple playdates, mom’s nights out, shared stories, texted and called each other constantly, and eased each other’s concerns and fears about the first year of parenting.  I seriously consider them to be some of my nearest and dearest friends because we share such a bond going through this experience together at the same time.  I would definitely recommend finding a mom’s group in your area!  As for the music class, Nico is a huge music fan, and we regularly went and still attend the Munchkin Music Club Class.  It’s great to have a weekly activity to look forward to that he loves so much.  We love the class so much, we even had him come play for Nico’s 1st Birthday, and it was a hit.  I would definitely suggest trying out a variety of different classes and activities and discover what your little one is interested in.

There are definitely more things we used and loved, but these items were all at the top of our list.  Happy to answer any other questions you have about gear, and I also have advice for things that you can probably skip buying as well.  Comment below for any questions! 🙂

Hope you are all having a great week so far!

XO,

Gina

*As you might notice, most of my gear links to Amazon.  We used the Amazon Baby Registry, and absolutely loved it!  We could find almost everything we wanted on the site, and if we couldn’t, they allow you to add links to products from any site on the web.  This was incredibly convenient and kept our entire list in one place.  I would use them again in a heartbeat!  FYI, this post is not sponsored by Amazon.  I was just really happy with them, and wanted to share!

 

Happy 1st Birthday Nico

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Dear Nico,

Wow.  ONE whole year.  I cannot even begin to explain the emotions I am feeling today.  I will do my best to put it into words.  I am tearing up as I write this, but I’m not exactly sure why.  When I brought you home from the hospital one year ago, I couldn’t believe they were actually going to let me take you home.  Aside from babysitting my cousins and neighbors in my teen years, what did I know about raising a baby?  Especially a 5lb baby who had come two weeks early.  It was a strange feeling after carrying you around inside me for 9 months to then have you right there next to me or in my arms, outside of the womb.  To actually see the little face I could only imagine for so long.  You were so tiny.  So delicate.  I felt as if I might break you.  I was scared to put your clothes on, to swaddle you, to wipe your little tush too hard, or seal your diaper too tight.  Breastfeeding was a bitch.  I’m not going to lie.  It was hard.  You didn’t want to latch.  And I pumped for months, because I was bound and determined to make sure things panned out the way I had planned.  Although, of course things never turn out exactly how you think they will.  But we made it work.  And we eventually came to have a fantastic nursing relationship.

People said this year would fly by.  They said to make sure to enjoy it.  I believed them, but when you’re up around the clock with only a few hours sleep and you can’t tell the difference between night and day as you are in those beginning weeks, sometimes I admit it was tough to enjoy things.  Those weeks were hard.  But sometimes I wish I could rewind and see you that tiny again…before you wanted to squirm away from me after a quick hug.  When you would just lie on my chest for a three hour nap completely content.  Those days we cannot get back.  I look back at those photos from those first couple months, and I barely recognize that little baby anymore.  You have grown and changed so much in what feels like such a short amount of time.

When you gave me that first smile, I just about melted.  As hard as motherhood can be sometimes, it’s all worth it for every little smile, belly laugh, hug, and kiss you have given me.  Anytime you accomplished something new in the past year…it was such a complete joy to watch.  To know that maybe hours before you didn’t know how to roll over, but now you could…I felt such a sense of accomplishment for you.  You were so frustrated when you couldn’t crawl.  You would flail your arms and legs about like a flying fish, and spin in circles trying to make your move.  But that day you learned to army crawl, you were so excited.  You slid around the entire living room.  And once you could really crawl, you took off to explore the entire apartment.  Your sense of adventure and exploration reminds me of your Papa, and I love that you inherited that trait from him.

You are so curious.  You have always loved to see what is going on around you.  You really pay attention and focus on things, especially the alphabet, animals, and people playing music.  I am shocked at the amount of focus you have sometimes to sit and entertain yourself with a toy or a book for a long time.  You love to be outside whether it’s at the park, walking along the city streets, playing in the sand at the beach, or in the water at the pool.  You have flown in airplanes with us, hiked mountains with us, and rode on endless car trips.  You have made so many friends in the neighborhood, and you have attracted attention from admirers wherever we go.  You are definitely a people person, (which I like to think you have inherited from me) and you are incredibly sweet and lovable to all of your stuffed animals.

I am feeling such a mix of emotions.  I’m sad that you are growing up and moving from baby to toddler.  I’m happy that you have accomplished so much in this past year.  I’m excited for all the new adventures we will have in year two.  I’m nervous about the new changes we have coming our way.  I’m sentimental that we will never get back some of those amazing moments from when you were small.  All of those old firsts are now taken for granted.  However, I am anticipating all of the new firsts you will take on.  I am proud of the person you are thus far, and I’m hopeful that your father and I will continue to guide you in the “right” direction…whatever that means.  Most of all, I feel such an intense sense of love for you that grows by the minute.  Every day I think it is impossible to love you that much more, and every day my love still grows and grows.  The more time I spend with you, the less I want to be away from you.  You make my heart full and it’s hard to imagine what life was like before you came into the picture.

You are my Little Monkey, my Nico Bonzo, my Booski, my Boo Boo, my Stinky Butt, my Bubba, my Babycakes, my world.

Thank you for making me a mother.  Thank you for being you.  Thank you for the constant light and joy you bring to our family every day.

I love you like crazy.

Happy 1st Birthday, Nico.

Love,

Mama

*First photo by Justin Goldberg.  The rest, my own.*

{27} Lately…

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Lately I’ve been…

reading Finished beachy read,  Another Piece of My Heart, by Jane Green.  Nothing groundbreaking, but a decent vacation read.

writing  A deposition for a court date.  I’m a witness!  Don’t get too excited, it’s just traffic court…

listening  To lots of upbeat music, because Friday I returned to the gym after a 20 month hiatus.  And I actually went again on Monday, and went for a run this morning.  Hoping to keep this momentum going, because I’m already feeling more energized (apart from my sore limbs).

thinking  That we had a really great time last Sunday at the Industry City Dance Party in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.  Zack was eager to go, and I was a little worried that we would be “those people” bringing a baby into an entirely inappropriate situation, but I was happy to find all sorts of kids and babies rockin’ out on the dance floor with the best of them.  It was definitely a party.  And not a kid’s party.  But the fact that kids were welcomed and deemed appropriate there was pretty cool.  Nico (not surprisingly) loved it, and our little fam had a really great time getting our dance on.

smelling  My fav scent, Light Blue.

watching  All the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos.  I was a little annoyed by them at first…people dousing themselves so they didn’t have to donate…didn’t make a lot of sense to me.  But after reading this blog post, I have a new perspective.

wishing  Nico an early Happy 1st Birthday!  He is turning ONE on Friday.  I just can’t believe it.

hoping  That I can get my act together this week for a party planning extravaganza.  And by extravaganza, I mean myself, a glass of wine, my living room, and some DIY crafting.

wearing  In the photo above I’m wearing my new ModCloth dress that I got at their 70% off sale!  It’s sold out, but check out some of their other sale dresses here.  Did I mention I was able to go shopping this weekend…ALONE?  It was kind of amazing.

loving  My new haircut (also seen in photo above) from the amazing Tim Dueñas.  Feels so much lighter and loving having some layers again.

laughing  At this adorable friendship on Daily Laughs.

wanting  The summer to stick around a little longer.  I’m not ready for the beach days to end…

needing  To start checking some more things off my bucket list.  And as I’m looking at it…thinking about making some edits.

feeling  Incredibly nervous as today is Nico’s first day with his new nanny and new playmate.  We are going to miss our old one so much, and it’s going to be a tough transition week for all of us, but I’m hoping he will adjust quickly.  

craving  These sweet cinnamon oven roasted peaches.  Thinking this is just the recipe I need for the peaches in our yard this year.

clicking  Looking for a few sweet new baby gifts for little ones on the way.

*

What have you been up to lately?

Hope you are all having a fantastic week!

XO,

Gina

***I was inspired by Tina of Like Ordinary Life to create this post, and she was inspired by Lauren of siddathornton, who started The Sunday Currently.

{26} Lately…

Lately I’ve been…

reading Finished a few good ones recently.  First up was The Fault in Our Stars.  I wanted to read the book before watching the movie.  Of course, it’s predictable and a total tearjerker, but I was pleasantly surprised with how well a male author (John Green) was able to capture the mind of a sixteen year old girl.  Next, I read Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn.  This author never disappoints.  Although the main character, Libby, is a little unlikable in my opinion, Gillian Flynn is always keeping you on your toes with her novels and makes you want more.  Heading to the beach this weekend, so if you have any beach reads to recommend, please do!

writing  A ginormous to-do list of everything I need to get done before our trip to the Outer Banks.  And a packing list.

listening  Summer…my summer anthem by Calvin Harris.  Prepping a little playlist for our road trip.

thinking  That this beautifully written blog post from my friend Sascha really hits home for the working mom.

smelling  The delicious homemade eggplant parm the hubby cooked this week.  Fresh eggplant, tomatoes, and basil from the garden.  Melt in your mouth amazingness.

watching  The Bachelorette finale really threw me for a loop!  I realize I am delayed on watching my shows, so sorry for being late to the party.  I won’t throw out any spoilers for those who may also be behind on their TV watching, but let’s just say I was really surprised!

wishing  Time would slow down a bit.  My little baby is almost a year old already!  I can’t even take it.

hoping  I can pull off this fabulous fishtail braid at the beach next week shown in this tutorial by Nikki.

wearing  Lots of leopard print this week.  Feeling feisty.

loving  The end of summer sales!  ModCloth, Free People, J. Crew, & Zara have some pretty good ones going on right now.

laughing  At how Nico loves to be chased around the house.  I will crawl after him, and he will start crawling away squealing with delight…then come back and start chasing me while laughing.  That belly laugh is enough to get me laughing and smiling all day long.

wanting  To be with my little boy today.  In case you couldn’t tell, I’m missing him a lot while at work this week.  Looking forward to spending a whole week with him at the beach and introducing him to the place I have vacationed since I was a small child.  Also excited that the whole family will be able to see how much he has grown.

needing  A little girl (one day) so I can buy these adorable ribbons from Brit!

feeling  Totally inspired by hometown friend Candice as she becomes the first plus-sized model to appear in next year’s Pirelli calendar.  Doesn’t she look fantastic!!??

craving  Something sweet.  What else is new?

clicking  On 1st birthday party ideas for my little guy.

*

What have you been up to lately?

Hope you are all having a fantastic week!

XO,

Gina

***I was inspired by Tina of Like Ordinary Life to create this post, and she was inspired by Lauren of siddathornton, who started The Sunday Currently.

{25} Lately…

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Lately I’ve been…

reading #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso, founder and CEO of Nasty Gal.  Incredible story and extremely inspirational.  Would recommend to anyone, not just the ladies.

writing  In Nico’s baby book.  I have a few months of catching up to do with all his new milestones!  

listening  “Talk Dirty” by Jason DeRulo.  As a former sax player, I had to give a shout out to the awesome solo work in this song.

thinking  It’s been a bit of a crazy few weeks for me and my family.  We lost my beloved Granny recently, and although she was 93 years old, it was  sudden and a bit of a shock for all of us.  After losing my Uncle earlier this year, it’s been rough for everyone, especially my Mom.  I cannot imagine losing my own mother, and I know this has got to be incredibly difficult for her.  My Granny was the sweetest lady, and I miss her dearly.  I am comforted in the fact that I was able to be by her side in her last week along with the rest of our family, and that she was comfortable and knew we were all with her at the end.  I truly appreciate all of the love, prayers, cards, and support that people have given us during this time.

smelling  The great outdoors.  Spent Zack’s 1st Father’s Day Weekend hiking Bear Mountain on Saturday, and Sunday was spent smelling the sweet salt air at Rockaway Beach.  I would definitely recommend the Perkins Memorial 3.9 mile trail loop.  Amazing views and a challenging, fun hike.  I impressed myself by doing a few rock scrambles with a baby on my back as well, and we were able to introduce Nico to his first ride…the carousel!  Onto the beach…if my fellow New Yorkers make it to Rockaway this summer, you must go to 106th street for arepas at Caracas.  I insist!  P.S. Nico LOVED the beach.  That’s my boy!

watching  Watched the throwback movie Big for the first time with one of my favorite actors of all time, Tom Hanks.  Although the method of getting “bigger” was a tad cheesy, I really enjoyed the movie and would recommend it.

wishing  For the weekend to get here!  We are heading to Cape May for the first time for a family vacation with the hubby’s side.  Looking forward to snuggling that little nephew of ours, and spending time with the entire fam.  Have any of you been to Cape May before?  Would love some suggestions on what to do/where to eat/where to shop, etc.!

hoping  That Nico feels less pain when the rest of his teeth come in…yes, you heard right…Nico got his first tooth this weekend!  My boy is getting big.  

wearing  This new vintage style bathing suit I purchased from Grey Dog Boutique.  Discovered this shop from Bonnie over at Flashes of Style.  Go say hi!

loving  The the line-up of summer travel we have on the horizon.  While driving long distances can sometimes be draining, Zack and I are always up for an adventure, and this summer will be no different even with a little one in tow.  We started off the summer in New Hampshire with good friends, enjoyed upstate NY last weekend, and have Cape May to round out the month of June.  July we will be heading to Rehobeth Beach (DE), North Fork (Long Island), Deep Creek Lake (MD), and celebrating my 30th (eek!).  Ending the summer will be a trip to the Outer Banks (NC) and celebrating Nico’s 1st birthday.  Some may call us crazy, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

laughing  I’m not a cat person, but this kitten jam had me rolling!  

wanting  This shocking coral lip color for the season.

needing  Some more time with girlfriends.  I’ve been loving the family life without a doubt, and I love my boys to death, but sometimes a girl needs some quality time with her girlfriends too!  Hoping to set up a few “girl-dates” while the weather is nice and warm. 

feeling  A second needle injection into my thumb this morning.  OUCH.  My thumb has definitely gotten a lot better since the first shot, but it’s still not completely back to normal, and as the doc said “I am too young to have this problem!”  Not to mention how impossible it is to “rest your thumb.”  I really do hope this one will curb me from having to undergo surgery, but worst case scenario, I have heard it’s a fairly simple procedure.

craving  More time to work on this blog and other personal endeavors/passion projects.  My creativity is bursting at the seams with very little time to act!  I’ve always been great with time management, but juggling work, caring for a baby, and our social/travel calendar have made things a bit more tricky.  I know it’s tough to “have it all,” but I’m determined to come up with a way to make things work without sacrificing my family time.

clicking  Nico is pulling himself up to a standing position, and I think it’s time for some functional shoes for summer.  I’ve been searching around online, but does anyone have any favorites they love for their little one?

*

What have you been up to lately?

Happy Hump Day!

Love,

Gina

***I was inspired by Tina of Like Ordinary Life to create this post, and she was inspired by Lauren of siddathornton, who started The Sunday Currently.