Santa baby

Michael Henry is just so excited for his first Christmas, I just love this picture of him and had to share. I can not even believe how much I love this child!!

Thanksgiving 2008 in The Garden State

Our first Thanksgiving with Michael Henry was superb. My family was together at Michael and Lia's new home, which is the perfect party house, fully equipped with a “beer tender” and a fire pit. We managed to get through the day (actually twos days as we all stayed the night) with nary a squabble...with the exception of a minor altercation about the rules of Texas Hold Em...which was settled expeditiously enough...
football was watched (and played)…kids rumbled around the house wreaking havoc….wine made me aglow…food and company was top notch and all and all great times were had and memories made.
Michael Henry could not have been more in his element; he loves to be around people and as usual he was simply a complete and utter joy to be around! Michael even participated in the traditional Thanksgiving feast, he had his first bite of sweet potato! He loved it!

blog about a blog -Volume I, Chapter 7

I am simply blogging about this so that I do not forget this idea later on.
Assuming I continue this blog, my ultimate idea is to put the blogs into a book form with each year being a new volume....by the time Michael Henry is 18 years of age he would be the proud new owner of 18 volumes of blog goodness from his mommy!
(LOVE YOU MICHAEL! By now, you may have started reading volume I, and I presume your first semester at Harvard has already commenced...but Harvard or the local community college, I am sure I am very proud of you!)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!

I have a wonderful halloween costume for our little Michael Henry that I received at the shower my Donghia friends threw for me. I have known what my son was to be for Halloween since before he was even born. Now, low and behold the little pea pod costume is still packed away somewhere in this flurry of boxes (our move has been majorly DELAYED!!)...Once unpacked and settled into our new place, I will be sure to put him in the costume and properly post his first (belated) Halloween picture!

A Halloween thought, memory and recipe....

For all of the parents out there who loathe all of the candy that is around for days, even weeks after the kids trick or treating adventure, I have a friend who started a tradition of letting her kids take 10 or so pieces of candy, then buys the rest from them! They weigh it out on the bathroom scale, and they get 2 bucks per pound (or whatever the going rate may be), she dutifully takes the candy to work and lets her co-workers go at it...everyone is happy! I love that idea!

When I was in grade school, my friend Regan always had a Halloween slumber party, I have some very fond memories of bobbing for apples, doing the "time warp" and staying up all night telling ghost stories...

Black widow martini
2 martini glasses, preferably frozen
1 1/2 ounces Chocolate liqeur
1 1/2 ounces freshly made expresso
1 1/2 ounces Patrón XO Café
2 teaspoons sugar syrup
Hard ice cubes
Garnish: espresso beans and chocolate shavings

Shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and then strain into the glasses. Add a few whole espresso beans and float chocolate shavings on the top.

Letters to Elliot...

Some people are so brave. This was their first child, and these parents were not at all naive to the fact that their precious baby was not long for this world, but grieving was not an option while Elliot was still with them on this earth. The road of courage and love chosen simply blows my mind. This video shattered me to my core, and when I realized that Michael was just a couple days over 99 days, I was overwhelmed with the notion that every day I have with Michael hence forth is another day more than they had with baby Elliot, I can only imagine what they would have given to have just one more day or even just another moment with Elliot. My own gratitude is unequivocal. Lest not let life pass us by without stopping to realize that every single day we are graced with our children's presence is a gift. I love you Michael and I look forward to the next 99 years with you...every single day!

What is it about the Fall?

Invariably Autumn always make me nostalgic. The quality of the light and the air inspires me and now the added factor of it being the season I got pregnant with Michael only adds another layer to the perfection that is Fall.
When the first chill comes a rollin' through I am instantly reminded of my first experience of going away to college for the first time in Upstate New York. My best friend and I looked at one another as our parents pulled away, and not a word was spoken because we both already knew what the other was feeling----total and complete LIBERATION...sheer EXHILARATION!!
Ironically Autumn is a time when nature around us begins to die yet the energized spirit of the people walking about seems palpable. Poets write, painters paint, hermits are inspired to come out of their shells...what is it about the Fall?
There is so much I love about Fall that I can go on forever, but to name a few...Cooking in the Fall....drinking wine in the Fall...spending time with friends and family in the fall....montauk daisies in the Fall...new boots in the Fall...Sunday football in the Fall....
And now with a child, the Fall seems even more brilliant, can't wait to take Michael pumpkin and apple picking...for a drive to see the foliage...to Montauk...
I think I might even bake a pie this Fall!
Enjoy the season (I know I will)!

"No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
as I have seen in one autumnal face"....John Donne

Stroller envy

Evidently, there is quite a cache in having “THE” stroller, something I was completely unaware of prior to having a child, although I recall being mildly annoyed by the huge brightly colored Bugaboos that adorned the streets of SOHO during my lunch hour, forming a Technicolor obstacle course down Broome Street straight into the Gourmet Garage, making my quick trip out to grab some grub a bit maddening, not to mention a constant reminder of the pretentiousness that represents much of downtown Manhattan these days (I reserve further comment for another blog), in any case, I don’t care what your social status, over $1,000 for a stroller…come on now! Who have we become!
That said, once you begin to embark on motherhood, you do become obsessed with strollers, and I will admit I did get caught in the ether, and for a minute I think I too became taken with the notion of having one of these heavenly vehicles (I partially jest), but all kidding aside for a brief moment you wonder how you will be able to hold your head high down the streets of NYC without a high end stroller, it is like high school all over again, but thankfully, I am no longer 16 years old, and what other people think matters very little these days. So, once the fumes evaporated and clarity was regained, I was able to continue my quest for the perfect stroller for us. One of my top priority was having a stroller that had a reversible handlebar, so we can look at this little angel when we wanted to while strolling, also, I wanted a pram style, so that the baby can sleep in a comfortable, roomy space with a total recline. I also wanted something moderately light; initially this was our priority number one, as we were living in a walk-up, not an issue any longer since we decided to move in the interim, so I was able to get something moderately light with more of the features I was wanting. I also felt that I wanted to buy something US made, let’s face it, the European’s have cornered the market on strollers (Gracco, Peg Prego, Bugaboo, Stokke etc.), which is fine, and the quality is top notch, but, given the climate here in the USA, I have been feeling that is it important to make and attempt to by US products where possible. Lastly, I wanted something good looking, with the stiff completion out there, I needed something that was going to stand up on it's own and look, well, spiffy! I admit I am not completely unsuperficial!
In the end what we came up with is…………drum roll please……..let me present to you
The Bumbleride Flyer……



IN A WORD---WE LOVE IT, AND AIN'T IT SPIFFY?! (and the kid ain't to shabby either!)

Food comments...very random..

Who could forget two classic snacks such as the peanut butter and jelly sandwich and Corn Flakes cereal, two great options..here are a couple of random thoughts on both:

PB&J: Squeezeable Jelly has brought this american delight to a whole new level---now the spoon (or knife) can indeed be licked after the initial spread without even a thought of cross contamination and getting jelly in the PB jar (or vice-versa) is out of the question--a complete non-issue.

Corn Flakes: Are they the same as Frosted Flakes sans the frosted coating?? Either way, I prefer to have Corn Flakes (sprinkled liberally with my own sugar) to Frosted Flakes anyday!

We're Here!!!

Mommy and Daddy are here, joining the ranks of braggers...opps I mean BLOGGERS, yes, we are bloggers now, sounds catchy! How the heck does one start brag..um, blogging? I guess at the beginning. Marc and I have been together for 17 years, married for the last five, exactly 11 weeks and 1 day ago, we brought Michael Henry into the world, and wow, what an awesome pleasure it has been for us to be the parents of this amazing child! I did not journal during my pregnancy, nor have I written down any thoughts since wonder boy was born, so, am here now hoping to capture some of these memories and lock them away (in cyber space anyway)....
Ladies and gentleman it is with great pleasure that I present you with Michael Henry...aka puppy, boobie, stinky, gorgeous et al: