thirty-one

So...I turned the big 3-1 on Wednesday. I may not be wiser, but I am definitely older, so I thought in honor of this day, I would document 31 random but true thoughts on my mind this week:

1. My birthday rocked because Ashley Nichols surprised me and took me out to dinner! One of my best friends and my longtime running partner, Ashley had been in conversation with Clay for over a month about her trip to the city on my birthday. I was SHOCKED when I came home from tutoring on Wednesday night to find her in our apartment. She MADE my birthday.

2. Everyone deserves to have a special birthday. I don't always do a good job remembering and celebrating people's birthdays, but I am determined this year to do better. Everyone gets just one birthday a year--no matter who you are, you should feel special and loved on your birthday.

3. I felt special and loved on mine, and for that, I am beyond grateful to my family and friends.

4. Care packages from your parents never get old. In fact, opening a care package full of M&M's, Wheat Thins, articles from the local paper, and a sweet card might be one the best things ever.

5. 2 glasses of wine made me tipsy. I am definitely old.

6. Will will forever be the greatest gift I have ever been given.

7. I miss my family on my birthday. Every year.

8. Toys R Us and FAO Schwarz are amazing toy stores, but they don't have nearly as much play space as they could...in fact, they are a bit of a nightmare with a fast-moving toddler.

9. My best friend Blaire met us in the city today (she is awesome) and we found our way into Central Park. Will found his way into a fountain. I then had a half-naked boy in NYC for over 2 hours.

10. Walking home from 59th St. to 121st St. during the start of Will's usual nap time wasn't my brightest idea. Especially when he is hungry, tired, and half naked. There have been lots of glorious, glamorous moments for us so far in NYC. That wasn't one of them. As I walked--quickly--home, all I could think about was how I STILL didn't have this parenting thing down yet.

11. I wonder if I will ever have this parenting thing down. I doubt it.

12. Doing anything with a toddler is tricky, often impossible. Sure, doing something he enjoys is great, but trying to get something else done, especially in public, is HARD. Trying to grocery shop in a tight market on Broadway? HARD. Trying to pick out a few books at the library? HARD. Trying to talk to a dear friend about serious stuff? Really hard. It's frustrating sometimes. Sure, he is clearly my priority and my joy, but I have to admit I get tired of apologizing to people because I can't concentrate long enough on them to get anywhere worthwhile. Friends understand, but still, I want to show them that what they say matters to me.

13. Navigating a relationship with Clay's ex-girlfriend who lives upstairs is tricky.

14. I am currently working four part-time jobs (tutoring, tutoring, online teaching, online editing). This helps our financial situation tremendously--and it also helps me feel professional.

15. I eat way too many M&M's every day.

16. Whole wheat everything bagels are my newest obsession. Will loves them too.

17. I am currently reading three books: Rebecca, Making Toast, and The Best Advice I Ever Got. Love all three, but Making Toast is a real page-turner.

18. I miss yoga.

19. I fall even more in love with my son the older he gets. Even though I miss my job and my colleagues, I feel so lucky to wake up every day and not have to leave him.

20. Everyone deserves to sleep on soft, comfortable sheets at night. We aren't right now, but I think part of my first tutoring check might need to be dedicated to such a purchase.

21. Freshdirect.com is pretty amazing.

22. We are trying to find a church here in the city, but it is a bit overwhelming. Nothing close by to us, so church will probably involve a subway ride, which is fine, but Will doesn't love the subway yet (and I admit it: I don't love taking him on the subway. I am fine by myself, but taking Will makes me so nervous for some reason), so we aren't sure how to navigate this part of our family's life.

23. Will woke up crying hysterically tonight for some reason, and Clay is gone for the weekend with his buddies. I know it won't make Will feel any better, but I think Cam and I are going to sleep in Will's room tonight. It will at least make me feel better :-).

24. Will finally loves taking baths again. Holla!

25. Camden has adjusted remarkably well to NYC. Other that the fact that he wants to sleep in between me and Clay at night, he is a great dog--super patient, loyal, and loving.

26. We hosted our first potluck last weekend--three other couples, three other toddlers. It was happy chaos. Other than the fact that we couldn't all fit in the same room, it went well! We are slowly getting to know a few of our neighbors, especially the other families in Clay's program, and they all have such interesting, impressive stories! That is one thing I love about NYC--it is so diverse, rich in terms of culture and customs, and open to a variety of people and backgrounds.

27. I got lost only once this week. I'm making progress.

28. My mom sent me my horoscope on Wednesday. I thought it was pretty spot-on (with the exception of the genteel manners part--the wrath of Hume came out once this week on the phone, and I felt badly about it afterwards, but the situation was getting ridiculous):

"You have such a lovely way of putting things. Your genteel manners will endear you to others and attract social and professional opportunities, as well. You'll bounce between exciting worlds through the end of the year. 2012 has a more settled-in feeling. You'll add people to your inner circle. Invest in January and July. Lucky numbers are 5, 21, 24, 3 and 17."

29. I continue to be so proud of all of my friends and family who are following their dreams and their hearts. Sometimes life can be risky, but that is part of the adventure, right? :-)

30. Happy birthday on Sunday to my WONDERFUL father-in-law, Papa G!

31. These past 31 years have been full of laughter, treats, surprises, and unbelievable love. Here's hoping I use the next 31 to give away at least as much as I have been given. Goodnight!

Breakfast.

O Happy Day!

The Wall.

Our hallway used to look like this:

Now it looks like this:

Thanks to my creative cousin Allison, who inspired me with her wall o' memories in her Baltimore home. I saw hers and instantly I thought, "It's perfect!"
As we experience things in NYC this year, we can add mementos to our wall.

It's like the blog--just on the wall!

And Clay already added one amazing piece of paper: his Yonkers Marathon bib number! Clay ROCKED this small marathon last weekend. He came in 32nd overall, 6th place in his age group, and 1st in my book!

"I do" love Ali.

Ali is my oldest friend. We have been friends since preschool, and despite having never gone to the same school since, we only grown closer through the years.

On Saturday she married her sweetheart, Bill.

I was honored to be there!

I couldn't stop taking pictures all weekend long because every detail was BEAUTIFUL.

Here are some highlights!

All of the flowers were arranged by one of Ali's bridesmaids--insane talent!

Love this bride-to-be.

Our view of Birmingham from the rehearsal dinner spot.

Cute couple.

Wedding Day!!

Hooray!

Don't you love her shoes? Why didn't I do that?

The dress was SO Ali.

I LOVED the bridesmaids dresses Ali chose. It was the first time I had gotten dressed up and wore a dress that really fit since before Will was born. It's sad but true.

I think I might just wear it around NYC some days because I love it so much. It's not too fancy for the playground or subway, don't you think?

My sweet Daddy-O and the bride.

Thank God for my parents this week.

And thank God for Clay's aunt Anita and cousin Carey and her husband Mark for watching Will on Saturday night and Sunday morning so we could par-tay it up with Ali and Bill.

Ali's married!

The next day we drove back to Louisville.

The day after that Will and I flew back to NYC.

And the day after that, I exhaled.

We did it.

Ali's wedding was the grand finale of our crazy transition summer.

We made it to NYC.

We survived Wolfeboro.

We loved our time in Maine.

We laughed through our power-less stint at Lake George.

We drove the car into and out of the city.

We drove the car back down to Kentucky.

And then one day all three of us woke up in a 400 square foot apartment in New York City and went about our day like it was normal. Our new normal.

And you know what Will did the first full day we were back in the city?

He walked all over the apartment! It's like he was waiting for us to settle before he took off.

We're here. We're happy. We're thankful.

Chattanooga!

I am back in NYC, but I am still dreaming of my AWESOME trip south!

Will and I had a great few days in Louisville getting 1,984,789,537 things done. My mom is a champ. In just two days, we had two dinners with dear family, raced through a children's consignment sale and bought Will the most adorable clothes for the fall and winter (including a dinosaur costume for Halloween--ah, adorable!), dropped off and picked up my dress at the tailor's, got a oil change for the warrior Honda Pilot (Clay and I realized we have put 40,000 miles on this puppy in TWO years. Sheesh! It deserves a long winter's rest this year in Kentucky), got 160 pictures developed for my NYC apartment project (see upcoming post), bought three PRECIOUS outfits at beautiful children's store where Mom now works, shuffled through the photo albums to find baby pictures of Ali and me for my toast, and unpacked and repacked and organized organized organized my bursting closets in my room back home.

Tuesday was my mom's birthday. I got her a tiny gift card to the spa. She deserves a week there.

This week once again confirmed that a girl will forever need her mama--and her daddy.

Bless them both. They are the entire reason why Will and I are still in one piece, the car is safely stored in KY, and I was able to participate in Ali's wedding.

Will agrees.

So on Thursday we left for brief visit to Chattanooga.

A bunch of my friends made the selfless effort to come meet us at a local park for a picnic dinner that night despite the suddenly cold temps and the fact that it was a workday and school night.

I LOVED seeing all of them, and Will simply loved his minestrone soup :-).

Gilly is thinking, "This kid is a mess!"

Look at my beautiful friends! And I got to meet baby Elouise!

I miss this girl. Katie continues to amaze me with her faithfulness, fun spirit, and friendship. And she stays in touch on top of being a rockstar mama to her three PRECIOUS kiddos and winning awards in her job as G's librarian. She is one of many people I saw this week who inspire me.

Sweet Will has been a T*R*O*O*P*E*R through all of this transition.

This is how he felt after Chattanooga. That's how I felt, too...but we had a best friend in Birmingham to walk down the aisle!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIMI!!!

You are the best mother in the world--and now you are the best Mimi!

WE LOVE YOU!!!!

The adventure continues...

What an awesome week it has been! Here are some highlights:

Brittany spent the night Monday before flying back to California

Lots of plumbing issues, so we welcomed several plumbers into our apartment

Sara obsessively checked craigslist for good deals on side tables, tv stands, and strollers

Clay started class and is working hard on case briefs, cognitive science, and a city internship

Will took his first two subway rides and was freaked out the entire time. Yes, I was that mother on the subway singing "The Wheels on the Bus" while my little guy wailed and everyone stared :-)

Clay and I each carried a heavy side tables 30 blocks from the Salvation Army to our apartment

Attended a Klig opening reception where Will cried almost the entire time (his shoes were too small; thus, a minor mother guilt trip ensued)

I got two tutoring jobs--holla!

Clay and I went on a date which began with me having a meltdown but ended with me having a drink. I have the best husband in the world.

Thank God for mothers. Thank God for MY mother.

She arrived Thursday, and thus I slept really well that night knowing we would all be okay.

Mom came in town to help me drive our car back down to Louisville--and let's be honest: she also came because she is amazing and I needed her help!

When Mom comes in town, things just GET DONE. What a gift, especially considering we had a lot that still needed doing. One of the greatest things Mom did while she was here was rescue Will and Camden when a fire (yes, a FIRE) broke out on the 5th floor of our building. Clay and I were running around Manhattan (and I mean literally running) looking for cheap cheap furniture, and when we came back with our beautiful $12.99 side tables, we were greeted by multiple fire trucks and all of the residents of our building hanging out on the sidewalks. I had a panic mother moment, thinking to myself "Oh my gosh, that's my LIFE in there" before I saw Mama smiling and waving at us from across the sidewalk. There she was, Will in the stroller (enthralled with all the commotion) and Cam on the leash. All was well, even on the 5th floor.

Thank God for my mother, my hero.

We were planning on leaving NYC on Sunday to head to Baltimore and then on to Louisville, but the increased 9/11 police presence at all of the public transportation locations made it tricky for us to get on a subway and then a train to get to our car, which was parked in Summit, NJ. Thus, my OTHER hero, my wonderful husband, ended up going out to get the car on Saturday and driving it back into the city so we could avoid the trains altogether the next day.

Suddenly, we had our car for one more day in the city.

So what did a mother and daughter, both of whom are eager to nest, do?

That's right: we headed to the Harlem Target.

$200 and 2 hours later, our apartment was totally furnished.

Thank God for mothers.

Mom also gave us a date night (THANK YOU!) in the city, so I put together a fun evening that I thought would allow us to see the city from the water (the FREE Staten Island ferry), the sky (the top of the Empire State Building) and from slightly above (The High Line). I also planned on us going to this romantic garden Thai restaurant I had read about in one of my nifty NYC guide books.

What really happened: We left late, so no time for the ferry. Got to the restaurant: CLOSED. We wandered around Chelsea looking for another super cool place to eat, but I was bummed and Clay was hungry, so we ended up choosing one quickly and trying to regroup. I was so determined to go to THE coolest places in NYC that I had trouble letting the date just happen, but I quickly remembered that NYC is full of little gems and adventures to discover and experience. NYC is awesome in that there is so much cool stuff to do, but at the same time it can be overwhelming to choose and not think about all of the other stuff you could be doing with your time. So there I was, in a delicious thai restaurant with the love of my life, yet again telling myself to breathe and go with the flow. You think I would have learned this lesson by now.

In the midst of this week's craziness, we discovered that Will loves NYC bagels. In our opinion, Absolute Bagels on the corner of Broadway and 107th are the best.

Also in the midst of all this, the 10th anniversary of 9/11 captured our minds and hearts. It's weird: we have lived in this city for only a week, but already we feel a sense of admiration and pride for this strong, determined city. The people are (for the most part) very warm and friendly, and 9/11 seemed to foster an even greater sense of community and kind understanding. As I wove my way through streets of tall skyscrapers and subway transfer stations this week, I couldn't help but think of those who lost their lives so suddenly 10 years ago. It was a gentle reminder that we must take advantage of the time we have now to love others a little better, hug those we love a little longer, and smile at strangers just because it might make them a little happier. It also makes me want to know everyone's stories.

Mom and I also took Will to the High Line on Saturday. He especially loved the cool water feature!

My little yogi

And then on Sunday, we drove across the George Washington Bridge and under its bridge-wide American flag, and headed south.

Let adventure #4956734857248563 begin.

3.5 hours later, we were in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, visiting dear family.

My aunt Sally and cousin Allison were delightful, generous hosts, showing us all around their homes (Allison is in grad school there), their offices, and the Inner Harbor.

But Will mostly wanted to look at Allison. I don't blame him. She's pretty darn wonderful.

After dinner, we discovered a fountain and Will could NOT GET ENOUGH.

We both got soaked--but we also both laughed and laughed and laughed. It might have been the happiest I have ever seen him. What a gift that was to me that night, as I was already missing Clay.

JOY.

The next morning we got up early, drove to Silver Spring, MD, to buy the City Mini stroller I had been researching and shopping for endlessly since our arrival in the city, and then we continued on to Hagerstown, my former home. Crazy weird. We made a quick stop at the outlets there, where Will and Mimi discovered the fun kiddie rides!

Vroom Vroom!

Will's in school too!

After 14 hours of driving yesterday, we are gloriously back in Louisville, reorganizing, regrouping, and LOVING being home. On Thursday we leave for Chattanooga (!!) and then Birmingham for Ali and Bill's wedding (!!). Will and I fly back to NYC on Monday...but until then, fun fun fun with Mimi and Poppy!

(this has been my life this summer: packing, unpacking, repacking, packing again. Phew.)

Love love love to all!