Did You Find Out?

I have lots of friends that are trying to get pregnant, are pregnant, or having babies very recently. I am suffering from a bad case of screaming ovaries myself, but I'm not any of those things (YET! mwwwah ah ah). Of my mother-peers at Bubba's preschool, one is just 14 weeks pregnant, two of them are about to pop, one of them has a brand new baby boy, and one of them is in that first category. I am in the enjoying-my-skinny-jeans-but-not-so-secretly-really-want-to-be-pregnant category. So I'm just going to indulge myself here and talk about when I WAS pregnant.

When we found out we were pregnant with Bubba, Dr. J was very much opposed to learning the sex of the baby. He wanted the surprise because "there aren't any real surprises anymore in life". I'm sorry, but how is finding out that you are HAVING A BABY (and not when you are expecting to) NOT a surprise? I had my quota of surprises for the year. I wanted to plan the colors of my nursery, the baby's clothes, and the stroller - you know, because you DO that sort of thing with your first child. More than anything, I just wanted to get to know this little being in my belly before he was actually born... that nine months is magical. Even with the sickness, the medications and the sciatica, I will never forget the joy of carrying my children. It's strange, fascinating, and intoxicatingly beautiful. Without knowing the sex, it seemed harder for me to bond with the baby. I can't explain why, as I am sure that I would bond with our baby in utero with or without knowing the sex. It just felt right to me to find out, so we compromised and, on the day of THE ultrasound, decided to have the technician write the sex on a piece of paper and fold it into a paper crane.



He chose a blue piece of paper to write the sex on. We thought maybe it was a hint, but that would be ridiculous, right? I did all I could do with that thing without actually taking it apart. I held it up to the light to see if I could catch any writing, I checked the paper for the indentation from the pen. I stared at it sitting on our bed stand every night and felt him moving around inside of me. How I longed to know who this little one was! I seriously had the hardest time waiting for what seemed like an eternity until we opened it together. I cannot fathom how some women wait the entire nine months to learn if they are having a girl or boy until the very day that the baby is born. That being said, I also have the utmost respect for them. Those birth stories are so incredible.

We opened our blue paper crane at our rehearsal dinner in front of our closest friends and family the night before we were married. I secretly was hoping for a boy, mostly because I was petrified of having a girl (turns out for good reason! KIDDING). It was a moment I will never forget. So special, even if I felt a little twinge of guilt, finding out that we would be having a son.

When we learned that we were pregnant the second time there wasn't any question whether or not we would find out the sex. I'm sure I've told you this, but we found out we were pregnant at the very same moment that we learned we were moving across the country for dental school. So again, sapped on the surprises. We knew we could use any additional planning help we could get, especially if we needed to plan for PINK (or NOT blue rather... I'm really not that into pink). So this time when we went to the US tech, he told us right then and there. Except he was kind of sneaky and fooled us into thinking that it was another boy initially, until he finally said "No, kidding! It's a girl!" Despite the raging nausea and bad skin -both of which are dead giveaways- I didn't believe him until she was born. For the baby book purposes, I asked him to fold us another paper crane. Guess what color he chose??



Since we live in New York now, I assume that if and when we get pregnant (God willing) again, we won't be asking the Dr. to write the sex on a piece of paper and fold it into a paper crane. I am actually really planning on NOT finding out the sex of the third baby. We have both girl and boy things now, so there really is no reason to find out early. I would love to have that feeling of the doctor exclaiming "It's a BOY!" or "It's a Girl!" as soon as he or she makes her way into this world. One of life's true surprises, right? And does the third child even have a baby book? Come on. Bubba's book is overflowing with adorable titbits like the last time he burped an OMG IT WAS SO CUTE. I haven't even written when Z's last three teeth came in. I won't be worried about a paper crane, I am quite sure.

If you feel like sharing, I would love to hear your stories. Did you find out what you were having when you were pregnant? I find every story fascinating. I'm sure my husband will run for the hills when he reads this post, but that is what blogging is for, right?

I have a really exciting week coming up. I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend an event on Domestic Violence Awareness, and my Ergo Baby Carrier review will be up tomorrow! See you then :)

Meme Time!

Thank you to Loukia for tagging me in her Meme! I don't usually do these, but I thought this one was cute and Loukia is fabulous so I didn't want to let her down!

Name someone with the same birthday as you:
I totally googled this. Charlie Watts (drummer for the Rolling Stones), Wentworth Miller (holy hotness), Justin Long (snore), Martha Washington, and Pete Conrad (the first man to dance on the moon). That was fun.

Where was your first kiss?
Walking home from the first day of first grade. Spencer walked me home and stole a kiss on the cheek. I was so embarrassed that I ran home wiping my cheek ferociously so that my mother wouldn't see it. She knew instantly anyway from the red chaffed mark on my face.

Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else's property?
Seriously? No.

Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex?
Well, yes. Some creep in Puerto Vallarta was getting fresh with me and wouldn't quit. I got kind of nervous, so I... well, gave him a little tap. Took care of that!


Have you ever sung in front of a large number of people?
High School Senior non Talent Show with my BFF!

What's the first thing you notice about your preferred sex?
Teeth and hands and a sense of humor. In that order.

What really turns you off?
Bad teeth and big attitude.

What do you order at Starbucks?
Grande soy extra hot capp. Y U M.

What is your biggest mistake?
Selling my first generation iPhone. It was much better and more reliable than the newer ones. No really, probably not going into the fashion business after going to college for it... I'm in the right place now though so never say never!

Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose?
No, but I used to consider it to get out of P.E.

Say something totally random about yourself:
I was a vegetarian for 12 years, and I've spent the last five trying to get back. Don't think it's going to happen any time soon.

Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity?
Ditto Loukia! I used to get Britany Spears all the time. Someone actually stopped me once to get my autograph. Crazy. I don't get it anymore (for a while that was a good thing)

Do you still watch kiddie movies or TV shows?
Sesame Street and Caillou are on at our house daily, but I LOVE Top Chef. We're big 24, Californication, and LOST fans too.

Did you have braces?
I had them for five years.

Are you comfortable with your height?
It took me about 10 years to get here, but I'm happy being 5'9" now.


What is the most romantic thing someone of the preferred sex has done for you?
When my husband proposed to me on the beach, using a shell he had written on. SWOON.

When do you know it's love?
When my insides tingle from head to toe whenever he is around.


Do you speak any other languages?
I've been trying to learn Greek, being that I AM Greek and my relatives speak it, but I'm not doing very well.


Have you ever been to tanning salon?
TONS (with Sue!) back in the day. I'm seriously considering going this winter too. I look fluorescent without a tan.

Have you ever ridden in a limo?
Yep. The novelty wore off at ride #2 though. I'd WAY rather ride in a Bentley (AHEM?))

What's something that really annoys you?
Seeing people pushing dogs in strollers. Funny smells in elevators. Actually, pretty much everything about elevators annoys me. Except that they are better than taking the stairs most of the time. I hate when my neighbors smoke in their apts and I have to smell it in my own. Cigarettes annoy me at the very maximum level.


What's something you really like?
I really like swimming, reading magazines, cooking, taking pictures...

Can you dance?
Depends on when you ask me and how many cocktails are involved :)

Have you ever been rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room?
I watched my sister being loaded into one, and then was rushed behind it in a police car. Scariest moment of my life (aside from when my own children have been seriously ill). (A little back story: She developed Encephalitis when she was 6 years old. Was misdiagnosed as having the flu for two weeks and then one night had several serious seizures. She nearly died, but she didn't and the miracle is that she wasn't brain damaged from it either, thank God).

Now I'm tagging these lovely ladies... I'd love it if you want to play along! Let me know in a comment if you do. Thank you! Hope you are all having a great weekend.

Melissa

Sara

Lauren

Sue

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (BALLOONS!)

The last couple of days have been glorious in our home. My mother and sister arrived on Wednesday morning and the joy and laughter have been abound. We celebrated our first holiday here in the Big Apple, and it was truly wonderful. On Wednesday night, we packed up the kids and hopped on the subway to check out the blowing up of the balloons for the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We had been planning on attending the actual parade, but many of my new friends swayed us into checking out the pre-parade festivities as well. It was raining and there were a ton of people there, but it wasn't overwhelming at all and completely worth it. It felt like more of the "local" thing to do, while the rest of the millions of people wake up at 6AM and watch the real thing on the streets of Manhattan. I have watched this parade on television for as long as I can remember. So has my mother. Being here to witness the parade in person, with my family in our new home town, is more special and magical than I can put into words.




Taking the subway to Central Park

The balloons were so amazing!! They were huge, obviously, and standing right next to them was really sort of mind blowing. It's so bizarre and fascinating that people actually guide these things down the streets of NYC, through Times Square, etc. On television it isn't nearly as spectacular as it is in person. I would recommend witnessing this at least one time in your life... you won't be dissapointed.

It wasn't easy to take pictures, these were the best I could do. The crowd is moving along together, and there really wasn't any time to stop to take a decent picture. These captured the moment alright though, I'd say.







NBC took over an entire church for their equipment and makeshift "studio".





We left around 11 am the next day to catch the end of the actual parade on Thanksgiving morning. The weather was perfect, much warmer than years past I have been told. Macy's on 34th street is literally right up the way from our building, but unfortunately when we got there the parade was over. The chaos was lingering though, and I am actually glad that we didn't stick around, it's just to hectic when you are traveling with babies. My stress level was through the roof in the big crowds with them. We got to see the balloons though, and just being here was terrific.


On our way to catch the end of the parade (unsuccessfully)

Today we are going to head over to Rockefeller Center and attempt to take some Christmas pictures. Wish us luck! (I am crazy to attempt this, I am fully aware!)

I hope that all of my American friends out there enjoyed their Thanksgiving! xx

And the Winner Is...

...Nin of Peachy Hollow!

Congratulations! Please email me at MommasGoneCity@gmail.com and I'll get these goodies off to you!

I really wish I could buy one of these for all of you... I appreciate your support! Thank you to all that entered and who follow my blog.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone! xx

GIVEAWAY TIME! UPDATE

UPDATE: I'm sweetening the deal. Throwing in another book, for when you visit NYC with kids, or have friends in NYC with kids. Fodor's Around New York City with Kids :)

I always heard that toddlers were picky eaters. I had no idea how bad it could be until recently, when both of my children basically refuse to eat anything but Annie's Mac n' Cheese and fruit. Birdie still gets suckered into eating veggies out of a jar or pouch, but that's basically it. Bubba needs to be excessively bribed forced AHEM, reminded to eat his broccoli or peas. Or any other veggie under the sun. I've bought countless cook books to find new ways to make eating fun for children, but forgive me when I say that I will never spend over 15 minutes constructing a spaceship out of a chicken nugget just to get them to eat it. I have spent countless hours making food from scratch for them that I was certain they would eat, only to have them turn their little button noses up at it. It makes me want to scream. Especially because I really truly just want them to have healthy food in their tummies so they will grow big and strong. I know that they will eat when they are good and ready, but that doesn't curb the guilt I feel for doing them a disservice by giving them rubbish (as far as they are concerned). Oh, the drama of breakfast/lunch/dinnertime. I digress.



I recently found Jessica Seinfeld's cook book for children Deceptively Delicious at my local Borders. I was introduced to it by a very close friend who actually uses it to cook for her husband (!). The genius behind it is simple: Make purees of various veggies, freeze them and when you go to make your pancakes or scrambled eggs or chicken nuggets, just whip the veggies in. I know that Jessica isn't the only one to come up with this idea but I really just liked her recipes. They are simple, easy and fuss free. Not to mention the food actually tastes really good. My kids even like it. We all especially love the scrambled eggs with sour cream, cauliflower, and parmesan cheese. They still will basically only eat Annie's Mac n' Cheese and fruit, but if I introduce these new foods to them at a good pace then they get the sense that it is new and exciting. Parenthood is all about manipulation, as much as it pains me to say it.

Cutting to the chase: I'm giving away a copy of Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious. You can read more about it here.

How to enter:

Follow my blog and leave me a comment saying that you are. If you already are following me, please just leave me a comment on this post stating so. Each SEPARATE comment counts as an entry.

Become a Fan of Momma's Gone City on Facebook (the widget is on the right hand side of the screen) and leave a comment on this post stating that you did or already are.

Tweet about this contest on Twitter, linking this post in your tweet. When you do that, leave me a comment on this post stating that you did so!

I will be using Random.org to tally the comments/entries and pick a winner. Again, each SEPARATE comment counts as an entry!

Random.org will be down on Sunday, when I was originally going to have the contest end, so the contest will be ending on Monday, November 23rd at midnight, EST.

This is just a fun way for me to thank my dear readers and meet some of you that I haven't yet! I hope to see your name pop up. Good luck!

One Word Wednesday

Grateful.

Toddler WIN, Parenting FAIL: A Lesson in Potty Training

Not So Spectacular UPDATE: One accident at Preschool playground, one at the playground after preschool and yet another tonight at home. Discouraging to say the least. He doesn't seem to mind at all. Blurg.

We spent the entire weekend potty training Bubba. I've been told by many parents that you have to devote an entire weekend (it takes four days), preferably with both parents around and hands on, to potty training a child. So we did. And just when we thought all hope was lost in three loads of laundry, a hundred Clorox wipes and countless, COUNTLESS, eleventy billion trips to the bathroom, I am beyond proud to announce that Bubba is just about there!

It wasn't something we had even planned on doing. It just happened. Like I said earlier that we were working on being diaper free by three, we weren't really going to push it if he didn't seem remotely ready. Some days he was more interested than others: One day he would use the potty three to four times, other days he wouldn't use it at all. We tried the incentive charts, using smiley face stickers and the promise of a toy of his choice if he accumulated enough. That worked for about, oh, 3 days. We tried M&M's and treat bags with little plastic toys. Those also worked for roughly 3 days. After the three days he would just forget about the treats and either go in his pants or ignore our pleas for him to use the potty entirely. This time took persistence and heavier ammo.

Let me preface this next bit by saying that I am the anti-candy parent. I don't think children should have candy at all, or at least in strict moderation, and for the first year and a half I really stuck to my guns. Then last year I put some organic jelly beans in Bubba's Easter eggs and put a few pouches of organic gummy bears in his stocking. Why organic? Sugar is sugar, right? I don't know. It makes me feel better about letting him have candy at all. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

This past weekend all of my morality shot to you-know-where in a hand basket. We promised him an entire (organic-WHAT?!) lollipop for every time he used the potty by himself. Well what do you know. The kid is all about instant gratification and I can't blame him one single bit because he got it from his momma. His well meaning yet hyper-hypocritical mother who personally devoured his, her husband's and her OWN entire Halloween stash. It was terribly painful to unwrap no less than FIVE suckers in one day. (I'll have you know that I brushed his teeth after every one! Guilt shmilt), but I'll tell you the child is no longer in diapers after the third day. I bought one of those Potette Plus potty's for when we are on the go, and I set it up at the park today for him to use at his leisure. He used it on his own while I was on the opposite side of the playground wrangling Birdie. The sense of accomplishment and pride was pouring from every single crevice. He asked for a lollipop and he got one on the ride home. The way I figure, he is developing a lifelong habit and the candy most certainly will NOT continue to be a part of our routine. Bubba is still wearing a Pull-Up diaper at night because this is still so new, but he woke up this morning with it being dry.


Using the Baby Bjorn potty

A rough time line of our adventure:

Friday evening through Monday evening, Bubba was strictly (except for sleeping time) wearing big boy underwear, mostly at his request. We basically did not leave the apartment that entire time, and we did, literally, go through at least three loads of laundry. That's at least $20 in our apartment-dwelling world. There was a lot of crying, screaming and frustration throughout the ordeal, but once Bubba started refusing the diaper we knew it that this was it. I am feeling very guilty about giving him all the candy that we did -I even bought him sparkle marshmallows, the HORROR- but I won't let it continue and will find an alternative, sugar free route for the upcoming week or two. The true test will be tomorrow in preschool, where the majority of his classmates are still in diapers. I'll let him choose between diapers and underwear, but I'm pretty confident he's over the diapers at this point. Nice work, little man. We are SO proud of you. I can hardly believe it!


Using the Potette Plus in the Plaza outside of our building

Hellybee Photography

I know this is a little late, but I had to post some of my friend Helene's pictures of our trip to the pumpkin patch. She's simply amazing, I don't know how she captures the magic the way that she does, but she truly has a gift. Beyond her gorgeous pictures she is an amazing human being, I am so lucky to call her my friend. She is due to give birth to her second child at any moment and I am beyond thrilled for her. Good luck Helene, we are thinking about you constantly!










Helene can be contacted here, if you are interested. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and primarily works there. I personally am total sucker for professional pictures. I mean, what could be more special?

Sing it, Sister! Review: Tiny Tongs and Silikids

It's been a while since I have done a Sing it, Sister, so when I received these products in the mail I was thrilled! Anything that makes parenthood even the slightest bit easier always has my vote. Especially gadgets. I love me a good gadget.




Tinytongs are really handy for children who haven't quite mastered using utensils (or not even close in my case) and even for children who have. Have you ever noticed that the second you introduce a new plate or utensils to your toddler that dinner becomes exciting again? Both of my kids loved these for those reasons. The smaller children can improve their pincer grasp while all ages can work on their fine motor skills while eating. Brilliant. Tinytongs are made from polypropylene and TPE over-molding, non-toxic, lead, BPA and Phtalate Free. They are recommended for ages 12 months through 5 years, retail for $7.99 and come in pink, purple, orange and green. Best yet, they were designed by a mother, so you know she knew what she was doing ;)



Next up: Silikids Siliskin Glass






We've been exploring many milestones with Bubba lately. He'll be three at the end of January and that is "D Day" for many toddlers. We're working on potty training, getting rid of the pacifier, and drinking from a big kid cup (i.e. banishing the straw cups). We've had a rough go at the first two, but the last one is fun and not all that serious. Nevertheless, it's something that needs to be done. We have hardwood floors, so imagine my glee when this cup showed up in our mailbox. It's an actual glass cup, but it's covered in a silicone mold. I've tried dropping it on the floor and it didn't break- kudos to the Siliskin Glass! Bubba loves drinking out of it too because it's just his size and it's glass so I know it must feel extra grown up to him. The bonus of silicone is it's also BPA free, non-toxic, hypo allergenic, does not promote bacteria or fungus growth and it's recyclable. These 6 oz cups retail for $7.95 and come in green and blue. This company has a range of silicone products, and if you are interested you can check them out at http://www.silikids.com/

Empire State of Mind

Whew. Well, we're back in the city and honestly it feels amazing. This trip back to California was just what I needed. We missed daddy terribly, but it was good for him to put all of his energy into his first midterm (which he got a B on, yay!). He missed us too... I think he may have eaten frozen fish sticks and fries 4 nights in a row. I couldn't wait to get home and cook for him- which is exactly what I did all day today. After preschool we hit the grocery store and I made homemade spaghetti and meatballs AND butternut squash soup (for tomorrow night)! The kids did a fantastic job of destroying every inch of the house while I did all that, including completely re-programming the cable box. Amazing what a 13 month old can do. I think they missed trashing their toys and ruling their own roost. The freedom that a HOUSE with a BACKYARD allows them is incomparable to apartment living, but this is their home, and they dig it well enough.

The travels went as smooth as can be expected with a two year old, a one year old, and one parent. I was toast before I ever began being outnumbered like that, but I'll never learn:
We took a town car to the airport at 3 pm on our way to CA. I didn't order car seats because it's completely legal for children to ride in a cab or town car that way. Not that I necessarily agree with that, especially the way people drive in this city, but they were going to charge me $60 extra dollars, and the airport is in Queens. Normally a trip to JFK shouldn't take that long, but guess what? Rush hour in NYC is at 3PM (or whenever it feels like it). It took us an hour and a half to get to the airport. An hour and a half of two screaming, bouncing children in stop and go traffic. This was somewhat tolerable until J started throwing up. He threw up 5 times on the drive to the airport, at which point I threw in the towel -quite literally- and decided that the trip couldn't possibly get any worse. Such a fool I am. Without going into too much detail, I'll just say that shlepping a double stroller, three carry-on's, two babies and dinner onto an airplane is not easy. Nor is it fun. It would have been a fairly painless flight, however, if it hadn't been for Z's diaper explosion, some really intense turbulence and the sour-puss sitting next to us, but I guess you win some and you lose some, right? There was a very bright light at the end of this tunnel, and we got through it just fine. Two weeks in my home town, in my mother's home, with all of our friends and family around us was a complete vacation and totally worth the fuss. It rested and filled us to the brim with love and energy for the travels and life back in NYC. The flight home was amazing. We took a red eye, and because of that I was really nervous but we had an extra seat and the kids both slept together for the majority of the time on the plane. I got to watch Ace of Cakes for 3 hours while making sure they didn't fall off the seats, so when we finally got home I was a zombie. We paid for the car seats for the drive home this time, but the driver was SO terrible that both of the kids got ferociously sick the entire way home. I happen to be very susceptible to car sickness as well, and it took all I had NOT to throw up myself, but I think I was too busy holding plastic bags and cleaning. Done with the barf talk yet? It was FUN. We arrive at our building at 7:30AM to see daddy waiting out in front for us. Happiest. Sight. Ever. Couldn't wait to get upstairs, cleaned up and in our jammies for some quality nap time. Which is just what we did. It's great to be back home in New York City.

Some photos from our trip: Family, friends and fun adventures.












I've got some reviews that I am doing this week that I am excited about, so stay tuned!

Soul: Restored

It has been SO nice to be back in our hometown in California. We've enjoyed my mother's homemade chili, a glorious pumpkin patch visit with friends, amazing weather, and countless other moments that have made this trip completely worth the while. I was still feeling unsure about my decision to come back here, but all it took was one moment here in my mother's house, alone with the kids and knee deep in tantrums and messes to realize that this is not our home. Home is not in California any longer. Home is with my husband in New York City. I miss my NEW home now.

What I think I really needed and have gained from this trip is a bit of closure. Everything happened so darn fast; We didn't even know for sure we were moving to New York City until late springtime of this year. I didn't sell the last of our two cars until two days before we boarded the airplane. My kids both decided to throw a wrench in the "closure" period before we left by channeling their inner Evil Kneivel's; Birdie decided to walk out the front door (that her brother had opened for her) and superman'd off two steps, face planting into cement. She screamed so hard she knocked herself unconscious. Twenty minutes and five paramedics later, she was fine and giggling, despite being bloody and bruised. Then, the very next day while at the pool, Bubba tried to swim into the fountain in the baby pool (you read that right, a FOUNTAIN in a BABY POOL) while I was feeding two babies. One second I have my eye on him, three seconds later he is face down nearly floating by the fountain (I couldn't make this stuff up). I flew into the pool, yanked him out and he was conscious and throwing up chlorine. Crisis #2 averted. Needless to say, I don't think I had enough time to actually process what was happening and was just powering through the most monumental time in our lives (thus far, anyway). So here we are, in the comfort of the arms of our friends and family and processing. Delving into the deep waters of goodbyes, and adjusting to our new exciting, busy loud life. We've attended Halloween parties and our annual costume photo shoot, we've shopped at Babies R' Us and walked down the street of our beloved downtown, and I've stayed up late talking with my mom and sister. Many things still to come, but more than all of this I've begun to restore my soul in order to continue on building our future in NYC. Life is moment to moment- diapers and dishes, tantrums and laughter. The grass isn't greener on the other side, it's just as green as you WANT it to be. (I'm not usually this corny, I promise. Must be my age.)