Goals

Hi Cuties,
So, I'm tired.  This week it is really catching up to me and I am dragging.  I know we need to let Charlie cry it out but I can't.  His little cries break my heart and I just want to cuddle him until he feels sleepy enough to go back in his crib.  The mister is over it and I think he's just waiting for me to break.  Which might happen soon because I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but I am really tired.  
Also, I think I need to go on a serious diet.  Losing these last ten pounds has been impossible, and I want to be skinny for the beach.  I came up with a ridiculous plan in which I can only weigh myself on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday and then I put the lowest weigh-in on an app I downloaded to my phone.  I, of course, set my goal weight for two pounds less than my pre-pregnancy weight, because I like to keep things unrealistic.  It's more fun that way.  Also, I'm eating a fudgesicle right now.
Anyway, I was thinking there should be some sort of plan to lose the weight, but I'm too tired to come up with anything right now other than the weigh-in thing which really doesn't actually help me lose any weight, just track it.  


Okay, here's a plan:
1. Lunch - less than 600 calories
2. Dinner - something in "moderation" (better to build a little flexibility into the plan upfront)
3. Dessert - diet desserts only, like skinny cow or frozen yogurt, or an apple (HA)
4. No drinking calories.  No fancy cocktails which mess up my breastfeeding schedule anyway.  
5. Ugh, there should probably be some sort of exercise thing.  Hmm, no taking the elevator at work.


Phew, done.  The app on my phone tells me that my goal weight has become unrealistic for the time frame in which I have set it, so I'm not sure my five point plan is going to cut it, but I'll be sure to keep you updated since now I am being held ACCOUNTABLE. 


xo,
C


Update:  ugh, did I really just put two posts out in a row talking about how I am "sooo tired," and not even realize it?  What.a.drag.

Bachelorette and Booty Shorts

Hi Cuties,
So tired, so tired.  I know I should be doing something productive (thank you cards, kill me) but I am sooo tired. Can't stop looking forward to the next time I can have iced coffee.  Addiction, check.  I moved the thank you cards to the table by my side of the couch, but there's no pen over here that I can see, soo...  Wanted to share these pics of Charlie from a couple of weeks ago when he and the mister visited me at work.  It was so weird to wheel his little stroller into my office.  He was so out of place and I was so convinced he was going to start crying and I was going to get in trouble.  But he was such a good little boy, even when all my coworkers swarmed around him.  Mommy's little helper.  The mister dressed him in his "Mom's Little Man" tie onesie and blazer for the occasion with his little shorts.  This made me smile because he had unintentionally dressed Charlie in the new spring uniform I've noticed some of the younger girls around the office rocking.  Booty shorts and a blazer.  I think maybe one girl wore it and it just kind of caught on and now it is just this inappropriate trend happening all over the place.  


Lest you think I'm really accomplishing nothing tonight, I want you to know that I am still the queen of multitasking because while I write this, I am also watching the The Bachelorette.  And not only am I watching The Bachelorette, I am also watching my mister trying not to watch The Bachelorette because he is so painfully embarrassed for what is happening to Doug on-screen as we speak.  I love watching Erik watch The Bachelor!  I wish you could all split screen his reactions to share in my enjoyment.


Oh well, Monday, I survived you!  And there's always tomorrow for the other stuff on the list.


P.S. Please just ignore my fat arm in these pictures.  I don't know what I was thinking.  Just, ew.  And also why did my arm get fatter after having a baby?  That doesn't even MAKE SENSE.


xo,
C

Brooklyn Saturday

We had the most lovely Saturday over here, the perfect kind of day in my opinion.  We slept in with the baby, had a picnic lunch in the park and then all dressed up for an early dinner out.  The mister and I even managed to watch a movie last night, no small feat in this house.  Today was nice too.  We spent the afternoon at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, but those photos are on my other camera, so more on that tomorrow.
The weekend was nice but it went by so fast and right now, I've come down with a pretty brutal case of the Sunday night blues.  I'm really tired and thinking about all the stuff that has to get done this week is making me just exhausted.  Plus, the baby keeps waking up crying and I'm fearful for the night ahead.  Wish me luck this week - everything always look scarier on a Sunday night so hopefully things will be looking up tomorrow.
xo,
C

Day Dates

Every once in while the mister and I go on lunch dates, don't tell anyone.  We both work in the same neighborhood, and even so, it can be impossible to find a day that works, but sometimes we do, and I highly recommend it.  Especially if you have a little baby at home.  Especially then.  It really only takes 45 minutes and it is so nice to spend some alone time in the middle of the day catching up on things, quite romantic.  I find that I am much more relaxed when I return to work and am generally much more productive for the rest of the day.  For me, day dates only work on a day that does not contain any stressful afternoon meetings.  Days with stressful morning meetings though are perfect.  This week we went to a cute restaurant called Taka Taka.  They have sushi that comes around on a little conveyor belt and also tacos - how amazing.  They also had a killer cocktail list (margaritas and sushi, why not?,) but we didn't partake what with an afternoon of work on the horizon.  I think we are so lucky to work just a few blocks away from each other, so hopefully we can make it at least a monthly tradition, if not weekly!
xo,
C

Bufala Negra

The mister loves whiskey (or scotch, or whatever it's called, who knows the difference,) so for Father's Day I decided to make him a special whiskey cocktail.  The mister loves a good whiskey cocktail and they don't always have them on cocktail lists at run-of-the-mill restaurants and bars.  Since the mister is a well-known whiskey (or scotch) drinker, he is always getting fancy bottles as gifts.  We have a lot of whiskey (or scotch, or bourbon, HA, what's that?) up in this apartment and I can't stand to watch him mix it with the gross-ass diet coke he makes with his soda stream for one second longer.  I decided on the Bufala Negra because, well, frankly, it didn't require another trip to the liquor store, yet required enough effort to still show the love.  It was actually pretty simple to make, yet special, and involved a shaker.  All you have to do is muddle some basil leaves with vinegar and simple syrup (a mix of sugar and water) and then mix in some scotch and ginger ale.  I don't know if it tastes good because all whiskey tastes bad in an extremely overpowering, metallic way to me, but the mister sure seemed to like it and requested an encore last night.  It was very Mad Men-esque, what with me making him a cocktail after a hard day at the office.  Of course, the difference being that by hard day at the office, I am referring to MY hard day at the office and not his, but bygones, tis the modern world.
xo,
C

Father's Day

tell me that little baby doesn't look like Charlie!

Hi Cuties,
Hope everyone had a lovely Father's Day.  Charlie and I did our best to make it a special one for the mister.  We went to brunch in the neighborhood, sat out in the park, and then I made dinner.  Things started to derail a little bit at that point.  Charlie has been pretty fussy at night lately.  He hasn't been feeling well and he misses his swaddle, etc. etc., so long story short, he prefers being held to sleeping, which is making us both pretty tired during the day. By 5PM, right around when I should have started my master-chef meal, Charlie and I were fast asleep.  After nap time, I managed to get my second wind (by pretending to be on Top Chef but of course, master of the "slow fire"), and the mister and I enjoyed a Father's Day meal around 10PM.  
I am really hoping that Erik enjoyed his day because he is a great daddy, just as I always knew he would be, and Charlie loves him so much.  His little eyes light up whenever he hears daddy's voice and he frantically looks all around until he sees Erik at which point his face breaks into a huge grin.  I'd be jealous if it weren't so darn precious.  Nothing makes me happier than seeing these two guys together!
xo,
C


P.S. I was pretty pleased with obnoxiously proud of myself for the Father's Day gifts I got Erik (shirt with matching onesie and chocolate) but I somehow didn't manage to send my own dad a gift.  Sorry, dad!!!  I did find a perfect card for my dad after I had already sent him one.  I bought it anyway and went to put it away for next year only to discover I had done the same thing last year.  I'm not sure what that says about me but I'm pretty sure it's not good.

Baby Passport

look at this mug shot.

We had to get little Charlie a passport this week.  We are taking a trip to St. Kitt's in less than two months.  Anyone who reads this blog knows that I'm big into the family vacations.  Well, this year my dad took it upon himself to assume that we wouldn't be attending, what with a new baby and all.  Guess again, dad.  Hells no, we're going! (Said a nine months pregnant and feeling left out me.) So now, we're going! And I'm excited. And scared.  I'm really, really scared.  Step one of "operation baby vacation" was to get a passport for little mr. charlie. Hopefully the remaining steps are easier because baby passport was not fun.  Both parents need to be present to get a baby passport, I guess to prevent baby snatching, so both the mister and I had to take the morning off of work (passport acceptance facilities, aka post offices, of course, only take appointments from 10 to 3.)  I won't bore you with the terrible, mundane details of the scramble to prepare all the proper documentation and get out of the house, but suffice to say by the time we made it to the post office, we were sweating, all three of us, some more substantially than others.  Despite the fact that I double checked, this particular passport acceptance facility did not take passport photos because the guy who knew how to work the camera WASN'T THERE so we had to walk a mile to the nearest Walgreens where, thank god, it wasn't too terrible to get Charlie to wake up and look at the camera without any trace of parent in the photo (hmm, but can you spot daddy's thumb?)  Guys, I am nervous about this vacation. These are the things I am worried about:


- We haven't exactly been traveling light lately.  This must change for a vacation involving air travel.  Must change.
- So about that plane.  Ugh, scared of total baby meltdown.
- And, um, little baby sunburn. It's concerning.
- Car seat situation.  Must figure out.


That's all.  Now that I listed it out, I feel a little better.  I mean, it's only four things.  Plus, this is what St. Kitt's looks like.

xo,
C

Super Mom - Part Two

I know my last post was a bit of a downer, but you'll be pleased to know this week is going slightly better.  Poor baby has a cold but we are surviving and mentally coping much better than the first time around.  House is kind of a huge disaster area, but one can't do everything, can one?  Hmm, or technically two but who's counting.  I did have this moment of super momdom on Saturday night.  I had to work from home on Saturday, and we went out for a quick dinner.  This picture shows me being an awesome multi-tasker because I am a) at dinner. at a restaurant.  holding my baby on my lap like it is NO BIG DEAL.  b) answering emails on my phone because I am that important and a VERY BIG DEAL.  Plus, the baby's smiling, so how cool am I?  Right? Right?  Now even though I am majorly jinxing myself and even though my little juggling act hasn't thus far been quite that inspiring, nobody can take this picture away from me.  Hooray.
xo,
C

About that Last Post

So about that last post where I was more or less implying without coming right out and saying it that I had some sort of supermom thing happening, it's not happening.  It's so not happening.  Not this week.

Full Days

Charlie is (sporadically) so happy in the morning and it is the best thing ever to wake up to even at 5AM. 

The mister and I managed a date night (thanks to miss lyss) and stumbled upon the strongest margaritas in the neighborhood.  Which led us to daringly order an appetizer at dinner involving bone marrow. Ew.

Happy in the morning.

We spent some time with Erik's family this weekend and tried to get some cute cousin shots.  You can see the results.

With all the time we've spent in the car lately, I've been relegated to the back with Charlie.  Cute but I kind of miss the front!

I've been giving Charlie a bit more diaper time lately to let that little belly breathe.

Please look at this cute bottle/nuk drying rack from Boon that the mister ordered online.  It's cute, right?

So, what's going on around here?  Well, nothing crazy, but, a lot?  I am back at work full swing and it is such a weird combination of a lot to get re-used to and feeling like I never left.  Things are super crazy and busy at work, as is the norm, and combine that with me trying to pump twice a day (not fun) and pick Charlie up from daycare, and it is making me feel a little stretched.  Honestly, I haven't been very successful at picking up Charlie from daycare so far and luckily the mister has been able to step in and get him most nights.  It does feel like a minute to minute attempt to prioritize throughout the day.  And to be honest, while it is overwhelming, I don't hate it.  Life kind of feels delightfully full, and so far, I'm liking it.  Yes, I'm dealing with all the crazy emotions I knew I'd be dealing with and there have definitely been more than a few moments of guilt already.  But I'm not reinventing the wheel here.  I'm certainly not the first working mom to hit the advertising world but yet there aren't too many working moms at my agency which allows me the luxury of feeling like one of those harried doing it all career woman moms from the movies (I'm thinking like some sort of recent Sarah Jessica Parker movie).  There are not even close to enough hours in the day to get everything done but there is also a lot less time to spend thinking and worrying about it, which has been pretty refreshing so far.  Anyway, it's really early days so I should shut up now, but it's not all bad, kids, it's not all bad.  
xo,
C