New York.

No babies (West is officially weaned!) and no husband || Stayed at Suzi's (with one blissful night at a hotel - not sure I've slept that well in years) || Just saw Kelsey, Kylie, Corinne and Suzi (the last of my NYC friends) || Wandered the farmer's market at Union Square || Shake Shack || Shopping || Two (!!) Broadway shows - Once, on Friday night, and then Newsies on a Saturday night whim || Brunch at Jacob's Pickles || Brunch at Kitchenette || Bagels from Bagel Bob's || Central Park wandering || Dinner at Parm || Only bought things for the boys (!!) || Brooklyn wandering with Kelsey and Kylie || Suzi Mackay quote of the trip, whilst in Times Square - "Where are we?! Is this hell?!"

(It was such beautiful weather and so nice to be back. I had such a good time that I forgot to take any photos...)

The Great Lawn.

I look through these photos & my heart starts getting tugged in all sorts of directions. 

Last Thursday was a really beautiful, perfect day in the city. The morning was breezy & cool (Q's sweatshirt was on & off), a little overcast & just really perfect for spending the morning at the park with good friends - both of whom I've now known for years. 

(I really like friends like that.) 

Suzi & I swung by Dean & Deluca on our way to the park to pick up some treats (apple fritters + Cokes, of course). They don't sell them any more! The fritters! I could have cried, but picked up a doughnut they had from The Doughnut Plant instead. 

Do you see how much Q loves Suzi? He always has, but seriously. Suzi has always been a frontrunning candidate for Mother of the Year, & I'm fairly certain she could mother my own son better than I ever have. He really loved seeing her (except for that part where we tried to get him to nap at her apartment - that didn't work out so well), & was so happy all morning. He & Ben weren't quite sure what to do with each other, but they happily shared snacks & looked at puppies & trucks. And Will! I loved going with Suzi to pick up Will at his summer camp & seeing the happy look on his face when he saw that I was there. 

Me: Will, do you know where we live? 

Will: 80th Street! 

Apparently he thought we'd been absentee friends for a bit? 

(Sad face.)

Corinne! Loved seeing her, with her two kids, one of whom I hadn't met yet (he's sweet). Ada is a full on little girl. I remember visiting Corinne on the Upper West Side when she was just a teensy new baby.

I love seeing Q with his little friends, even if he maybe doesn't know them quite as well as I do.

I really love these little people, & love that I've been lucky to get to watch them grow up just a little bit. 

(20 minutes of reminicing later...)

Ben was born (& Ben & Q as little teensy baby-friends)

Will learning how to walk (or these photos, which Mike just mistook for Q, or these, where we have our precious & now-extinct previously mentioned apple fritters!).  

Ada was the prettiest baby (& is still the prettiest little lady - more & more & more).

(I miss my bangs & want them back ASAP - although I hate the humidity here which has forced me to grow them out. I think I look like a horse. Also - I miss the backdrop of the city in my photos. And my friends. In no particular order, of course.)

Really though, it wasn't sad to be back in the city this trip. I wasn't depressed getting on the airplane & my heart didn't hurt while I was there like it has on other trips. It was happy, & really nice (albeit way too busy with not enough time) & made me grateful that I get to visit often - & also stay in touch with those few special friends who take the time to stay in touch even though we defected. 

Lots & lots of photos, still... A Brooklyn rooftop party! A wedding (!!)! It was a happy & really nice couple of days - starting off with a perfect morning in the park.

 

Head above water.

Currently writing lots of to-do lists to cope with well, all the to-do's we have.

(On my to do list if I decide to just deal with some sleep deprivation for a night: catch up on blogging. Likelihood of this happening: slim.)

For good measure, we just added an Italy / Switzerland trip to the mix. To keep things interesting, we decided that leaving Monday would be a fabulous idea (that's Wednesday-Thursday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday-Monday!!).

!!!!

Deep breath.

The park was so beautiful the other day. We walked from our apartment down 5th Avenue & all the way to the carousel with Q.  I love, love, love Central Park. Have I ever said that before?

Also on my to-do list (obviously): hair cut. 

Quinn rides the carousel in Central Park.

I'm not sure that he necessarily loved it, & it's pretty clear that he didn't quite understand what was going on, but it was a fun outing! Quinn's first time riding the carousel at Central Park.

Sunday at Central Park.

We haven't been in Central Park nearly enough over the past several months. Every Sunday! I'm making a new commitment. It's such a happy, peaceful place - my favorite New York City spot, hands down.

We picnicked with friends today by The Great Lawn. The Cannons are leaving New York this week so we got together to wish them well. I'm quite certain that it hasn't hit me yet - that they're leaving. Amy & Tim are some of our very best friends, the kind that you have on speed dial. We've done so many fun things with them over the past 3 years that they've been in the city. Lots & lots of dinners out, adventures throughout the city, trips to The Hamptons! Amy & I have gotten along splendidly since we first met, & Tim + Mike once talked all the way from The Hamptons to the city. In traffic. Nonstop, while Amy & slept in the backseat (37 weeks pregnant & tired). Enough said. And then of course there was that time where Amy & I met for breakfast & I told her I was 11 weeks pregnant & she gave me a funny look & asked what my due date was... & then told me that she was due the exact same day. And then becoming parents! Six days apart! Having friends that just understand. Just the icing on a very yummy friendship cake. Anyway. We've known that this day was coming for a long time - with Tim finishing up his oncology fellowship - but all of a sudden it's zoomed up on us, & we're leaving, too (a few months later). We're hoping for family vacations together & frequent visits, & I know we'll be forever friends (because those kinds of friendships are few & far between, but easy to spot once you've got them), but the whole friends being split apart thing? It's just sad. 

I took their family photos earlier this week, but only snapped a few of Eli today at the park, hoping to take some photos of the boys but giving up after both were in less-than-happy moods. And none of all of us! We'll try again later in the week.

Quinn's cheeks look like they're going to explode. And his smile is totally changing with his new tooth. 

Central Park Nap.

Quinn is a really great sleeper at home, in his crib, but it's a little more tricky when we're out. He's not a just doze off to sleep kind of baby. Actually, I'm fairly certain I haven't seen him do any dozing sine he was just a tiny babe. Thank goodness he has such a good dad - & for nice days at the park where lots of walking, even if in circles, is quite pleasant.

Mumford & Sons - Roll Away Your Stone

Conservatory Gardens.

Amy & I took the boys to the Conservatory Gardens at Central Park on Monday. The tulips! I barely missed them when I went last year, so I had to get there this spring. I'm so glad that I did, because this week - it's like a tulip funeral everywhere I go. They're dropping like flies, just like that. 

But the Conservatory Gardens! They were in full bloom, & it smelled like lilacs. 

We took photos of the boys (how did Amy & I all of a sudden have 7+ month old babies?!). Eli was obviously quite happy. Quinn was obviously thoroughly distracted by his seemingly amazing shoelaces & wasn't very cooperative, & then he slobbered more than any baby on the planet has ever slobbered. Oh well. 

Happy Spring! 

(And then he napped all the way home.)