Giddy Up

We discovered The Right Start about two months before Sam was born and it was instantly our favorite baby store. It's about five minutes away from our house and there is free, no-fuss parking (virtually impossible to find in the city). It's also has a perfectly-edited selection of everything from strollers and car seats to bibs, blankets, books and toys as well as truly knowledgeable salespeople. It is pretty close to perfection, so when I discovered they're closing due to bankruptcy I was super surprised and disappointed. But the upside is there are good deals everywhere, including Paco the Rocking Pony. It required some minimal assembly, but we let Sam take a quick, first look right before bedtime. Needless to say, it was a big hit. Giddy up!

Days Gone By

A colleague at work had a baby boy a couple weeks ago and she writes a terrific blog all about her foray into parenthood. It’s made me think a lot about the first few weeks after Sam arrived on the scene. It’s amazing how quickly the details slip away – blame it on sleep deprivation -- and hearing her talk about labor and delivery, their hospital stay and the first night at home has brought back a flood of memories.

The early days are amazing, and looking back they really do set the tone for parenthood. You revel in the small victories and you can literally feel a fountain of love springing up inside you. At the same time, the exhaustion is so overwhelming, it’s sheer will that gets you through some of those first days and nights (I’m told the teenage years will be another test of our will).

I guess I’m just suddenly struck by how fast you go from perfecting a swaddle to chasing a toddler! I wish I could press pause for a little while.

For those who haven’t seen enough of our vacation, here’s more (apologies about the music choice).

Life's Not a Beach

Our vacation is over and we've been welcomed back to reality with a hectic work week and a flu bug. But good memories abound and I keep finding myself glancing back at our vacation pics. What a great time we had!

I hope the luck of the Irish is with you today - it's not with me. I spent 21 of the last 24 hours in bed. As I'd say to Sam, "that's yucky."

Life's a Beach

Our vacation is just about half over and sun and fun is definitely the theme. Actually, the first day was cloudy, but it gave us a chance to get acclimated to the heat before the sunshine showed its face.

There have definitely been some "key learnings." Here's what we've learned:

1. Watching airtran.com like a hawk pays off. We bought a seat for Sam about 12 hours before take off and it could be the single best decision we've ever made as parents. Sam had his own seat, we had ours and everyone was happy.

2. There are still nice travelers in the world who are more than happy to accomodate families. Who knew? Some day I will be repaid for all of the dirty looks I gave kids while traveling for business. Luckily I was not repaid during this trip.

3. Kids hate sunglasses. Spend the $7 on something else. Sam ripped his off his head immediately and they are now lost somewhere on Barefoot Beach.

4. If your shaker expands while mixing up margaritas, do not check Google for tips on how to get it unstuck. Tips like, "try a propane torch" are not helpful.

5. Vacations are SO MUCH FUN and make working our tails off worthwhile!!!

On Our Own

Sam and I were on our own this weekend and we took it upon ourselves to have as much fun as possible! Saturday started with a bang with music class at Bubbles. Sam thoroughly enjoyed the songs and the parachute, as always, and we stayed after so he could burn off some extra energy. After his nap, Sam and I hit the stores to look for a new bathing suit I could wear on our trip. Not an easy task with a 15 ½ year-old -- when he burst out laughing, I took it as a sign that I really did look as bad as I thought. We promptly left and I’ll be wearing one of the suits that are in my closet.

We had more fun today, in spite of the awful weather. We hit Target first thing and then went to the Nature Museum. We spent loads of time in the indoor playground and then visited the butterflies. When we’re in the butterfly haven, Sam now points and says, “But.” I’m not going to lie – it makes me very proud.

I broke all the rules and let Sam watch Sesame Street tonight. We both loved it. Sam kept looking over his shoulder at me with a huge grin on his face. Turns out he loves Big Bird, Ernie, Oscar the Grouch and Grover as much as I do.

We’ll be very happy to have Steve back tomorrow night. Bath time wasn’t the same without the Bubble Master and in general, life’s just better when we’re a threesome. But I have to admit, Sam is the best sidekick a girl could ever want. We had a great weekend.