the big 1!

Our little hudson turned one yesterday & we had the perfect day together. So many laughs and smiles from all three of us. I have to post all the details because it was a day I hope I always remember. But right now, it is late, I am exhausted & this cute little guy will be up & ready to play in just a few short hours.

We love this little guy more than we could ever have imagined. He has truly made this past year the happiest one we've ever had! 

if only we could go back...

A little teaser of our St. Thomas photos. It's taken me way longer to upload and edit them than I ever thought it would. I guess visitors and a very important little guy's first birthday are a good enough excuse for that.

Right now, I just want to go back. Isn't it breathtakingly beautiful?!

winter escape: florida

Last year, we snuck away to Barbados on a babymoon right smack in the middle of January. We loved it so much we decided we needed to plan a getaway to somewhere warm every year to help us survive these bitter NYC winters. We jumped at the chance to plan a tropical getaway with our good friends the Berns & as a bonus, got to spend a few days in Miami too.

My first time ever in Florida did not disappoint! For Kyle, Florida was all work, but for Hudson & me, it was all play. We got to drive to the mall (the MALL!) while Kyle was visiting clients. I know that may not sound exciting, but the suburban lifestyle has its appeal after living in a big city without these perks! We even got to meet up with Kyle for lunch one day and then got to drive down to Fort Lauderdale and take an evening family stroll on the beach.  Even Huds took some steps (with our help, of course) and we all dipped our feet in the ocean, a must anytime you visit the beach. Huds wasn't a huge fan of the sand. I imagine that feeling the gritty & squishy sand between the toes for the first time may be a bit crazy. Don't worry. Our little guy recovered before we hit the beaches in St. Thomas. Whew!

This picture captures Florida perfectly--sunny, carefree, & all smiles!

happy valentine's day!

valentine's day 2013

Baking heart shaped sugar cookies. Blowing up red balloons & erupting into giggles chasing these balloons around the house with H. Making homemade chocolate dipped cinnamon bears. Creating Hudson's first art project for daddy- his footprints in a heart shape on a canvas. (much easier said than done.) What ensued was red paint everywhere! 2 baths for Hudson and some vigorous scrubbing later & all but one little smudge washed right away. That little stain on his high chair will forever remind me of my attempt at making my child's first sentimental holiday gift. Aww. Setting up a candlelit cabana for our dinner for two. And how can we forget the explosion. That alone will make this a valentine's we will never forget.

This year was my year to plan. I planned a scrumptious dinner of filet mignon, creamy garlic mashed potatoes, homemade heart shaped french bread, steamed green beans, fresh pineapple slices, and white grape sparkling cider with heart shaped ice cubes all to be eaten in our romantic cabana. Sounds perfect, right? Too good to be true? 

 Just seconds after Kyle put Hudson to bed & right as I was taking the tender and juicy filet mignon from the oven, it exploded! everywhere! Okay, not the steak, but the baking dish. I was stunned. There, lying on the floor among chunks and slivers of glass was my precious filet mignon- the key to winning my man's heart (okay, that is a little dramatic). Needless to say, sweet Kyle came to my rescue. We spent the next hour deep cleaning the kitchen from all the glass as the rest of our dinner grew cold amidst the flickering light of the candles. Nothing more romantic than rolling up your sleeves, vacuuming corners, scrubbing stoves, & washing every pan, dish, and piece of silverware. The good news is that along with flowers, I got a sparkling clean kitchen for V-day this year! 

Even though nothing turned out as planned, it was truly an unforgettable day. I felt so grateful for my two sweet valentine boys. My little Huds who is all smiles and giggles and reminds me to enjoy every moment of life. I don't know where this first year has gone, but a million times every day I reflect on how happy i am to be his mom. And my man, who makes me laugh and find the bright side of life, who loves me even when i manage to explode our valentine's steak and serve up chicken instead. 

I'm such a lucky girl to have these two amazing guys in my life! Happy Valentine's Day!

DC

Kyle travels frequently with his job and we were lucky enough to get to go on two back-to-back trips with him. Not only was it fun to take a trip out of the city, but we also loved getting to spend time with Kyle in the evenings instead of having him away!

I fell in love with the quaint Old Town Alexandria where we stayed. We had been there before when we came to DC for our marathon & then another time when we made a surprise visit to see my sister & her husband who were traveling in DC a few years ago, but it was just as charming as if it were the first time! Huds & I took morning runs along the banks of the Potamac, window shopped up & down the cute shops on King Street, devoured the most scrumptious brunch at Bread & Chocolate, met up with my dear friend Liz and saw her sweet new baby Caroline, and even went into downtown DC for a day to meet up with my cousin Becky. She was sweet enough to work straight through lunch so we could meet up for an afternoon stroll in the 60 degree weather to see the Mall and the US Capitol. It was just lovely. Huds & I continued our walk to see the White House & several other monuments, but decided to hit up the Lincoln Memorial as our last stop just as the sun was beginning to set. I am so glad we made it to this memorial. Hudson had been such a patient boy all day in the stroller, but I let him get out and crawl around. He even climbed up about half of the steps to the memorial! I absolutely love the pictures I took of him there.

As close as we got to meeting Mr. President.

I love the dirt smudges on his cheeks from crawling around. So cute!

This is my favorite pic from our trip! 

After our fancy dinner on King Street our last night there. 

beep beep!

        

I just started to sift through our hundreds of pictures from Christmas break and came across these gems of Hudson riding on the school bus at Kyle's parents house. He would hold on tight & squeal with delight as we would push him around the room over and over again. I never get tired of hearing those sweet little baby giggles or seeing those smiles from my happy little guy.

Tonight I had a bittersweet moment just realizing that time goes by so quickly. Before I know it, my little buddy won't be little anymore. He won't cuddle up in my arms forever or want to hang out with me all day long. 

So, for now, I am just going to soak up every minute of time with little baby H- 

The mornings when we snuggle in bed because it just seems to cold to get up and get the day started. 

The days we just sit at the table for meal time and share bites of bananas or yogurt or mashed up real people food for way longer than mealtime should ever last. 

The times I feel like a broken record repeating movements and motions and silly little games like peek-a-boo just because I want to hear that little laugh one more time. 

Picking him up and saying "hi" or "goodbye" just to see his little hand start waving up and down. 

 Even the nights when he wakes crying in the middle of the night again and again and it wakes me up and I am so tired and so exhausted that I can barely keep my eyes open. And when the only thing that will calm him is being in mama's arms for minutes or hours...until he falls asleep again. 

Yes, even those times. 

Especially those times.

ice hockey

Kyle Poll, Ice Hockey Legend. 

Well, maybe not exactly, but he did started playing in an ice hockey league. Shocked? I was too when he first pitched the idea. Guess there's a first time for everything, right? Turns out they conveniently play right across the street in Central Park & Hudson has been dying see him in action. After much begging and pleading by me, Kyle finally relented. 

So, we bundled up & went to cheer on daddy. Hudson loved getting to stay up late, see the bright lights, and hear the sound of the skaters on the ice. And our #6 was amazing. He didn't fall even once and had a couple of decent hits-on the puck, not the other players. I even managed to snap a few photos just in case no one ever believes us. We've got proof. 

But the moment that really took our breath away was just minutes before the game ended, when a puck flew right past us, narrowly missing both Hudson and myself. That was scary. Needless to say, we watched the rest of the game behind the high high fence just to be safe. 

Look at that adorable face & those eyes. So alert and intent on the every little move on the ice. 

 

traces of christmas

The end of the Christmas season is always a little bittersweet. 

I love the fresh start of a new year, but I hate knowing the holidays are over.  

With all the craziness of December, we finally got around to snapping a family photo by the tree--

just in time to un-decorate and toss 'er out on the street. 

And that is that. 

The holidays were magical, but now it's on to the New Year!

goodbye 2012

if you look closely, you can see we are making a "2013." pretty cool, right?

a run down of our new year's eve 2012:

1 early morning 5:30 wake-up call

2 pushes of the snooze button

3 of us & our 5 pieces of luggage crammed in our tiny rental car

1 bittersweet goodbye after an amazing holiday visit

hundreds of delicate snowflakes falling slowly during our drive to the airport

1 first class seat (for huds & me), 1 coach seat (for kyle)

3 squeezie pouches of baby food, 1 wardrobe change for huds, 1 in-flight movie, 3 subway transfers, & a strong kyle carrying our 120+ lbs of luggage simultaneously up the subway stairs with his bare hands (it was an impressive sight) & we were back.

home in nyc.

we spend hudson's first new year's dressing up in our holiday best & dining at dean's with our good friends. then, we boycotted hudson's bedtime & rang in the new year with a spectacular firework show in central park over the lake. well, truthfully we rang in the new year on our way to central park with our cabbie, dalgeet. yes, we were in a cab when the clock struck midnight. our timing was a little bit off. but, that didn't keep us from loving the moment. we were stopped at a red light (dalgeet was a very slow and cautious cabbie) and we all yelled out excitedly. even dalgeet joined in the fun. oh dalgeet. i will never forget the big smile on his face as he screamed along with us and oohed and ahhed at the fireworks we could see peeking at us from the night sky. good times.  we were only a few minutes late to the celebration as thousands of new yorkers gathered to say hello to 2013. we bundled hudson up, threw on some reindeer antlers and jumped in the midnight run yelling out "happy new year" all through the park. we passed people dressed in santa suits, santa hats, charlie brown + friends attire, capes, jean cut-offs and suspenders, and even a homemade brooklyn bridge costume. everyone was festive and happy & so excited for the new year. and even hudson loved it. his bright eyes gazed at the fireworks and he smiled from his stroller throne as we jogged along. what a trooper. we didn't make it home until nearly 2am. 

2012 was wonderful. a new job for kyle & our new baby's arrival & plenty of memories we will always cherish.

but here's to 2013. a fresh new start for the 3 of us. 

happy new year!

Winter's Eve

I love the magic of NYC at Christmas time. There is nothing quite like it. Each year, the UWS hosts a Winter's Eve celebration with a tree lighting, performers and bands, ice sculptures, activities for children, delicious food from local restaurants, and Santa. From Columbus Circle clear up to Lincoln Square, the streets are packed with holiday cheer. Even the hotdog stand man decorated his cart with cheery lights! 

In the past, I never made it home from work in time to catch anything but the tail end. This year was different. Huds and I bundled up & went down with some friends. We sipped hot cocoa & listened to performers & then feasted on juicy sliders and rich, chocolately brownies. NYC festivals aren't complete without delicious food, that is for sure! The highlight of the night was Hudson meeting Santa for the first time. He was squirmy, but didn't let out a single scream. Success, I tell you! Kyle (complete with his Movember 'stache) was even able to meet up with us at the end of the night. It's officially Christmastime in the city! 

belgian waffles & mr. columbus himself

We love our little outings in the city. This time, us moms and babes were off to meet Christopher Columbus himself. Though this statue has stood in the prominent Columbus Circle since 1892, it is often overlooked and visible only as a silhouette against the sky. 

So, it was fun to "meet" Mr. Columbus in his new setting- a modern New York living room built 75 feet up in the sky, complete with a sofa, chairs, bookshelves, a TV, and even wallpaper inspired by memories of American pop culture. The iconic images on the wallpaper included Mickey Mouse, Elvis, the Empire State Building, coca-cola, McDonald's, and even hot dogs! The views of the park were so beautiful from way up high--capturing the changing fall leaves and the tall buildings that peek out above the foliage. 

We finished off our adventure with a stop to the infamous Wafels & Dinges truck, where Hudson became oh-so-jealous of my strawberries and belgian chocolate topped waffle. Don't worry, he devoured his own gourmet treat of Gerber star-shaped sweet potato puffs while we sat inside Whole Foods to stay warm. Randomly, we found ourselves segregated by gender...all four little boy babes at one table with their moms and the four little girls at another! Guess we don't want any of those boys making a move too soon...

Whit & Scott, Laura & Lily, Emily & Hudson, Mel & Lexi
Amanda & Hugo, Breanne & Kenna, Tiff & Henry

the Great Hill Pumpkin Carving

Our awesome friend Dawn planned a pumpkin playgroup this year to carve and decorate pumpkins on the Great Hill in Central Park. Unfortunately, I didn't capture a photo of all the little ones and their finished masterpieces, but I did snap this one of little Huds. He was definitely more interested in playing with the leaves and the pumpkin in its own natural form. He did look adorable with the paintbrush in hand, but we'll wait until next year for him to become our real pumpkin artist. 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from our Little Owl!

Quite possibly our best Halloween. Ever. 

Kyle ran over 50 blocks home from work (still no subway service due to Hurricane Sandy) to meet up with us while it was still daylight & Huds was all smiles to see dad getting home so early. He loved flapping his wings & smiling & scored lots of candy for dad while trick-or-treating on the streets of NYC. This city is oh so friendly to all the little kiddies dressed in their cute little costumes. Funny how that made even walking along Broadway feel so "home-townish." But my favorite was probably strolling along 78th street between Columbus & Amsterdam to the cute & festively decorated brownstone buildings, where owners would sit out on the stoops, ooh and aah over the costumes & hand out candy. We saw everything from a baby snowboarder to the Empire State Building, & call us biased parents, but we think our little owl was pretty darn cute.  And brave too...he made it through his first haunted house at our friends' apartment before the night was over. Now, we've tucked away his costume & our little "night owl" has decided that as fun as owl life is, he'd rather just be a little guy and go to sleep.  And you know what? We are okay with that.  Happy Halloween!

Far across the ocean...

Okay, not really. Block Island is only about 14 miles off the shore of Rhode Island & a quick 50 minute ferry ride, and that is on the slow ferry, mind you. But honestly, after taking this ferry, I would not have wanted to take the speedy one. It was so nice to sit on the ferry, basking in the warm sunlight of the perfect day, feeling the gentle rise and fall of the waves. It felt like we were escaping to a far away, secluded island, just our little family of 3...& a few dozen other people on board. 

Hudson loved it too. He made the cutest faces as we played with him & of course, I couldn't resist an impromptu photo shoot of him in his little chambray romper, boat shoes & boat hat. I thought he looked so cute all decked out for a day at sea. He loved the boat, & he even tried to take off his shoes and just kick back and relax, just like mom & dad! And relax we did, until the slight mishap of the utter blow-out/explosion occurred just before we reached the island. Luckily, in one swift move, Kyle had the babe out of the carrier, so most of it ended up on the deck & not on him. Yes, it was that bad. All over the deck of the ferry. Good thing it wasn't our private million dollar yacht. And good thing I have such an awesome husband to help me and laugh with me in all these adventures of being parents together. 

Before we knew it, we had reached the island. All the other passengers scurried off immediately, but we leisurely walked around the boat, catching glimpses of the beauty of the island. 

Us at sea

Our first glimpse of the island

Just kicking off those shoes. Maybe he has a fetish with tan feet like his mama.

Can he get any cuter?!

The explosion happened right after I clicked this photo!

Hudson in outfit #2, taking his daddy's hand and ready to explore!

Block Island Getaway: Part 1

It's been over a week since we returned from our Labor Day dream weekend away and I am still sifting through the hundreds of pictures we I took. I sometimes annoy Kyle by stopping every few minutes and snapping a picture. You just never know when you'll want that moment etched in your memory, you know? I think he might enjoy it more than he lets on though; at one point on our trip he simple said, "I remember moments when we take a picture more than moments when we do not." Cha-ching! Now, I do not feel so bad about my addiction to taking photos.

We had such a lovely weekend away with just our little family of 3. This picture was taken in our final few moments on Block Island right before we boarded the ferry back to the mainland. I love that this picture captures it so well. The ocean behind us, the picturesque harbor, our sunglasses and summer hats, our little Hudson (who honestly looks a little dazed, but happy nonetheless...he is such a trooper on all our adventures), our creamy & delicious half-eaten peach ice cream in homemade waffle cones, and the big smiles on our faces. Our day on the island was slow-paced, stress-free & simple. Simply perfect, I might add. When I look at this picture, I am instantly taken back to that moment. And I love that sensation.

More on Block Island coming up...