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. 

 

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

Hanging out at the Highline

Our city summer is quickly coming to a close. And while I love falltime in New York, part of me just wishes we could delay its arrival. Or, that we could just freeze this moment & stay in this endless summer forever-like today hanging out at the Highline, sipping on chilled limeade, watching these barefoot beauties bask in the simple delights around them. We were quite the spectacle...forget the cool views of NYC, there were 5 babies together at the same place at the same time! Wow! People even thought Hudson, Macy, & Scott were triplets. We got lots of happy stares & comments from delighted passerbys, & more than a few people (including tourists) who stopped to snap a photo of the babies together. Watch out Lady Liberty, spotlight's on something new!

I'm loving this new "stay-at-home" gig. Although Huds & I rarely find ourselves "staying" at home, we love our adventures, but most of all, I'm loving every moment with this guy. Every smile, every laugh. Maybe that's really why I don't want the summer to end. My baby is growing up too fast!

Em + Huds, Kristi + Macy, Whitney + Scott, Tiffany + Henry, Breanne + Kenna

The US Open

It was one of those days...baby doesn't sleep well, I crawl out of bed exhausted (at like 10am, mind you) & think to myself, "Today will be a lazy day for sure." At that moment, Kyle called and told me he had 4 awesome tickets to the US Open that day. Needless to say, plans changed instantly! When we stopped by Kyle's office to get the tickets, he even showed up with a huge bag of snacks for our day's adventure. Isn't he so sweet? Luckily, we had some friends who were up for a spontaneous, last minute adventure who came along to enjoy it with us.

The venue is incredible & even the flower gardens resembled tennis balls & rackets!

Hudson & Macy were born just a week apart. We joke that this was their first date, chaperoned by their mother's of course. I mean, look at Hudson's little hand...he's making his move early!

After the first match in the big stadium, we even got into the Grandstand to see Venus & Serena play. These incredible athletes were right there in front of us. Wow, they are so strong, so powerful, and so intense...nothing like my old tennis games growing up, with us pathetically attempting to hit balls across the street. It was amazing!

Even with a long train ride both ways, a lot of sitting, & the hot sun, the babes were awesome. Who knows, maybe the day's outing will inspire them to be budding tennis stars...

4th of July

how did we celebrate the 4th of july in the big city?

no early morning parades for us this year. we kicked off our holiday without a bang, by sleeping in. sometimes that is the best thing.

hudson + friends decked out in red, white & blue. so festive. and aren't those babies ALL simply adorable?!

a little Mets game action with friends (after all, what's more American than baseball?)

an outdoor barbecue

& an awesome fireworks show over the hudson river to top off the night.

and in case you were wondering, yes, my husband thought my flag shaped fruit tart was a masterpiece. 

loved our day.