babymoon...

Babymoon: 

1. An authentic Italian restaurant and catering company in Raleigh, NC.

No, seriously. Kyle dined there for lunch on his business trip earlier this week.

2. Recently the term has come to be used to describe a vacation taken by a couple that is expecting a baby in order to allow the couple to enjoy a final trip together before the many sleepless nights that usually accompany a newborn baby.

Yes, we are having a baby, but what? Sleepless nights? Who said anything about sleepless nights? 

In all honesty, I was not there for the exquisite feast at the location as mentioned in the first definition listed above, so I cannot really determine whether the real bonafide Babymoon Cafe is worthy of its own blog post. But in my eyes, I think the latter definition is entirely more exciting. Wouldn't you agree? 

  yes, in less than 8 hours, we are headed here:

for a few days of nothing but sun, sand, and relaxation! 

Barbados, here we come! 

baby bump...

only 10 weeks to go. 

and truthfully-- 

here's proof that this baby bump is becoming more of a baby mountain these days...

A new year...another attempt at keeping up with this blog...

We're so excited for 2012.

With a baby on the way, we have a feeling it's gonna be a great year.

Happy 2012!

Autumn in Central Park

Just a couple of kids horsing around in the park.

in case you haven't heard...

...and we couldn't be happier!

{hoboken & weehawken: by night}

Jumped on the scooter & crossed the river for our first trip to Hoboken & Weehawken.

It was lovely.  

The majestic NYC skyline created an amazing backdrop for the night & the entire city had such a small-town feeling that was so welcoming after a crazy week at work in the big city.

Unbelievable, considering we were a mere 20 minutes from the city.

We dined at a cute restaurant on main street with live guitar music, took way too many pictures of our city from the piers (why does the nyc skyline never get old?), and felt like we had escaped the hustle and bustle of our crazy New York life.

We will definitely will be coming back for more.

{There's no place like the beach}

Took off on a last minute trip on the scooter. To the beach, I might add.  

Ahh. Now this is the life.  

Summer days on the beach with the hubby. 

Spent our few beach hours cramming in as much "down time" as possible...

Reading & then drifting off into an afternoon nap under the warmth of the sun. Snacking, chatting, and laughing.  Tossing around a frisbee as the soft sand squished beneath our bare feet. Conquering fears (mine, not Kyle's) of the cold, ocean water...well, I made it to my waist at least.  But even that evoked some squeals & chills. Someday Kyle, I will just dive right in like you, no matter how freezing it is. Someday. Until then, I will wait until August when the water is warm & not quite so, how did you put it? Refreshing? 

On our way back, we stopped at one of the "new york's 50 best places to find peace & quiet."  The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.  Seriously, awesome. It is a little bit out there, as in far from the city. But we felt like we were, well, in the wild. Far, far away from the hustle & bustle, the secluded trails provided the perfect hotspot for intense bird watchers or just casual onlookers like us. We felt like we were on a safari of sorts. A bird safari with the Manhattan skyline in the distance.     

At the end of the day, we felt rejuvenated just like we had been on vacation, when in reality we were only a short hop, skip & a jump away from our city life.  

Have I mentioned that I love NYC summers??