8 MONTHS!!!!

Ok people - we're in the home stretch!!!!  8 months down - just 2 more to go until we get to hold our sweet little miracle.  This 8 months thing MAY be what everyone was talking about when they say that things start to get just a little bit more difficult as our little one's due date gets closer.  Here is an update of how we are at 32 weeks!

Size of Baby:  The size of a honeydew

How is mommy doing?

The good:  I'm shocked to report, that I'm still maintaining my "energizer bunny-esque" ways.  I imagine myself as that little pink bunny, but instead of the drum...I just have this massive belly.  I end my days in absolute shock that I actually accomplished as much as I did.  I'm not sure if it's the extreme nesting (sounds like it could be a show on HGTV), I'm not sure if it's the new house WITH the extreme nesting, or if I really am this crazy lady.  Don't get me wrong, I'm exhausted at the end of the day - but what I'm able to accomplish before my head hits the pillow is still pretty amazing.

Also, while this isn't a symptom, other people's reactions to me being heavily pregnant have been quite amusing these days.  I've been offered seats on the train, people visibly step out of my way when they see me walking down the sidewalk (as if I was wearing a giant sign that says "WIDE LOAD"), I get extra bread at the salad restaurant I frequent at lunch, a stranger wished me a "Happy Mother's Day" while I was walking to Grand Central a few weeks ago, and a homeless man told me I should name my baby after him!.  I'm enjoying these simple pleasantries through out my day - just a few more reasons to smile.

The Bad: I'm having a lot less patience these days people.  On a scale of 1-10 as to how full my my patience tank is....it's probably like a 3.  NO ONE is safe!  Anything can be annoying, and it's random, and it can come out of no where.  So just beware.  The fact that you wear shoes in the house could boil my blood, the way you close a cabinet might set me off, what you order for lunch could completely send me on a terror, and I might even just have an issue with the face you're making at me.  So beware - and I apologize in advance.  It's not me judging or reacting, I blame it on my daughter.

I'm not happy to report that the visceral reaction to smells is back!  I thought that this was going to go away after the 1st trimester, but it's back, and I'm back to the selective choices for dinner.  Don't get me wrong, I'm hungry all the time and I WANT to eat everything.  But certain foods just make my stomach turn.  The past few nights I've opted for ice cream or cereal for dinner - mainly because it had no real odor.  And also, because ice cream.

Finally is the pregnancy insomnia.  I'm not worried or anxious like I was during the first trimester.  This time it's more about comfort...and heartburn.  I'm exhausted by the time I GET in bed....but it's the falling asleep part that's a little bit more tough.  

The Ugly:  AND, cue the swelling.  I was so thrilled that I had made it through 31 weeks of pregnancy with no swelling.  And right at that 8 month mark my feet turned into Hobbit Feet.  Like it looks like I'm wearing someone else's feet as my feet.  My feet are reminiscent of a memory foam mattress - like if you pinch them just a little bit, it takes a while for the pinch marks to bounce back to normal.

I can't even explain the heartburn....most days I just walk around holding a bottle of Tums, because I just need them all day, every day.  Doesn't even matter what my choice of meals was that day.  It wakes me up at night, it keeps me up when I'm trying to go to sleep, it interrupts my phone calls and meetings, and it's even given me a sore throat.  We're battling through.  There is a very famous old wives tale that says - if you are plagued with heartburn all pregnancy, it means your baby is going to have a full head of hair.  So if that's true, I'll have a little Rapunzel come D-Day.  I'll grin and bear it for my child's beauty - anything for a killer head of hair!

How is baby doing?  Baby is doing great!  Now that we're in the home stretch, we are seeing the doctor more frequently - every 2 weeks for the next month.  We haven't had any sonograms since 22 weeks, but from measurements and the doctor feeling my belly, we've been assured that baby America is measuring right on schedule and that she appears to be perfectly positioned.  We'll go in next week to start getting sonograms as we get closer to my due date, but she's doing well!  And she moves ALL the time.  We've started to be able to feel her different body parts when she moves at night!  It's so weird being able to see the bump from that little foot poking me in my ribs!

What I'm craving:  Candy.  All kinds of candy.  Chocolate candy, sour candy, crunchy candy, hard candy, chewy candy, ANY candy.  This isn't much different than how I was before pregnancy, I love candy.  YES people, everything in moderation.....I have not exceeded my recommended pregnancy weight gain, I'm keeping an eye on myself and balancing candy intake with leafy green salads for lunch.  But OMG candy....

What I'm missing:  Now that I'm generally the size of a house with legs, I'm missing some of the mundane daily activities that I used to be able to do with ease.  I miss being able to seamlessly shave my legs, or pick up something I dropped, or lean over to sweep up a small pile of dirt, or getting in to the lowest drawer in my bathroom, or being able to sit down without it being a bit of a trust-fall exercise.  My feet are completely gone....I'm belly for a far as the eye can see when I stand up....sometimes I trip over things on the street/sidewalk below me, simply because I can't see them!  I stepped DIRECTLY into a pothole this AM...because it was virtually invisible!  So yes, I miss the normal daily things that you non-preggos take for granted!  

What I'm fearful of:  Something going wrong in this last home stretch.  America and I have had a wonderful pregnancy together the past 32 weeks.  Every appointment has been good news, followed by more good news.  We're just weeks away from the finish line, and I want to do everything in my power to make sure that we are both still healthy and ready when D-day gets here.  I'm thankful for the more frequent doctor's visits, and I'm thankful we'll be keeping an eye on her now with some sonograms starting next week, but I still worry that there is time for some mishap.  So hang in there baby America!  It's almost time for your grand entrance!

What I'm looking forward to:  Holding our little girl!  We have a few pieces of clothing (her wardrobe is not in "coming home" shape just yet) and a few gifts that we've received that had to be washed.  So I washed/folded them with special baby detergent at home to put away in her little changing table, just waiting for her arrival.  There isn't even a baby in those little onesies, and I was already overwhelmed by that sweet baby smell.  I don't care if she's screaming her face off, or if she's snuggling into my neck, or if I'm watching her daddy hold her and feed her a bottle....I just can't wait to hold that little nugget.

For those of you who didn't know, we have taken to calling our tiny creature America, mainly because of the proximity of her due date to the 4th of July.  I'm sorry to anyone I may disappoint (but let's face it, most of you are probably relieved), but that is NOT going to actually be her name.  Mike and I have a few names that we are deciding between - some of them are stronger contenders than others, but we're going to name her when we meet her for sure.  Yay for less than an 8 week countdown!  I'm hoping for a speedy and restful last few months baking this little bun in the oven. She's almost here!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE!

There has been a lot going on in the Mobley household over the past few weeks.  We moved into our house, this baby's impending arrival is getting closer and closer, the DuPonts just had an unfortunate death in the family last week, we just celebrated 4 glorious years of marriage, and our home has become an open door for visitors from our family members and friends. All of that aside, I wanted to make a quick shout out to the most important man in my life, because he deserves to have a special moment of acknowledgement among all the madness.



Mike isn't a birthday person, and typically likes to fly under the radar on his big day.  But everyone deserves a little love on their one special day every year.  This year, Mike found small and satisfying ways to have his day HIS way.  We invited friends to meet us at the Oyster Bar at Grand Central before heading home, we had a meal of his choosing for dinner (pizza of course), I finally caved and surprised him with the Margaritaville Adirondack chairs he's been wanting for the past 5 years, and we invited a few friends over for a small gathering at our house to warm up our new home, fire up the grill, and inadvertently stock our bar.  We even had a surprise guest appearance from the Bucks - which I think was one of Mike's FAVORITE birthday gifts!

Happy birthday to my fantastic husband.  I love you to pieces, and can't wait to see what is in store for you this next year of your life - especially with our little America just months away.  While you might be the best person in the world to me, it's even more remarkable is how many other people love YOU!  You maintain the deepest and most meaningful friendships and you have an amazing quality to brighten every room - even on your worst days.  And even though you've been in my life for almost 8 years, I still learn something from you every day.  I hope we were all able to brighten your life just a little bit more for you on your birthday, like you do for all of us!  Happy birthday Mike - you dapper, festive, handsome, serotonin-filled dream!  Happy HAPPY birthday!  I LOVE YOU!

A Tribute to Mommies!

I know I am still 56 days (who's counting) away from little America's due date, and I know that up until now, I've only been a fur mommy, but this year brings me such a different appreciation and admiration on this Mother's Day.  I'm not sure if it's the hormones or the fact that I'm mere weeks away from getting to hold our precious baby girl, but I'm much more nostalgic on this day than any of the previous years.

I'm not sure if it's ironic or intended to be this way, but the past 7.5 months, I've never needed my mom more.  Having a child on your own is the ultimate passage into adulthood and growing up, but somehow I've been MORE dependent.  With a baby on the way, we couldn't be more excited, but it's also so terrifying, and there is a barrage of advice that comes at me from every direction.  Organic vs. non-organic wipes & diapers, glass bottles vs. plastic bottles, breast-feeding vs. formula...I just can't even handle or process the information.  The only solace is in our mothers and my grandmother, because whatever they did must have worked out right - they all made some pretty awesome kids...even if they didn't know that nitrates and unpasteurized cheese are no good during pregnancy!

Our mommies didn't have Amazon Prime or next day delivery from Diapers.com.  Our mommies didn't have an arsenal of blogs to reference for advice.  Our mommies didn't visit message boards on What-to-expect to ask for feedback from strangers.  Our mommies didn't rely on our entertainment to come from iPhones or iPads on airplanes....we had good ol' fashioned coloring books!  How they raised us all without any of those things is remarkable....and admirable.  All of the shortcuts in life that are designed to make life and motherhood easier were not around when we were all babies my friends....and I've never heard one complaint from them about any of that.

Now I don't know how I would have completed my registry (or even started it for that matter) without my fellow mom friends.  I'm so grateful to you all for the recommendations and reviews on the newest and best baby gear.  I admire all of you who have learned to manage having it all.  Starting families, maintaining your fabulous lifestyles, and (most of you) juggling an impossibly busy career.  Sure, I've heard nightmare stories, and I've seen some of my peers after sleepless nights, but I hear more stories of elation and unconditional love despite the rough patches that might pop up along the way. You are all beautiful.  

The past few months, I haven't been able to avoid the comments of predictive nature telling me what I'm going to be like.  "Once you're a mom, you'll be like X" or "when the baby is here, you'll never have time for Y" and "say goodbye to Z."  Yes, all you mommies may be totally right, and I am completely ignorant to they type of mother I'll be when America is born.  But what I do know, is that my husband and I were raised by two of the most beautiful, graceful women who make motherhood look glamorous and absolutely effortless.  So I can only hope to be half the mothers they were to us.  When I think about what kind of mother I want to be, I don't listen to what other people tell me I'll be like, I just pray that I'm even a little like them!

On this Mother's Day, we miss both of our moms.  We'll see them both within the next few weeks, but we're not able to celebrate with them.  Instead, I spent this day folding the tiny laundry from our future daughter's wardrobe.  Socks that are impossibly small, and cardigans that I couldn't even begin to fold because they resemble baby doll sweaters, and blankies that I can't wait to snuggle her in when we're rocking her to sleep.

So while it's impossible to reciprocate or ever give our mothers any gift big enough to thank them for the wonderful lives you gave us,, we hope that we can bring you the next best thing and that is your grand daughter in July!  And even though she's not here yet, I can say that I have a different appreciation for all of you - our own moms and our mommy friends.  Happy Mother's Day to all of you mother's out there and especially the two soon-to-be grandmothers who we just love more than life!  We're eternally grateful and we're sorry for those phases we had when we were giant jerks!  Can't wait to see you both soon!

Yard Crashers!

Pops getting started on clearing out all the clutter

My family has a history of seeking peace and solace in their yard work and gardening.  My great Uncle Roger had a meticulously manicured lawn, my father spends hours on end making improvements to his yard, and my grandmother has found great happiness in the seasonal blooms from her garden.   I'm not sure I've had the opportunity to embrace that affinity, just yet....until last weekend!

40 bags of mulch later!

We had my dad in town for a long weekend to help out with some of the projects we had outstanding from the move.  Once all of the indoor projects were tackled though, my dad and I took on our front yard.  When we bought the house, and up until just a few weeks ago, the evidence of a very long, and cold winter was being displayed by the twigs and bare trees that surrounded our home.  It's been a pleasure to see what is coming up and blooming now that spring is in full swing!  However, what we've also noticed, now that things are starting to fill in, is how absolutely overgrown our yard is now.  It was in dire need of a little tidying.

Yeah, he wasn't much help...

And that's where Pops comes in!  We've made several trips to Home Depot, but none as serious as this one.  We wheeled in the BIG cart to stock up on 20 bags of mulch, and every outdoor tool you could think of ever needing...rakes, hand saws, sheers, gardening gloves, you name it!  We returned home to use each and every one of these tools to cut out all of the excess and clear out the mess of weeds and ivy that had taken over the house and our front yard.  We'd return to Home Depot later to DOUBLE (yes, DOUBLE) our mulch supply, because 20 bags was only sufficient for the left side of our yard!


We didn't need to plant anything new - we have willows, hydrangeas, crocuses, daffodils, and azaleas coming in with the rest of the perennials, and they look glorious.  All we needed to do was tidy it up, lay down some mulch, fertilize our grass a bit, and give everything a nice good watering.  It took us about 6 or 7 hours in total, and I was only useful when it came to raking/sweeping up the debris since I couldn't exactly bend down in the dirt with my Pops, but the end results were amazing.  The yard work I did with my dad was among the most rewarding of any home project we've done since moving to the house.

It might be easier to hire a gardener - and it would definitely save some time to have someone else do the work.  But after spending the 6 hours in my front yard with my dad, it made so much sense to me why he spent every Saturday of my life outside.  A day in the yard brings you the best kind of instant gratification - the "Hey everyone... come and see how good my yard looks" kind of instant gratification.  It gives you the best kind of exhaustion too - the "I worked really hard on something really rewarding to be this tired" kind of exhaustion.

I said at the beginning of this year that 2015 was going to be all about cutting the clutter, and why wouldn't that apply to our yard???  Even in my heavily pregnant state, it felt so good to get out in the yard and make outdoor renovations to my new home.  Mike was away for the weekend on a little man-cation, but he came home to a complete yard flip.  We now have an arsenal of yard tools, and an wealth of knowledge in my dad's expertise.  I can't wait to see what we can do to the rest of the yard!  AND, we can't wait to share our progress with you all!

4 Years Down - Forever to go!

It's been four years since Mike and I said "I DO!"....and I can't even believe how quickly time has flown.  Our marriage has evolved quite a bit since our 3 year anniversary in all the most wonderful ways possible.  Since we've celebrated 3 years, we went on three fantastic vacations to Turks & Caicos, Greece and the UK, we bought a house/moved out of the city, and we found out we were FINALLY expecting!!!!  Such a huge year for us to grow together as a family and take on new challenges and life changes. This year also saw the fundamental shift from us enjoying the city life relatively care-free, to being a bit more fiscally responsible as we think about and plan for our future.  So I guess you can say, that we transitioned to being grown ups!!!

Since this is an even numbered anniversary, that means it was my turn to plan the anniversary dinner.  Perfect - have a 7.5 month pregnant lady, who can't drink or travel or do anything too physical, plan the biggest date night of the year!  The traditional gift of 4 years is fruit and flowers.  This one was hard....WHAT IN GOD'S NAME can you do with fruit and flowers.  I was NOT about to send my husband an edible arrangement.  And even though wine tasting or vineyard getaways are a great option for 4 year celebrations - that just wouldn't be entertaining for a lady who is exercising sobriety (for just 9.5 more weeks....and then I'm having an old fashioned).

So, I had to really rack my brain here.  And I came up with a very Mobley (and festive) solution.  First comes presents.  I'm not sure my husband would appreciate me sending him flowers to work, nor does he particularly crave fruit.  BUT...if there is one thing that he DOES appreciate, it's festive attire - which usually involves flowers and fruit!!!  I shopped at all of Mike's favorite retail stores for "costumes" including Tommy Bahama, TABS (because Bermuda shorts are a party on the inside!), Vineyard Vines and Island Spirits (yes, that's a real company) to come up with the complete head-to-toe outfit.  Everything was adorned with either fruit or flowers.  But the piece de resistance....my friends...was the Yoda Hawaiian print Vans I found on Amazon.  If there is an article of clothing to sum up my husband, it would be these shoes.

Second  comes the event.  Last time I was in charge, I obviously was not pregnant and I was a bit more adventurous. But this big belly didn't preclude me from wanting to still plan something thoughtful!   I (along with my team at work) racked my brain to find restaurants that were named after fruit of flowers - whether it was in English or not, didn't matter.  On one of our drives home from the city (yes, we drove in a few times last week), we passed the Cloisters, and it occurred to me that in 5 years of living in New York City, we had never made it out to the Cloisters.  Upon doing some further digging, I discovered that there was, in fact, a BRAND NEW restaurant that opened up at the Cloisters, right in the middle of all the beautiful gardens and lush landscape.....and it was aptly named NEW LEAF!  

The restaurant (albeit new, and still working out some logistic kinks) was so sweet and was very nicely done.  After it's been running for a little longer, I'd highly recommend it to my friends (they need some more time to beef up their dessert options).  What is more impressive though was the setting.  Overlooking the Hudson, during a gorgeous sunset, on a perfect spring evening - just magical.

The past four years have been the best of my life, and this year was just the icing on the top of our delicious cake of life - and it will only get better as we grow our little family.  This was the last year of babysitter-free anniversary celebrating, and the last year as the two of us - so it was flawless. When shopping for a card for Mike, I found one that simply said "I love our love".  It couldn't have been more perfect.  We're silly and we parade around in costumes.  We embrace every opportunity to live life and see the world.  We work as a team to achieve our goals together.  And we strive to seek out the "happy" in every situation, even when life throws us unexpected curve balls.  So yes, I love our love - every single second!  I can't wait to celebrate 5 years with little America in the picture next year - but 5 years is on you Mike - TAG, YOU'RE IT!

7 Month Update!

I can't believe it's finally my 3rd trimester.  It feels like just yesterday I was sneaking around and having fake cocktails so that I could keep my little miracle a secret until it was safe!  But here we are at 28 weeks and we just have 3 months left to go until baby America makes her debut!  Here is a little update of how we're feeling these days:


Size of baby: the size of an eggplant

How is Mommy doing?  (I have a few contributions for how mommy is doing)

The Good!  I successfully navigated the moving process like a champ.  Outside of the extra lbs and the enormous belly, you wouldn't have even known I was pregnant.  I was packing & unpacking, making trips inside and out, upstairs and down, painting rooms, doing laundry - you name it!  My days started at 7:30a and didn't end until close to 9p, when I felt like I was slightly starting to lose just a tiny bit of steam.  I wasn't plagued by any baby pain or fatigue at any point while I finished up the 2nd trimester. 

The Bad. At the end of these crazy days, it was evident that my feet totally started to swell.  Which I'm sure is a function of the pregnancy, but also probably the 15,000 steps I was doing as part of the move!  I've also started the "silly crying" episodes.  I think my husband would argue with this point, but I've been relatively stable with my emotions, until now.  And now I cry.  In fact, I had my first "silly cry" when we were in Bermuda.  I was so emotional about the fact that I couldn't partake in the Rum Swizzle party that Mike was having and I felt terrible that he had to finish a pitcher all alone.  It was the saddest.  I wasn't crying because I couldn't partake, I was crying because I felt like Mike was being festive alone....and the tears just wouldn't stop.  Big ol' pea sized tears that just kept coming, all throughout our lunch! 

The Ugly....OMG, the baby brain! I've somehow managed to turn into a complete fumbling, mumbling crazy lady.  To the point where I actually don't even know the words that are coming out of my mouth - I'm incapable of forming a thoughtful sentence!  I can't form complete thoughts, I forget what I was going to say, I look at people and it's like I black out.  I can see that they are speaking to me, but I can't process their words quick enough. Luckily everyone in my life has been completely understanding and almost amused by these fumbles - but I feel like I'm losing control of my brain!

How's baby doing?  Remember when I was around 20 weeks and I was concerned that I hadn't felt the baby kick yet?  Well she moves...and she moves all day every day.  Anything could trigger it.  She loves when I eat, she loves when I'm in a big presentation, she loves when I'm relaxing, she loves when I'm sitting, she loves spicy food, she loves ice cream, she loves when we play her Van Halen, and she loves when we read her Dr. Seuss books.  We can SEE the bumps and kicks now too!  And she's still a big girl so far!  At our 26 week appointment, she was still measuring about a week ahead of her weight.  So if she takes after her momma, we might have a butterball on our hands folks!

What I'm craving:  Strawberries dipped in Nutella.  De-lish!  And ice cream.  I end every evening of my life with a little bowl (yes, little, I'm cognizant of over-eating!) of vanilla bean ice cream with a few Reeces Pieces for toppings.  

What I'm missing:  It's starting to turn to spring, which means that I finally get to go without tights!  A moment I've been waiting for pretty much since I found out I was pregnant.  And New York City goes absolutely nuts when the weather is nice and warm - one of my favorite things about the East Coast.  But I'm going to miss my spring clothes this year.  And I'm going to miss the ease of the simple act of shaving my legs :-/.  But at least I can finally shed some of these layers and free my poor swollen feet from the constraints of BOOTS!  I might not be able to squish these feet into some of my favorite pumps, but I'll be damned if I don't try!  

What I'm fearful of: I really just want to know HOW I'm going to be having this baby.  I want to know if I should be prepared for an invasive surgery or if I can plan on this little baby girl to let me know when she's ready to come meet the world who loves her.  I'm scared of the unknown, and I wish I had a crystal ball to show me what my birth story will be like.  Once our doctor's appointments move to every 2 weeks, I'll hopefully find out more every appointment, but for now, it's scaring me not knowing what's going to happen.  I'm not scared of birth itself (but Mike and I haven't been to birthing class yet, so that will soon be terrifying to both of us), just scared that I don't have control of how my child will be born.

What I'm looking forward to: SUMMER!  Oh my goodness, I'm so looking forward to a delicious summer wardrobe for my little princess, and taking her for walks in the sunshine & letting her fall asleep in the shade.  My maternity leave will essentially be over the entire summer, and I can't wait to soak it all up with my little bug.  Plus, come on....how cute are tiny summer baby outfits? 

Now that we're into the 3rd trimester, the weeks seem to be flying by quickly, and we're just waiting for our tiny one to bake just a bit longer before coming out to show the world her precious face.  We're having so much fun decorating her nursery and now that we actually have a car seat, it's setting in that these super qualified doctors are going to let us crazies actually leave the hospital with a baby!  I've heard that the last trimester will get more uncomfortable for me, which I'm sure I'll be reflecting on during my 8 month post!  But for now....12 more weeks until America time! 

The Joys of being a Homeowner!

My GOODNESS moving is a lot of work.  Mike and I thought it would be a good idea to have the movers take only the heavy stuff & furniture, and we could easily move everything else in the Jeep between Manhattan and Bronxville.  Oh, AND, I would be close to 7 months pregnant....awesome idea right?  Not really...

Our move wasn't so much in one day per se, it took us the better part of an entire week, not counting the time we spent heading into the house a weekend early to paint a few of the key rooms (yes, the painting was another home expense we saved money on by doing ourselves - that one was actually ok.  I'm a REALLY good painter!).  And by the time we got in, it looked like an absolute war zone.  It was a little deflating to see how much we really have to do....we came to Bronxville with MAYBE a room's worth of furniture...and now we have an entire HOUSE to furnish!  It feels like it could take an eternity to get everything finished the way we want it.  But I welcome the challenge and will embrace the decorating!

Aside from being completely overwhelmed by the physical act of packing, moving, unpacking and organizing - we couldn't be more thrilled about finally being in our home.  We love that we can sleep with the windows open and not hear any sirens or crazy street noise.  We love that we can make breakfast together on the weekend and enjoy it from our kitchen window seat.  We love that we can do our own laundry for the first time in 5 years and don't have to save up our quarters for the machines.  We love having TWO BATHROOMS - the key to any good marriage.  We love that we don't have to put on coats and Winston's leash every time he needs to go to the bathroom.  We love that we have already been able to host our first family visitors when my parents came out to help us during move-in weekend.

We love the sounds of our wood floors settling at night because our house was built in 1923.  We love waiting to see what perennials will bloom in our yard now that we're in the full swing of spring time. We love the small victories and satisfaction at the completion of a project, or when a delivery comes that is just perfect.  We love having a walk-in closet that holds BOTH of our clothes (and I must admit....Mike actually has more than I do), and not having to do the daily wrestle anytime you want to take one thing out of the closet. We love having neighbor friends from the city who have graciously hosted us for dinner at their homes.  And even though we have to get up much earlier to catch the train, we love that we can commute to and from work in the city together every morning and most evenings.

So far it's been an adventure since we've lived here, and we have and endless amount of home improvement and decorating projects in our future.  We've already been to Home Depot more times in one week than we have in our entire lives and I can already make my way to and from Bed, Bath & Beyond without using the GPS.  Winston is having a bit of separation anxiety with so much space, but he adjusted to his backyard rather quickly once he figured out that he can play with his favorite ball out there.  We promise to share pictures of our projects and room completions once we get moving, but for now, we're just settling and trying to take everything one room & one piece at a time,  So far, this is suiting us quite well.  We love our little home in the burbs!

Winston clearly being extremely helpful with the painting of our guest bathroom!

Closing time!!!

It's ironic that I'm writing this entry on the first week of April because this is the time of year that I usually am recognizing our yearly anniversary of falling more in love with New York City.  We moved here on April 1st exactly in 2010.  Since then, I've developed an even stronger admiration for the city that never sleeps...summer smells and winter woes included.  But this year, on the 5th anniversary of our move to New York, we are celebrating something a little different.....

Winston on his first day in
New York 5 years ago

Not the never-ending energy of Manhattan, or the bottomless access to the world's greatest restaurants, or the infinite options of nightlife and amazing Broadway shows.  Not the gorgeous daily walk I make through Madison Square Park or the unique skyline that squeezea my heart every time I'm in a car home from the airport.  And not the apartment that has been the site of our engagement, our marriage, and where we found out we were going to be expanding our family.

Winston on his first day in his
new house!

We're celebrating our first home!  On this week....5 years to the day of us moving to New York, we celebrate our departure from the island of Manhattan as we embark on our next journey to the suburbs.  This week, we're celebrating our new home in Bronxville, New York.

After a 130 day escrow period (yes, we were very generous), we finally closed and signed all the paperwork for our very own home.  A free standing building all to ourselves!  A driveway where we don't have to pay for parking!  A backyard for Winston to roam free at any time!  A place for us to host our family from out of town!  But most importantly....a place to bring home our first little baby girl!

We might not be Manhattanites anymore, but our home purchase in Bronxville keeps the New Yorker in us.  So we celebrated like any normal New Yorker would do in acknowledgement of 5 years with this fabulous city - we saw Billy Joel in concert at MSG!  Last year, we did something super New York-y by heading to a Broadway play - but this one kind of takes the cake.  Billy Joel is Mr. New York himself - and baby Mobs danced the night away in my belly!

So while it is bittersweet to leave our Gramercy Park apartment in our rear view, we're looking forward to building our lives in Bronxville.  What a momentous week this has become for us over the past few years - and April 1st will always bring such sweet significance to the Mobleys.  We can't wait to share our new suburban adventures with you all, and wish us luck on the move & home improvements as we get our home baby & visitor ready.  Feel free to come visit us any time!  Our doors (and guest bedroom) are always open!

First meal in the new digs!

Babymooning in Bermuda

The Mobleys have been going a little stir crazy this winter - more so than other years, for a few reasons.  First, the winter seems to not be letting up.  Second, when a chilly snow storm would normally be combated with a whisky by the fireplace at Molly's, certain members of the household have remained sober.  And finally, our vacation days have become more precious when we think of them in the context of additional days we get to spend with our little one after her arrival in July.  So a babymoon was a priority to us to overcome the cabin fever but also to get some quality time and relaxation together as a couple before we become a family of three.

We had a few requirements that our babymoon destination had to meet before we booked anything.  The flight had to be relatively manageable as I get a bit uncomfortable on long flights with this growing belly.  Our destination had to be somewhere with access to good healthcare (just in case of emergency).  We also love to select a place that neither of us have been to, so that we can explore for the first time together.  And lastly, it had to be somewhere warm so that we could get some temporary relief from the cold.

So for our babymoon destination - we chose......BERMUDA!  When we told people that we had selected this beautiful location, we heard so many great things, but what we weren't prepared for was how much we'd fall head-over-heels for this place.  We knew it was a British colony, but when we arrived, it was everything the Mobleys love and embrace mixed up into a little blender and poured out onto the ocean for us to enjoy.  We had the posh presence of the British history + the most crystal blue ocean you've ever seen + the pristine manicured and impossibly tropical landscaping that saturates the island.  And to add on to that, the Bermudian hospitality is among the nicest and most accommodating hosts of any vacation we've had.  Each cab ride with our token Bermudian left us infinitely more knowledgeable on the history and charm of the island - a dream for my history major husband!

We had a few highlights that I'd recommend to anyone visiting the island for the first time, and/or just a return visit, because I know that we can't wait for a Mobley return to Bermuda, perhaps with our little Miss.

1.  PINK SAND beaches - knowing that we are having a baby girl made Bermuda an even more perfect destination to celebrate baby America's impending arrival.  We stayed at the Rosewood Tucker's Point.  Our driver told us this was in the "Beverly Hills" of Bermuda, which we obviously loved.  But one of the reason's the resort is so ideal, is because their unique access to their private pink sand beach!  Because of tiny red plankton, mixed with other fragments of shell and rock - Bermuda really does have a pink hue to it's beaches.  It's absolutely magnificent and surprisingly soft to sink your toes into after 5 months of wearing snow boots and wellies!

2.  Shopping in Hamilton - Usually I am doing most of the shopping for the Mobley family when we go on vacation.  With the limited access to baby clothes & maternity options in Bermuda, I left it all to my husband...who was in HEAVEN with the selection of vibrantly colored Bermuda shorts and linen blazers available to him on the streets of Hamilton.  Within hours of us venturing out for our excursion, Mike was in possession of a pair of "princess pink" Bermuda shorts, a light pink pith helmet, a special Vineyard Vines tie with the island of Bermuda outlined on it, and a belt adorned with vibrantly colored Parrotfish.  He had the FULL Bermuda formal getup and it was glorious.

 

3.  Adventures in St. George - If Hamilton was the more cosmopolitan area of Bermuda (if you can even call it that), St. George is the historic neighborhood.  It was here that we stumbled upon the oldest church in the western hemisphere - St. Peter's Church!  There were photograph's of Princess Diana visiting the church during HER babymoon too!  And after touring the historic town hall and getting myself my ONLY purchase of the trip - some Bermudian perfume, we had lunch on the water at Wahoo's (no...not the taco chain in California!).  Despite the close to hurricane forced winds - it was our favorite day on the island.

4.  Spiny Lobster Season!  For those of you who are not familiar with the warm water lobsters, they are a unique breed.  Some people still prefer the authentic Maine alternative, but we were in Bermuda during the LAST week of lobster season - so OF COURSE we had spiny lobster on our last night.  And since baby America has been craving some fancy shellfish, we were so happy.  Our hotel conveniently had one of the best restaurants on the island, the Point.  So on our last night, when Mike was dressed in his Bermuda formal, we treated ourselves to some spiny lobster tails and rum drinks (or just punch for me!) from the bar.


5.  Crystal & Fantasy Caves - One of our days in Bermuda was a little bit more rainy than the rest.  So we opted for some more "indoor" festivities.  Mike wasn't too keen on the Crystal Caves ahead of time, but the quick tour proved to be really cool. If there was any place that was indicative of the set of Goonies, THIS would be it!  The guide said that if you get little drops of "cave kisses" on your head as you tour the breath taking stalactites and stalagmites, you get one day of good luck!

6.  Swizzle Inn - I basically bribed Mike to go to the caves by promising him a few hours at the Swizzle Inn.  It's like the most festive dive bar you could ever visit in your life.  Bermuda has not one, but TWO official drinks of the island.  The first is the Dark & Stormy (as Goslings is the local rum) and the second is the Rum Swizzle.  I'm not sure about the food - but Mike polished off a large swizzle by himself while I looked on with my virgin Colada.  He reciprocated by letting me get some delicious coconut ice cream at the equally famous Bailye's ice cream shop right across the road!

Each of the buildings in Bermuda is some uniquely vibrant color, with no two buildings looking the same.  And with the stunning backdrop of endless turquoise water and sparkling pink sand, it was hard not to be in love with this little island getaway we squeezed in before baby girl arrives.  I may not have been able to enjoy any swizzles, and Mike had to do some solo shopping, but it was everything I wanted out of a babymoon.

Taking a time out for ourselves to enjoy being a husband & wife was the most important thing to me in getting ready for the little one.  Not the crib, not getting the right car seat, not selecting the right colored paint for the nursery, but making this about "US" - because LORD KNOWS it's always going to be about her - from the day she's born.  So if there was any place that was indicative of "us", it was absolutely Bermuda.  Festive, historically British, tropical (but with out the cutoffs and tacky tank tops), and relaxing....just perfect for US.