The Bennett Blog

Santa...not so much!

2011-12-21T12:27:00.000-05:00

We went to see Santa at Macy's. We went on a Wed a.m., so we really didn't have much of a line, but as you can see, Nolan wanted nothing to do with Santa. Last year we got off so easy. I had a feeling this year would be more of a challange. At Macy's they have a bunch of huts, and each one has a Santa. I think it is a great way to keep the line moving. I do have to say that Nolan was not into Santa, but Santa was ot into Nolan!

Yea for 21!

2011-12-20T13:01:00.000-05:00

I've been counting down the days until Nolan turned 21 months. We had a rough go with 20 months, so I am truly hoping that 21 will be better. As we deal with a lot of fun things like new words, more adventure and gearing up for the holidays, we were also dealing with Nolan's frustrations. He was dabbling in some hair pulling, pushing, hitting and worst of all biting. When I say biting I don't just me Shawn and I, but other kids in his classes and playgroups were becoming victims. Normally I can see the look in his eye and stop him before he makes contact, but sadly that was not always the case. I was so upset that I bought Toddler 411 in hopes of some much needed guidance. Luckily that book is filled with good advice, and I was able to start disciplining in a more effective way. If he was mean once, he was removed from the situation, put in time out, then back to the kid to say sorry. The second time we left. As for biting and other physical things at home we were putting him in a time out chair, and it just didn't work. We started to put him in his crib, because we really have no other safe place in our small apt, and that has been very effective!

So here's to 21 months and more of the cute stuff and less of the stuff that puts this very tired mom in tears!

Chicago Thanksgiving

2011-12-10T11:25:00.000-05:00

Miles and Nolan loving the "ball pit"

OK, Now you sing Uncle Phil

Bath Time

It was a little cold, but the boys had a great time at the playground

Yum, Thanksgiving Dinner

Bennett Album Cover. Downtown Chicago

I love the boys in matching PJ's. Clearly getting a posed shot of the together was out of the question!

Fall Pics

2011-11-16T11:54:00.000-05:00

The leaves this fall have been extra beautiful. I finally remembered to bring my camera out a couple of days in a row. Here are some pics of Nolan. Please not that I have pretty much NO pictures of his face. He doesn't look at the camera and is always on the go.

Oh Yea, Today is also Nolan's 20 month birthday. Good bye teens, hello, 20's :) Also, a shout out to my mom, because it is her Birthday today! We love you Grandma Peggy!

Happy Halloween

2011-11-02T12:36:00.001-04:00

We had another great Halloween here in 69th St. We had a fun party filled with lots of super cute kids and their parents. I made my first batch of Chili for the season, and we so much fun hanging out and listing to Halloween music!

Here are a few pics of our NYC Turtle:

NYC Turtle with 80's rock groupie and a newly retired Tony La Russa

Nolan was not in a very good mood this Halloween, but we still managed to hit up a few apartments for trick or treating!

Chatter Box

2011-11-01T12:56:00.000-04:00

Nolan is talking non stop this day, and unlike previous months, things he is saying are actually making sense!

Top New Words:
Car
Airplane
Uncle
Tatie (Katie)
Please
Than Tu (Thank you)
Boo (book)
Cheese
Cracker
With Halloween a few days ago, the newest word is candy or cookie
Ello (Hello)
Is dis dis
Its broke
Toes
Eyes
Teeth
Nose

Give me that camera Mama

See my toes

I'm very serious today. I'll say something witty in a bit.

Nolan does the most hilarious thing when ever he sees anything that is round and black....he thinks it's a microphone, and he starts to yell and sing into it. We have no idea where he came up with this, but it is so funny. Shawn gave him one of my make up brushes the other day, and he walked all around the apartment "singing!"

Go Cards

2011-10-30T12:42:00.000-04:00

I have to give a shout out to the Shawn and his team the St. Louis Cardinals for winning the World Series. It was a crazy run for them, and it was a fun series to watch. Shawn went to game 2 in St. Louis, and even though they lost that game, they ended up winning it all.

Nolan rocked his Cardinal's gear all throught the series. He also went to his class dressed as Albert Pujlos, eye black and all!

World Series Champs:
NY Yankees when I was pregnant with Nolan
SF Giants his first year
STL Cardinals his second year

What are the chances of those three teams winning back to back to back. The only thing that will make the run sweeter is to see the Oakland A's win it in 2012!!

18 months

2011-09-22T12:26:00.001-04:00

I guess at 18 months you are no longer considered a baby and are now a toddler. I feel like Nolan has been running, talking and eating like a toddler for months, but we're now getting a taste of the terrible 2's! While the fits are short, we're trying to nip them in the bud. We've also been trying time outs. Even the most advanced one and a half year old doesn't really grab the concept of being disciplined, but we're willing to put in the effort!!

Lots of new things are happening with Nolan this week. We started a combo class for kids 18-24 months at New York Kids Club. Nolan did pretty well, and I think he did really well in the art, snack, story section. The class has two part; one part gym class and the other a more focused sit down with a teacher. I think it is so great to give him a little taste of preschool with the comfort of having me there to help guide him. Nolan doesn't like circle time, but I'm hoping that as he learns the routine he'll be more cooperative.

Nolan is down to just one nap. He is going to bed by 7:15, up around 6:30 a.m. and down for his nap at noon. I am still getting used to the longer waking hours in a row, but it has allowed us to get in a better routine with eating, classes and play dates.

Our boy continues to be full of life. He runs, sings, dances, claps, blows kisses and gives hugs all day. He loves talking to all the doormen in the neighborhood tell them hi and bye as we walk by. He also now fully recognizes our apartment. It is so cute when he points and says "bubba, bubba." If you point to another apartment and ask if he lives there he says, "No, no, no, no!"

We're looking forward to hearing Nolan say even more new words and watching his little mind think, process and grow!

Same Place different year! What a difference. He sat for the first time in the bottom picture that day. Now he runs wild at Sheep's Meadow!

Learning to eat at the table~

We love you Nolan!! Happy Year and a Half.

Naural Disasters

2011-09-21T11:58:00.000-04:00

NYC had a crazy end of August. We had a small earthquake when Nolan and I were out at the U.S. Open watching the first round. Shawn was in his office and felt a small sway of the building, but it seemed like there was little to no damage in the city.
Less then a week later Hurricane Irene came up the eastern seaboard. Outside of heavy wind and rains, NYC fared pretty well. I feel badly for all of the people that left the city and ended up in places with no power and couldn't get back to the city for a few days.

Priest Lake

2011-08-19T12:23:00.003-04:00

After the O'Neill reunion, we spend two days at Priest Lake at my aunt and uncle's cabin. I have so many great memories as a kid there in the old cabin. The "new" cabin is so beautiful with huge windows that over look the amazing lake view. Nolan went on his first kayak ride with Shawn, and he even got into the water with me! He is so full of adventure. He turned 17 months on the trip. His new loves are animated movies. Despicable Me and Shrek 4 being the top two. He'll point to the TV and say, "Gru." He is also running, so I'm always on the run chasing after him. Nolan's words have really come around, and I love that the please and thank you that we taught him in sign language are now the main words in his vocab. He says yes please, thank you, excuse me: great manners for a such a boys boy!

We opened up some great wine with dinner, including a 2003 Woodward Canyon Cab from Walla Walla with my great, great, great?? uncle's picture on it. It was such a treat to drink that bottle with many members of the Yeenders, including my cousin Tiffany who made the trek from Seattle, and my cousins Ryan and Carol who came from Portland! Tee and Chuck came from Seattle and Marcy and Rocky came from Portland and Denise and Bob from Spokane. We're so lucky to have such a wonderful family!!

Sunset from the deck

Nolan and his Papa having snacks!

The water was a little cold, but my sister, dad, Ryan and I dove in head first!! Thanks for the great pic Tiff! Please note Shawn and Frank, my sister's new fiance, watching in the kayaks!

O'Neill Clan

2011-08-19T12:19:00.001-04:00

Last week we packed up and headed to NW Idaho for the O'Neill Olympics. We rented a 42 acre place where we all camped, ate, played games, and took a quick ride down to lake Pondere. Nolan loved playing with all of his older cousins and running free all over the place. Shawn kept giving him rides in the wheel barrel, and he totally loved it. It was so great to get out of the city get some fresh air and spend quality time with my extended family.....all 56 of us! Icing on the cake was team O'Yeender winning the Olympics. Ohhhhh Yea!

My grandparent are the best! This was on my Gpa's 85th birthday!

The full moon provided light for us, most of the time we didn't even need a flashlight. My cousins and I were "howling" at the moon :0

Nolan was happy to see his Auntie Katie again!

The O'Neill's are amazing musicians, and we got to listed to them sign and play for over 2 hours.

Tracy and Sean

2011-07-20T13:55:00.001-04:00

We had the pleasure of going to Sausalito for my dear friend Tracy's wedding. She found an incredible man in Sean, and I could not be happier for them. The church was so beautiful, and in true Tracy form, the reception was very artsy and filled with great food and music. Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Castle!!

The day after the wedding, Shawn and I took the ferry over to SF. In all of my years of living in the Bay Area, I had never take the ferry. The views were awesome, and the weather was great!

Mat and Shawn in China Town. We walked all over SF!! No cabs needed for these NYC people!

Tahoe

2011-07-17T13:48:00.000-04:00

Our friend's Mat and Bridget came out to CA, and we were able to spend a couple of days in beautiful Lake Tahoe. I have so many amazing memories of Tahoe, and it was so great to add more with the Warner's!

Sunset in South Lake

BURRRRRRRR, the water was freezing, but we got in all the way!

Beautiful hike at Emerald Bay. The views were breath taking, and the drive was a little scary at times. I cannot believe some of the roads that don't have guard rails!!

4th in CA

2011-07-17T13:43:00.000-04:00

Nolan had a great time swimming in Papa's pool. It was so fun to get in the pool with him, he got such a kick out of being in the super big bath! Nolan's first time in the pool was on my dad's birthday!

Heather and Jason hosted an amazing 4th of July parade pre party. As always there was great food, drinks and most of all company!

Nolan wasn't really sure what to think about his 4th of July ride. We had a great walk down the street in the Woodlands, the neighborhood that I grew up in. It was so fun to take Nolan down the parade path that I took many times as a kid. What a trip down memory lane. I love having so many friends living in the ole 'hood.

15 months

2011-06-23T11:40:00.003-04:00

Nolan sure is a communicator. He loves to sing, dance, talk and use made up sign language. With all of this communication has come the mini temper tantrums. I pretty much ingrone them, and he gets over it in about a minute, but it is clearly a look into the near future of the terrible 2's! When he's not having a mini fit, he is laughing, playing and mostly dancing! If we're stuck inside he loves to dance and sing with shows like The Fresh Beat Band and Yo Gabba Gabba. When we're outside it's all about baby speed walking, kicking balls around and mostly eating sticks, dirt, rocks and whatever else he can stick in his mouth when he thinks I'm not looking!

Despite a little fit here and there, Nolan is still very sweet and friendly. He loves to wave at the people of New York as we stroll around the neighborhood. We just taught him how to shake hands. It's so cute. The other day at the park one of his friends that he had not seen is a while was there. He went up to him and gave him and hug and kiss. It was so cute.

Nolan code words:

Nana = food

Go, go = video on the computer, go outside, or Yo Gabba Gabba. It just depends on what he points to!

Miami

2011-05-31T21:36:00.006-04:00

Shawn and I finally got away for a baby-free weekend. Shawn had to go down to Miami to watch the Heat playoff game for work, so I tagged along. (Shout out to Auntie Katie for watching NB for the weekend!)

We had great food and loved our hotel. When we told them we were celebrating our first weekend away from the baby, and our anniversary the hotel sent a bottle of wine with a cheese plate to the room! Gotta love it

Buzzed

2011-05-31T21:32:00.005-04:00

With the unofficial start of summer this past weekend, we decided it was time for Nolan to get a buzz cut. We've had temps well over 80 for over a week, and poor Nolan was pulling at his sweat matted hair all day. We went to BB&B and bought a pair of clippers. You can buy clippers for $20, or we can keep paying upwards of $30 per baby haircut.......summer no brainer?!?!!

It is still taking some getting used to for me, but I think Nolan loves it. I'm sure he's about 10 degrees cooler now! It has been funny to see people who see our little crazy haired babe all the time not recognizing, or taking a triple look to make sure its Nolan.

Constant Change

2011-05-15T23:25:00.007-04:00

For my own memories, I guess I should be blogging everyday about our little man. He is such a character. Everyday there is something new. He is totally obsessed with not only the New York Knicks and Yankee logo's, but all day long he points and the computer, starts dancing and says, "GO, GO, GO." In Nolan language that means play the Swizz Beats Go New York Video. Link here to see what my son is obsessed with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PDTMUsJg2k

He even tries to sing the words. HILARIOUS! We have a video of him going nuts for this song. Hopefully I can get that posted.

One of my many new favorite names for him is fruit bat. He would eat fruit all day every day if I let him. Clearly that is not a balanced diet, and we have to give him other things too. He's pretty much a vegetarian. He doesn't really like to eat chicken, fish, turkey or beef. We can sneak things in, but he won't just eat them off his plate. He used to eat any thing we gave him, but we now know he's a little more selective!

As for toys.....who needs them. This kid is seriously all boy. Rocks, sticks, dirt, shovel, older girls (like 3 and 4) we seriously have our hands full. The only time he really wants to stick around me is at the gym when I drop him off at daycare. It is seriously hilarious how he clings to me and cries, but when we are ANY other place he runs as far away as possible. Hopefully these pics can be worth a thousand words.

On a final update note, this kid's hair is out of control. We have cut it three times and he's had a few other trims. I'm pretty sure that the next step is the clippers. I know at first I'll be sad to see his crazy mullet gone again, but it is hair after all and as we all know it will grow back!

13 Months

2011-04-18T09:18:00.007-04:00

I wasn't sure if I would keep doing the monthly blog for Nolan now that he is over a year, but there is so much changing about him that I just had to!!

As you can see in the previous post we have a walker on our hands. Just over two weeks ago he started to walk a few steps here and there. His favorite part of learning to walk was walking a couple steps and as soon as he would fall, he sit up and clap for himself!! Over the past three days, he is walking way more then crawling. When he used to fall he'd be fine with crawling, but now he picks himself back up and walks!

We've also added some new signs. He now can sign please and thank you. We also taught him thumbs up this weekend. It is so hilarious to see him working so hard to only put his thumb in the air..........over half of the time his pointer finger is up too, but we know what he means! He also loves to "answer the phone." We'll say bring, bring, and he'll put his hand up to his ear and say hello! So cute!!

We set up a new play area for Nolan. We got him a cute little table and chairs, but we soon found out that he's not ready for the chairs. Shawn, Katie, and I were all here, but he quickly and silently climbed up the chair and onto the table. YIKES! The chairs now live behind the coffee table up against the wall! He is still very vocal and persistent. He knows what he wants, and he's happy to express when is unhappy or happy!!

We just keep having more fun with Nolan. It is so crazy how quickly he went from a baby to a little boy. He brings so much excitement and happiness to our lives. We just love our NB!

Walking and Yankee Game

2011-04-12T10:03:00.010-04:00

Look Who's Walking! Nolan took his first steps on my bday, but he really started to move the next day at his Friday playdate.

The next day we took Nolan to his first Yankee Game. He loved all of it.....the game, music and all the people around us. He went to two Mets games last year, but he is so much more aware now. It was a different story this time.

I love the picture below. He looks like he's a little Bronx newsie!!

We had awesome seats. All three MLB games this kid has been to we've had seats behind home plate. Lucky duck!

Birthday Party

2011-03-25T19:55:00.000-04:00

We had an awesome birthday party for Nolan at Southern Hospitality. It was so fun to celebrate with our friends and my sister for our little man's 1st. Birthday.

He loved the pulled pork and chicken sliders. This kid even ate ribs!

All of Nolan's little buddies showed up for the main event!

The second round of cupcakes was the winner. When we were singing he was so happy and clapping, but when it was done......total melt down. He had to have a little break before he actually ate the cupcake. If blogger was more user friendly and timely with their video loading, I would post the video. Sorry!

He's 1

2011-03-16T10:35:00.002-04:00

It is such a bazaar feeling to have your baby turn 1. It seems almost impossible for 365 days to go by so quickly. This has been the most exciting, emotional, fun year of my life. From 7 pounds 7 ounces to 24 pounds and a thousand pounds of personality!

His signing is so much better than before. He can even sign when I give him just verbal ques. His favorites are; hi, bye, blowing kisses, all done, drink and his number one, hungry.

He is also saying, mama, dada, papa, wow, this, that, go, fish, dog, duck (with a quack,) ball (a lot of the time ball sounds like gall.) Go is still his favorite word. He says go, go, go when I put his coat on. He also yells YO YO YO for Yo Gabba Gabba. He is also experimenting with a bunch of other words and is really good at mimicking, but I'm still trying to figure out what he's saying!!

We took away the bottle last week, and he seriously could care less. As long as he gets his milk, he'll take it in any container. It has been so nice to not have to do a separate load of dishes just for bottles (the simple joys of less dishwashing when you have no dishwasher!)

Nolan has no fear at the playground and has now gone down the slide HEAD first over a dozen times. I can't leave his side or turn my head for even half a second with this little dare devil!

We had an amazing day filled with all kinds of NYC spots. We went to FAO Schwarz to pick out a few toys. Nolan loved it and could not get enough of all the amazing toys and big kids!

From there we headed over to lunch at The Plaza Hotel. They have this great restaurant in the basement, Todd English Food Hall. We had fancy Mac n' cheese, Kobe pastrami and the trout special.

After his nap we met a couple of friends at Magnolia Bakery for Nolan's first cupcake. He loved it and was totally jacked on sugar!

Auntie Katie came over for an Italian dinner or gnocchi with red sauce and fresh motzerella, pretzel bread and salad. Nolan ate every bite!

We love you so much little man. You've truly made this the best year of my life.

P.S. In the top picture he's holding up #1. All day I would say, "How old are you? Are you one?" and he would hold up 1 finger. It was so cute!

First Haircut

2011-02-28T11:02:00.001-05:00

As you can see, this little guys hair was out of control!! It was time for baby Bieber to get a new do! There were a few days that he wore his Knicks headband, so he could see!! He was such a trooper. He didn't cry and barley let out a peep during the whole thing. It was uneventful in a good way!

All done! He loved the fire truck chair. He kept reaching forward to try and ring the bell.

Happy 33rd Shawn

2011-02-22T15:28:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Shawn. Nolan is so lucky to have you as a dad. You're so great with him, especially now that he's getting older, and you can play with him all day! Thanks for always being there for us. You're the best, and we love you.

Movie on our Street

2011-02-20T09:46:00.000-05:00

All of last week our street was basically shut down for a movie shoot. This movie just happens to star Philip Seymour Hoffman!! He was out and about all week. I took all of these shots standing in front of our apartment! The name of the move is "A Late Quartet."

More 11 month pics

2011-02-18T09:51:00.000-05:00

A run in with lunch

Nolan loves his mini Knicks basketball

Is he licking the bars at the playground?!?!?

Loving that he was able to spend 2 days in a row at the playground!

11 Months

2011-02-16T09:38:00.001-05:00

Is it possible that my next Nolan update will be for his first birthday!?!?! Every year I've lived in NYC has flown by, and it feels like the past 11 months have hands down been the fastest.

The start of 10 months was rough. Between battling a series of colds and separation issues, Nolan spent one to many nights sleeping next to me. He was so fussy and annoyed with not being able to verbally communicate. Finally, a little over a week ago, my fun and fairly easy baby was back in action.

This month has show a lot of understanding signs. He is now a professional waver and loves to throw his hands up in the air for "So Big!" He's also still been working on his dance moves, standing, walking and talking. He started to blow kisses and give kisses and is able to point out some body parts, the nose being his favorite. He is very good with this pointer finger, he loves when you give him a high 1. It has also been great for me to figure out what he is looking at. He likes to point at all kinds of things, and then I tell him what they are! He also knows how to brush his hair and teeth. Ok, so not very well, but at least he puts the toothbrush in his mouth and attempts to brush his hair with the hairbrush, It's pretty hilarious. He also is starting to share, and I love it. He likes to eat a bite of his food then hand it to me, or he tries to put his binky or bottle into my mouth. It's all kind of gross, but what can a mom do? :)

This week has finally been a little bit warmer, and we've been able to go to the park. It has been great to let Nolan crawl around the playground and spend some time on the swings. I really think the fresh air is not only good for him, but for ME! It's been a long and snowy winter. We're ready for spring!

Basketball Weekend

2011-02-08T11:31:00.008-05:00

On Saturday Nolan and I went up to the Knicks Training Center with Shawn to shoot a video with a couple of the player. Nolan had such a great time crawling around on not one, but two full sized basketball courts. He got to meet and have a little photo shoot with Landry Fields, the NBA All Star Rookie game starter. If he only knew all the things he's been able to do in his short little 10 month life!

On Sunday we went to the Knicks/76ers game with our good friends Patricia, Will and their son, James. When I got to their house, they had a little gift for Nolan. Matching Polo Oxford shirts in orange to wear to the game. In the 4th quarter, they boys were on the jumbo-tron for about 30 seconds. They both had on their protective ear phones and a Knicks sweatband. It was so cute and hilarious. The crowd loved them, and a few people came up to me thinking they were twins!

Indiana

2011-01-22T16:33:00.003-05:00

Christmas Part 2 in Indiana. Nolan loved getting a whole new set of toys and books!!
Nolan loves his Auntie Amy.

Nolan's thinking "where the heck am I?" He quickly come around and had so much fun with Auntie Katie J.

The Meeting of the cousins. How cute are these two?!?! For the most part Nolan was pretty sweet to his baby cousin Miles.

Uncle Phil is so great with both of the boys. Clearly, Nolan loves him!

Shawn's grandpa was in the hospital when we got to Indiana. Can you tell that he got a pacemaker/defibrillator the day before? He's doing great, and Nolan had so much fun meeting his Great Grandpa.

10 Months

2011-01-18T11:23:00.009-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, we've got TROUBLE on our hands. Nolan has decided that he wants to get into everything! He's crawling, pulling himself up and finding his way into every corner of our little apartment. Nolan's new nickname is "The Ram!" Out of the blue he'll start to ram him head into whatever is around him. My chest, his dad and pillows are his favorite. One of the parents in our playgroup started to call him "bruiser."

Now that he passed the 9 month mark, he's been eating non-stop, or so it feels like it to me! He loves all table food. I even made him a grilled cheese last week. I've been so lucky to have such a good eater, and now he really likes to feed himself. He doesn't like me to put food in his mouth, he'd much rather take it from my hand and fee himself.

Nolan is very opinionated and persistent. He'll let you know if he wants something or doesn't like what he's doing at that time. He's also started to dance, and I love it. When a good beat is going on his little bootie is shaking!! In October I didn't even know what the TV show Yo Gabba Gabba was. Now we watch it at least once a day. Nolan will stand, dance, clap and watch all 20+ minutes of the show. Other then that he doesn't really pay attention to the TV (thankfully.)

Just like every month past, Nolan is still very verbal. He now says, dada, mama and his favorite, go go go. He also loves to say dada dada when I say mama mama to him! He'll also whisper back and forth with me, especially when he's on his changing table. It's soooo cute.

Fav's:

Book: Hands, Hands, Fingers, Thumb

Food: chicken, all veggies and fruit, greek yogurt, bread, tortillas

Toy: Maracas, Jack in the Box, Follow Me Fred, cups and a whole list of things that "are not for baby!"

More Christmas Pics

2011-01-12T11:05:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas

2010-12-27T11:02:00.004-05:00

We had a great Christmas Eve and Christmas with my whole family. It was such a treat to have everyone here in NYC for Nolan's first Christmas. We decided to give Nolan a few presents at a time over a two day span. That way he could enjoy all of his new goodies. I swear he knew it was Christmas Eve, because he wanted to stay up WAY past his bed time. I think we finally put him in his crib and shut the door at 9:45.

The Knicks had a game Christmas day, so we headed to the Garden for a Knicks win over the Bulls. We went down to Katie's and prepared a six course Christmas dinner. It was great, and I paired each course with wine! For dessert, Rolo Cookies with ice cream and homemade Irish Cream!

The day after Christmas we got 21 inches of snow. Nolan didn't really seem to care, but it made the city beautifully white.......that is until it turned to brown slush a few days later.

Nolan in the middle of 69th St.

9 months

2010-12-20T10:08:00.008-05:00

This was the one we've been waiting for folks! We've got two teeth, with two more on the way and a crawler! Nolan has been very creative in the way he gets around until this weekend. He is finally really crawling and is loving exploring new parts of the apartment. Uh oh, we're in real trouble now.

Nolan continues to have a great personality. He does some hilarious things with his hands, including a move we call the sorcerer! He is still very vocal, and has been extra vocal and a little clingy as we wait for his teeth to come in. He loves to laugh at Shawn and I, but most of all he loves to laugh at himself. We went to the Knicks/Heat game on Friday, and he laughed and clapped until he fell asleep. He loves going to games and cheers right along with the rest of the Knick fans. It's pretty darn cute. Earlier in the month we went to a day game, and we took a few pictures on the court, then the Knicks City Kids put colored hairspray in his hair!

He is super strong and is eating like a champ. Now that he's 9 months we've added meat and berries. He loves them all and has also enjoyed samples of my food! He just sits and stares at me making a chewing motion with his jaw until I break him off a little piece of bread, veggie or whatever else is on my plate.

On the 16th, Shawn and I took him to see Santa. It was pretty hilarious. He loves meeting new people and Santa was no different. He kept looking at him and smiling, but didn't really ever smile for the camera. Oh well, I figured there would be no tears, but it was great to get through it without him being scared or sad. Next year might be a different story!

9 month stats:

Height: 28.5 inches

Weight: 21 pounds

Thanksgiving Weekend

2010-11-29T13:15:00.005-05:00

We had a nice, low-key Thanksgiving here in the city. We got up and ready early. After breakfast for the baby, and beagles and coffee for the parents, we walked down our street to catch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade live! This is my third Thanksgiving in NYC, but it is the first I've spent the day in the city. I have no idea if Nolan knew what was going on with all the music and VERY large balloons, but Shawn and I enjoyed it! The parade was a lot more fun then I would have ever though.

It was over by 11, and we headed back to the house. Since it was just the three of us this year, I did a lot less cooking and even "cheated" with the Turkey by buying a roasted turkey breast at Trader Joe's!

I clearly have so much to be thankful for this year. I'll keep it simple with a list:

Shawn

My sweet Baby Boy Nolan

Family, near and far, especially my sister who has been an amazing help with Nolan

Friends, new and old

Hand me downs for the baby!

Central Park

Health

Nolan's Stroller and Ergo Pack

Great flight deals

Trader Joe's on the UWS

8 Months

2010-11-20T15:44:00.006-05:00

So far the 8th month has been the most challenging. As Nolan learns to be independent we struggle with not being able to verbally communicate. I'm trying to teach him some baby sign language, but he hasn't really shown signs of full comprehension! He is still a total ham, and it only takes one smile to make me forget about all of the frustrating moments.

Here are the crazy eights of the eighth month.

1. Making the "athletic" move from trying to crawl to sitting up

2. Downward dog and the two legs at a time crawl/hop

3. Becoming really good at feeding himself, he's mastered Puffs and is still loving every new food that we introduce to him

4. Pulling hair, coats, buttons and anything else he can get his hands on. I think I say the word gentile about 100 times a day.

5. Level 3 bottles, our little haas boy now downs an 8 oz. bottle in 4 minutes (this is not a joke!)

6. Rev 'em up arms. This kid is always moving his body and hands. We call them Rev 'em Up hands because it looks like he's trying to ride a motorcycle

7. Parallell play with his little buddies. We have the kids together a few times a week and it is hilarious to watch the play separately but together. When the do interact, we are constantly dealing with toy stealing! Of course Nolan is the most vocal about having his toys ripped out of his hands!

8. Daddy time. Nolan loves his dad, and is always so excited to see him and play with him. I was sick one day this week, and Shawn stayed home to take care of Nolan. They had such a great day, and it's so special to watch the father/son bond grow!

1st Halloween

2010-11-05T20:52:00.004-04:00

Nolan's first Halloween was so much fun. Our entire street shuts down, and we have thousands of kids and parents flood the street for trick-or-treating and other fun. We hosted a party and had some of Nolan's friends and our friends drop by. It was so cute to see all the kids dressed up. Nolan has some great little friends, and their parents are great too! It has been wonderful to meet a new group of friends that are all have kids between 6 and 9 months!

YEA Giants

2010-11-05T20:43:00.004-04:00

We had such a blast watching the MLB playoffs this year. It was extra special that the Giant's won the World Series the year Nolan was born. It was always be such a fun memory for us. His first ever baseball game was Mets vs. Giants here in NYC. It was so great to catch all of the home games in the NLCS in the Bay Area. The energy was amazing, and the Bay was filled with Giant's fever. Nolan was sporting his Giant's gear all through the playoffs. We managed to squeeze him into his 3-6 month size Lincecum T-shirt jersey the entire time.

What a difference 5 months makes!

Surprise Visit to CA

2010-10-27T13:45:00.009-04:00

I get last minute flight deals on my email all the time. I finally saw SFO on a weekend that made sense. Shawn has been so busy with work, that Nolan and I decided to head home for a weekend to surprise my friend Tracy at her engagement party. I ended up surprising her on Thursday and was able to spend that whole afternoon and night with her and a bunch of my other girlfriends at cooking club. Alix and Mike hosted an amazing engagement party for the lucky soon to be husband and wife!

I also got to meet sweet little Heather's new addition, sweet little two week old Paisley. Heather met Nolan when he was just two weeks old, and it was such a treat to get to meet her baby girl at the same age. It was also such a treat to watch the Giant's clinch the National League Championship in the Bay. I was sad to leave a day before the start of the World Series, but I had to get back for work and more importantly for Shawn to have Nolan and me back in NYC!

Nolan had so much fun with his Papa and can now pick him out of a picture on our fridge! So cute. My dad already has a set of little kid golf clubs for Nolan. Can you tell by the picture that he's a natural! :)

We went with the Maddox's to a Halloween party for the kids. Nolan didn't have his costume but borrowed Roman's from last year! It was so cute and hilarious to see the 1 year olds slowly approach him to see if he was a live stuffed animal!

7 months

2010-10-18T15:32:00.008-04:00

I seriously feel like every time I log onto the blog it's time for NB's monthly update.

It is getting cold and some times rainy here in NYC, but it has given me a reason to dress Nolan up extra cute in his fall gear. I am so thankful for everyone who has bought him clothes and even more for the fabulous hand-me-downs that we've been given.

We went to a fall party in the West Village with Nolan's best bud James. We got some great pictures, and the boys loved playing with the pumpkins and watching the big kids run around!

Now for a run down of new and exciting things:

Sitting up so straight for long periods of time. I still have to put the boppy behind him if I leave him on his own, but he has come a long way in a month.
Finally doesn't mind being on his stomach. He is attempting to crawl and actually likes reaching for his toys that are a little far away.
Scarfing his 4 oz of food twice a day. He has not rejected a single food I've given him. He's even been trying to take the spoon and feed himself!
He makes the cutest noises when he's excited, which is about every two minutes. He pants and kicks when we leave the house, come home, get to the park, he sees his dad or any of his tiny little friends, goes into the bathroom, or when we're about to get on the swings. He even gets super excited when I take him out of the swings!
He has the best personality, and I always get stopped by strangers who tell me how cute and funny he is. He also loves to flirt with the ladies!
He loves to sit in his bumbo chair and watch me cook dinner, do the dishes or get ready for the day in the bathroom.
He seems to like Sesame St. for about two minutes.
Two days in a row he took two hour naps, which is a big deal at the Bennett house. I can only hope that this continues (finger's crossed!)
Yesterday he decided that his new thing would be clapping. It's so cute, and he just does it when he wants to. It is not really associated with anything now, but I'm sure as the weeks pass by he'll clap in context!

There are still days that I can't believe this sweet, funny, super cute and well adjusted baby is mine. He is such a little love bug, and even though days can be long and hard, seeing him smile at me or laugh when I laugh makes all the hard parts slip away!

Paris

2010-10-15T14:29:00.006-04:00

After a couple of days in Milan, I was much less jet lagged. We flew with Shawn and the rest of the NBA folks to Paris. We were staying right next to the Arena where the Knicks played the Timberwolves.

I was so excited to get to Paris. It was my first time there, and I had so much I wanted to see and do. Besides seeing the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame, number one on my list was a fancy French Dinner. Thanks to one of Shawn's coworkers, we were able to enjoy a quiet 6 course meal at Augusto in Paris. We had a great bottle of white Burgundy to go with our meal. I had a feeling that one of the courses would be a little to refined for my taste, and boy was I right. After three amazing courses that Shawn and I basically liked up out came the pigeon! AHHHH, living in NYC, I could not get the vision of dirty city flying rats out of my head. I did my best to eat as much as I could, but after about three bites I was done! Good thing that course was followed by yummy cheese and a heavenly dessert duo of chocolate souffle and maple ice cream!

The next day Shawn was busy with work, so Nolan and I headed into the city center to meet our friend Emily. We had lunch then walked over to the Louvre, then headed to the Latin Quarter, then after walking aimlessly for hours we headed back to the hotel for a much needed glass of French Wine! When Shawn was done with work, he met us at the Westin and we went over to Pont Nuf to catch a nighttime boat ride down the Seine River. It was a great way to see the city. I have to say the Eiffel Tower lit up was a beautiful sight!

The next day was game day, so Nolan and I were on our own again. We went to the Arch De Triumph and the Eiffel Tower in the rain. Thankfully my sister let me borrow her rain jacket as it was a necessity in Paris! We made it back to our hotel in time to get changed and head over to the game. We only stayed for the first half, but I was glad we were able to see the NBA in Europe!

Milano!

2010-10-15T10:51:00.011-04:00

Shawn had games in Milan and Paris, so Nolan and I decided to tag along. After a long overnight flight from NYC, we landed in Milan. I was very city savvy and took the train from the airport and the metro from the city center to meet Shawn at the beautiful Duomo.

I was beyond tired, but I pushed through the day. We saw some sights, and of course had espresso and gelato! YUM!

This is one of Nolan's many girlfriends! The KCD and Knicks players had a few appearances in Milan that we attended.

When Shawn was working, Nolan and I went sight seeing. We went to the Castello Sforzesco and saw some amazing art, including Davinci's Madonna and Son.

We spent a lot of time in the cute neighborhood of Brera. It was filled with restaurants, shops and of course Gelato!! I ate at least one meal per day in this neighborhood!

We also went to the Knicks vs. Armani Jeans, yes you read that right. The game sold out in 6 minutes, so we were lucky to be in the building. The Knicks won the game and were received with great cheer. I found that over all the Italian's were very friendly and LOVE babies. All of the kept wanting to touch and kiss Nolan. Normally that would freak me out a little, but when in Milan!

Here's Nolan in his sweet Adidas Knicks gear.

6 months, a day in the life of NB

2010-09-20T14:55:00.006-04:00

Typical Day for the babe:

6 a.m. wake up hungry and ready for a bottle

Stay up and play for 10 minutes or an hour and a half, really depends on the day, then back to bed for a short cat nap with mom.

9 a.m. SOLIDS! Nolan is liking carrots and LOVING sweet potatoes.

10 a.m. bottle, play time and maybe a nap. This is also running errands time for mom.

1 p.m. bottle, play time at the park or in the house. Nolan is getting much better at rolling over and has finally started to sit on his own. It's pretty amazing how quickly they develop new skills.

4 p.m. bottle and play time for the rest of the evening. We normally venture over to the Central Park swings. If it's really nice, we'll even set up a blanket in the park and people watch.

6 p.m. rice cereal

7 p.m. bottle, books and bedtime. He's normally down for the night by 7:45.

I have to say it's been really nice to be able to have dinner with Shawn and have quiet evenings!

Nolan is loving all of his chew toys, especially Sophie and her friend the mushroom. He still puts everything in his mouth and loves to play tough of war! We love our little munchkin more and more every day. He's a sweet, happy and fairly laid back little guy. I can't wait to see what the next few months have in store. Maybe some teeth and crawling?

Big Week

2010-09-01T12:08:00.004-04:00

Nolan had a week full of new adventures. Eating rice cereal for the first time on the 24th and rolling over on the 27th. He really hasn't shown much interest in crawling or rolling over a lot. When he's on his belly he uses all of his muscles to lift up his hands and arms so all of his weight is on his belly. Super Baby! We also went to the ocean. Nolan wasn't really into the water, but it was still fun to get his feet wet!

5 months

2010-08-17T11:48:00.010-04:00

It seems like I just posted Nolan's 4 month post a week ago. Time is going by so fast with the little guy around. He loves his toys and blankets, and of course is putting EVERYTHING into his mouth. I'm pretty sure he's ready for solids and will start him on rice cereal this week. He had a lot of firsts this month. He went to Chicago and met his Grandpa Dave, Uncle Phil and went to his first concert. He was also at most of the Knicks preseason events, including the Knicks City Dancer reveal party at the Empire Hotel Rooftop.

He also went to the Kid's dance team and interactive team tryouts. He has sort of been the unofficially game ops mascot! He continues to try and roll over and loves staring at himself in the mirror.

He is very chatty but is also a very close listener. It seems like he really looks at and focuses on whoever is speaking. He loves to talk to and meet new people. He has been better about sleeping at night, and we are starting to get serious about keeping with a bedtime routine.....Bottle, books and bed! I read him Curious George for the first time and he was kicking like crazy. I think he has a thing for monkeys! He now can flip to his side, kick himself in a 360 circle and can throw. UH OH! I'm also pretty sure he's a righty, sorry Shawn!

Lolla ChiTown

2010-08-11T12:10:00.005-04:00

We had a great long weekend in Chicago. My brother and sister were there for Lollapalooza and Shawn's brother and sister live there, so we had a meeting of the siblings! Shawn's dad was also there and met Nolan for the first time. Thanks to Shawn's sister we were able to enjoy two days of Lollapalooza and a Cubs game with my brother. We had so much fun with backstage passes and even took Nolan to see Rebelution. We were on stage for their show, and Nolan loved almost every minute. He made it through 40 minutes of the 45 minute set.....not bad for his first concert!

4 months

2010-07-21T12:02:00.008-04:00

15 pounds

25 inches

Lots of talking very loudly, laughing and smiling. He really loves to talk at restaurants, he likes to chat it up with the servers!

Crying when hungry or tired, but whiny when frustrated and not able to figure out new toys and challenges.

Doing great with kick arounds and tummy time. He can roll to his side, but he hasn't made it to his stomach yet. He is always putting his feet and hands in his mouth.

Hand eye coordination getting better every day.

Eats every 3 hours on the dot during the day, but has started to sleep for up to 8 hours at night. He is a cat napper, we're lucky if he sleeps 1 one hour stretch during the day.

We just love our little guy more every day. For all the challenges that being a new parent brings, I would not change where I am in life for anything.

4th of July

2010-07-15T12:09:00.003-04:00

We had a great, hot 4th here in the city. I worked during the day, then we had my sister's roommates over for hotdogs, snacks and wine. When we were done we headed up to the West Side Highway to watch the Macy's fireworks. We had a great view and loved the fireworks. Nolan was awake the whole time, and we think he liked the fireworks! The 4th is a special day for us. It was one year to the day that we found out we were pregnant! The past year just flew by. It has been quite a ride.

CA trip

2010-06-24T14:13:00.005-04:00

We had a great 10 days in CA. I am already missing the wonderful weather, especially the cool nights! It was so great to see many of my friends and their babies, spend time with my parents and have my brother finally meet his nephew. It's still so weird being a new mom. I was used to the girls with their kids, but it is still very strange for me to be one of them. Nolan was great on the flight there and back. I was worried being alone on the flight home, but it all went very well, and we had an open seat next to us, so Nolan was able to kick around and sleep there for a bit.

I spent most of my time in WC and Alamo. The baby and I got a THIRD round of strep and were out of commission for a few days. His pediatrician has all three of us on the same meds and will recheck all of us to make sure the carrier is gone once we are finished with the antibiotics.

Shawn and my dad went to a Giant's game and the US Open at Pebble Beach, pretty cool! We all had a great time at Ayla's birthday party, and I got to see a few extra friends that were also in town. Kristin was also in town with her girls, but sadly we didn't get any pictures of the kids or us.

My dad calls these his Walla Walla Overalls!

3 months

2010-06-23T12:39:00.000-04:00

Nolan celebrated his 3 month birthday in CA with his grandma, papa, uncle Yogi, Marlene, Ellie and Katelyn. We had lunch at Skips and went to the park for a photo shoot then headed to Yogurt Park!

Nolan changed so much in CA. He started sleeping for 7 hour stretches, he found his toes and upped the amount he ate per feeding. He is also smiling, chatting and laughing all the time. He is such a good baby and still only cries when he is hungry and very tired. On a sad note, well at least for me, he is loosing all of his baby hair. I really though he'd be one of those babies that keeps their beautiful locks. I know it will grow back, but it is still weird for me! He is on his way to 14 pounds and seems very long! He is also doing great with his kick arounds and tummy time. He is super strong and can "sit up" on my lap and is holding his head for much longer stretches of time! He is also chewing on every thing. See picture above!

DC Wedding

2010-05-30T22:12:00.006-04:00

My cousin Aaron got married in Washington D.C. last weekend. We rode the train from NYC to DC. The baby was great on the way down. We stayed a great hotel, but unfortunately I was sick, sick, sick. On Friday after I could not eat or drink, and I ended up in minor medical and had an IV drip and IV antibiotics. I had double tonsillitis, strep and shingles. The good news is I was up and at 'em the next day and was able to make it to the beautiful wedding. The bride and groom looked amazing and the reception was a blast! The second set of bad news was the baby and Shawn both got strep. The baby's was external, and it was very scary to have a two month old on antibiotics, but he bounced back within 24 hours of being on his medication.

2 months

2010-05-16T15:29:00.005-04:00

At Two Months:

Sleeping for up to 5 hrs (on the eve of his 2 month bday he slept from midnight til 5:45!)

Talking to me all day and sometimes at 3 a.m.

Grown out of newborn clothes and some 0-3

Smiling and cooing so much and wanting to laugh

Finally understanding that his hands can sooth him like his binki

He weighs 11.5 pounds and is 23 inches

1st Mother's Day

2010-05-12T15:24:00.001-04:00

I had a wonderful first mother's day. Starbucks in bed, breakfast made by Shawn and my dad, flowers from my sister a card, truffles and a personalized necklace from Nolan, a long stroll in the park with a photo shoot and Via Della Pace some of the best and our favorite Italian in NYC for dinner!

Baby Changes and First Baseball Game

2010-05-05T22:17:00.009-04:00

These past two weeks have brought a lot of changes with the little guy. He is actively "talking" to and mocking Shawn and me all day. He is so cute when he smiles and coos. He even discovered his tongue and likes to move it around and stick it out....it's pretty hilarious. His legs, arms and hands are very strong, and we can tell he is almost ready to pick things up. I think I heard him start to laugh a couple days ago. My dad has been in town and Nolan LOVES his Papa. He even babysat when I went to a wine event.

On Friday we went to the Mets/Giants game at Citi Field. We had amazing seats for Nolan's first game. This kid was sitting VIP. Most people don't sit 14 rows behind home plate ever in their lives let alone for their first game! It was such a treat to have my dad and sister at the game. My cousin Matt and his wife Amy were also able to join us at the last minute for the game, so that made it that much better! Our friend from Memphis, Hark, was there also and had the connection for the great seats. The Giants lost, but we saw 6 home runs!

Summer in Springtime

2010-05-02T14:26:00.004-04:00

We have had some crazy weather in NYC this weekend. It was in the 80's yesterday and today. We decided to take advantage of the weather and living right next to Central Park and had a picnic with Auntie Katie and Melissa. It was perfect in the shade!

1 Month

2010-04-16T11:27:00.007-04:00

It'a hard to believe that Nolan is a month old today. He has been such an amazing addition to our lives. We love him so much! He has started to be more aware of his surrounding. He started to "play" with a few toys and smile more often. He has also started to coo and is much, much better with day and night! Here is a little picture rundown of the past 4+ weeks.

1 hour

1 week

2 weeks

3 weeks

4 weeks

1 month

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T15:50:00.003-04:00

Here are a few pictures of Nolan this past week. It was a big week for the little guy, his first bath, meeting his Aunt Amy, Grandma Judy and the Maddox family, my 31st birthday and his first Easter! The weather has been amazing and we've also been spending a lot of time in Central Park.....living a half block away is truly amazing!

Grandma's Photo Shoot

2010-03-29T12:38:00.007-04:00

Shawn and I finally got a decent night's sleep, so we decided to do a photo shoot with baby Nolan. My mom is a wonderful photographer, and she captured some great moments. Here are some pictures from the shoot.

2010-03-23T17:42:00.005-04:00

We made it through week one. We had our first trip to Central Park and a ride in a taxi to the doctor today. All in all he is a great baby, and hopefully we'll get this up all night faze figured out soon!

Finally, Pictures

2010-03-21T12:56:00.003-04:00

Here are a few pictures of Nolan. He is a sweet cute baby, but I think he is a little confused with day and night. We will have to work on that one! We are learning to adjust on the long hard road of life with a newborn. I'm looking forward to getting a real routine down. The good news is, we've only been home for 3 days, and we are all doing pretty good!

The number one question people asked me was, "How are you getting home from the Hospital?" Answer: A Black Lincoln Town Car!

Baby Makes Three

2010-03-18T18:22:00.005-04:00

Baby Nolan Arthur was born March 16th at 2:31 p.m. As soon as we upload our pictures I will update the post. We are all doing well and just got home from the hospital a few hours ago. Baby weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces 20 and 3/4 inches! OK, so we got a new IMAC and I have no idea how to use it. Here is an attempt to copy, cut and paste a picture. Hopefully I can figure out how to use this thing today and get a bunch of pics up! Sorry to keep you waiting.On our way to get hail a cab and head to the hospital.....aka "before!"
He's here.....aka "after!"

The Waiting Game

2010-03-11T17:14:00.004-05:00

Well the 10th has come and gone. I had a feeling that this guy was going to show up late! I went to the Dr. today for a check up and a non stress test. I have not progressed much since last week, but the baby's heart rate and my blood pressure and heart rate are great. If the baby does not come this weekend, we will check into the hospital Monday night to start the induction process. The Dr. will show up around 7:30 on Tuesday to start the second and more intense part of the induction. If all goes well he will be born some time on the 16th! For now I will continue to sit around and wait!

The day we found out that we were going to be parents....4th of July!

Almost There

2010-03-02T14:17:00.002-05:00

Just over a week til my due date. I have a feeling this kid isn't going to come early. We're ready for him, but I think he likes his current living arrangements! We have been busy here with people in town, getting ready for the baby and Shawn's Birthday. We finally celebrated his birthday on Sunday at our favorite Italian place in the East Village. Happy belated birthday Shawn!!

Here are a couple belly shots from last week by my sister.

Brother and Rebelution

2010-02-16T13:33:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't know, my brother is the tour manager for the awesome band Rebelution. They were in town on the 11th and played a sold out show at The Fillmore at Irving Plaza here in NYC. It has been so fun to watch them explode here on the East Coast. My brother does a great job with the band and is works super hard to keep every thing running smooth.

Here is our view from the VIP area. With a thousand screaming teens I was happy to be safe in a chair on the 2nd floor!

I was able to sneak onto the stage for a few songs and had this sweet view!

We love when Reb is in town. Check out their website www.rebelutionmusic.com and be sure to catch them when they hit your city!

NY Shower

2010-02-16T12:43:00.004-05:00

My sister was so sweet and hosted a Jack and Jill shower a couple of weeks ago. We got a bunch of great gifts and a lot of gift cards that helped us fill in the necessities gaps for Baby B. We are so thankful to have Katie and the rest of our friends here in NYC. They are all so excited to have a baby in the group.
We are three weeks away from my due date.........WHAT!?! I am now going to the Dr. every week and things have been looking pretty good. Right now Baby B. is a little on the small side, but I know we'll fatten him up once he gets here. We got our stroller yesterday and are so excited to start using it. The stroller was by far our big ticket item. It will be my baby car and so much more. It was the one thing that I didn't want to live without! A special thanks to my mom and her family for all coming together to buy our baby stroller!

Weekend Getaway

2010-02-04T10:51:00.006-05:00

Shawn and I headed down to Washington D.C. for a last weekend getaway before the baby gets here. I think they normally call this a babymoon, but due to the snowy and cold weather, I'll just call it a weekend away. I think a babymoon should include fruity drinks, sand and sea! Even with the snow and cold we had a great time seeing the historic sights of the Capital. We braved the snow storm to go see the Constitution. It was pretty cool and there was NO line which was a total bonus. We also went to the Portrait Museaum.
On Sunday my cousin and his fiance picked us up and we hit the monuments, brunch, DuPont Circle, Georgetown and a few other cute D.C. neighborhoods. All and all is was a great weekend, and we are looking forward to going back in May for my cousin's wedding. It will be baby B's first trip!

The Lincoln Memorial is one of my most vivid memories of visiting D.C. as a kid. It was great to see it again and take Shawn there for his first visit!

5 weeks to go!

Forced Nesting

2010-01-19T17:23:00.007-05:00

I really don't feel like I've entered into the "nesting stage" of pregnancy yet, but with my dad in town for a week it was time to kick it into action! We were able to take a nice midweek trip to IKEA and basically had the store to ourselves. We got baby B his crib and a lot of cute and fun accessories. My glider also came in the mail, and I was very thankful my dad was in town to put that together. Shawn and my dad tackled the crib on Saturday and did a great job putting it together. Only 7 more weeks til the arrival of the little guy. We are so excited, and now that we have a crib and a car seat we can get him home from the hospital and he has a place to sleep!

In typical NYC style Baby B has a corner not a nursery, so there is still a lot of works that needs to be done.

Good Bye 2009

2010-01-12T11:00:00.006-05:00

I think it's pretty much a fact that as the years go by they pick up in speed. I remember when I was little and my dad used to say how fast the year went, and I never really understood that. Well now I totally understand! This year, by far, was the fastest of my life. I would have to chalk part of that up to the crazy pace on New York City. This has also been a year of major changes. A new apartment and a baby on the way in two months. I know that 2010 holds a lot more major and exciting changes for Shawn and me.

Here's to a great 2009 and an even better 2010!

Christmas Day at the Knicks Game then a big Christmas dinner at our apartment!
New Year's Eve at my sister's place. My mom, cousin Aaron and his fiance Amy all celebrated with us. Baby B even got a special pomegranate soda water drink!

Snowy December

2009-12-24T09:27:00.000-05:00

Only in NYC do you carry your tree home from the corner store. Good work Shawn!

Here is the finished product. Looks good to me.

Our good friend Bridget was in town to celebrate another law school semester's end. She was a great help with our tree~ This is at the Rockefeller Tree.

We got a massive snow storm, and the snow is still here for a white Christmas. This was 9 a.m. the next morning on West 69th St.

CA Shower

2009-12-10T11:12:00.001-05:00

I just got back from a wonderful long weekend in CA for my first baby shower. Heather and Alix did an amazing job, but sadly Alix was sick and wasn't able to stay at the shower. The decorations were so cute, including a place to put name suggestions for our yet to be named baby boy. The food was wonderful and Walt, Heather's dad, made the cutest cake. My mom came down from Spokane to surprise me and it just added to the excitement. Baby B got a ton of cute clothes and other little things. I managed to fit all of the gifts in the extra suite case I brought. Thanks again to everyone who came to the shower or sent a gift. We really appreciate it and felt very loved. It's pretty amazing to still be so close with such a large group of girls from high school!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-01T11:05:00.000-05:00

This year we spend Thanksgiving in MA with my cousin Bobby and his family. We brought the boys some Knicks gear, and they wore it all weekend.....it was pretty cute! We had a great time relaxing outside of the city. Thanksgiving dinner was amazing, and I was full for about two days! Thanks Criscolas for having us!

John Mayer

2009-11-20T10:57:00.002-05:00

Shawn and I scored last minute tickets to John Mayer's CD release party at the Beacon Theatre. It was a great show, and we had awesome seats. For all of those who are not that into JM, I say go to a show and you will change your mind! The Beacon Theatre in just a few blocks from our house and is totally remodeled and gorgeous. If you're in NYC and someone you want to see if playing there, go and check it out! On the way home from the show we caught John coming out of the Theatre and getting into his car. I pretty much felt like part of the paparatzi, but I got a good picture of him.

Knicks Home Opener/Halloween/NYC Marathon

2009-11-02T10:33:00.003-05:00

It was a busy weekend here in NYC. The Knicks had their home opener on Halloween which they sadly lost in over time, but the game presentation, Shawn's job, was totally great! The player intro's were sweet and the Jaabowakeez were and awesome addition to the opening act and did a great half time show. If you don't know who the Jaabowakeez are you should look them up on youtube or google. They're an awesome dance troop from SoCal.After the game we got dressed up and went to a Halloween party at a club in Midtown. There were a ton of great costumes, but I have to give myself props for suggesting that Shawn should be Alan from the Hangover! People totally loved it! I went as Juno.

Sunday was the New York City Marathon. The finish line is right next to our apartment. After our 2nd Anual Race Day Brunch we headed to the park to cheer on the runners. Our good friend Adam was running the race and we were there to cheer him on for his last 400 yards! It was his first, and probably last, marathon!

World Series

2009-10-30T11:20:00.004-04:00

Shawn and I were lucky enough to score two tickets to the World Series last night. Our seats were in the 5th row of the bleachers in between left and center, more towards center, field. The fans were totally crazy. I figured when the baby is old enough to understand what the fans are saying, I'll tell him, "Now all of the words you hear at a Yankee's game are ALL of the ones you are not allowed to say!" We'll see if that flies!

It was a great game, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys sang "Empire State" before the game, John Legend sang the National Anthem, and the Yankee's beat the Philly's 3-1! YEAH! As a die hard A's fan growing up I never thought that I would root for the "Evil Empire," but the playoff atmosphere in NYC can be addicting! My favorite Yankee's are ex-A's, Johnny Damon and Nick Swisher, so I think I'm in the clear. Don't worry, I still rout for the A's......they will always be my favorite team, even when they suck!

Last Pitch of the game

Jay-Z and Alicia Keys

Half Way

2009-10-21T18:01:00.002-04:00

Twenty weeks sure did come and go fast.....I'm officially half way done with my pregnancy. I have a feeling that the next 20 weeks might not go as fast. I am no longer sleeping through the night, and it seems like between trying to sleep on my side and getting up to go to the bathroom I might have to bring my afternoon naps back. Other then that I've been feeling good and still fit in most of my regular clothes. I have a feeling that will change quickly, so I bought a few essentials from Gap Maternity.

New Apt.

2009-10-02T11:19:00.001-04:00

We moved into a new apartment yesterday. It is only a couple of blocks from our old place, but the floor plan is WAY better. It will take us a couple of weeks to settle in, but we're so happy to have more room!

Pictures to come once we are all set up!

Baby Bennett is a.................

2009-09-26T12:13:00.011-04:00

BOY!
Shawn and Katie came with me to my second scan yesterday. After a few minutes of looking at the baby and making sure all was good, the tech told us that it was a boy. I saw her put XY on the screen, and I knew what that meant! Katie was the first to notice that he was a boy. In between the two femur bones was a white line. The tech was 100% positive that it was a boy, and she showed us the proof! When the Dr. came in, she pulled up some 3D pictures of the baby. I really got a good look at his face. I think he already looks just like his dad. It's pretty hilarious! Right now she guesstimated his weight at 5 oz.

We are so excited and look forward to baby boy shopping. Katie and I hit baby Gap yesterday for some "day we found out you were a boy" clothes!

How fast a year goes by

2009-09-21T10:01:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I realized that I have been living in NYC for a year. I have to say that it was the fastest year of my life. I would chalk that up to the crazy pace of life and endless things to do here in the city. With Baby Bennett on the way, I can only imagine that this next year will go by even faster. We have been able to do so many great things in the City, and I'm looking forward to the new adventures to come!

Don't worry the above pictures are all from our first few months here in NYC. No beer for the baby! :)

Baby and the City

2009-09-09T13:23:00.000-04:00

I figured it is time to tell the blog world that Shawn and I are expecting our first baby in March. When we found out we were pretty shocked, but we were so happy! I was able to tell a few friends and a lot of my dad's family in person on our West Coast trip. It was so fun to see people's reactions. This will be the first grand baby for mine and Shawn's families!

It has been a rough month and a half for me, but I'm starting to feel better and am excited to get out and enjoy the city again. I found a great Dr. on the Upper East Side. The whole office has been great, and I've been very impressed by the whole staff. For the most part I have been on my way to see the Dr. right at my appointment time, which is such a welcome change from normal doctor's offices. We went in for our first scan last week. The pictures were incredibly clear, and I was totally amazed with all of the details we could see....arms, legs, heartbeat, etc.

First thing on our list is to find a bigger apartment. The baby probably won't have its own room, but we'll make a baby zone instead! We found a place that is only a few blocks from where we live now and only a half block to Central Park. We are so excited to meet our baby in March! Many more updates to come!

Katie's back in NYC

2009-08-17T23:28:00.000-04:00

Last week Katie moved back to New York. It has been so great to have her here, and I know all of her NY friends are happy to have her back too! We kicked off her "Back in NYC" week on Thursday. Shawn scored us tickets to see John Legend and India Aire at Madison Square Garden. We were in a suite and had an awesome view and the suite was filled with food and drinks!

Welcome back Katie!!

CA cuties

2009-07-27T16:28:00.003-04:00

I was in CA a couple weeks ago, and I just had to post some pictures of the super cute CA kids. It is always so much fun to see all the little ones, and their mom's of course, when I'm out to visit.

Little Roman is already a ladies man!
Super cute Ayla

Marlene's girls Ellie and Katelyn! Ok, so these are ladies and not kids but still cute! :)

Yeend Family Weekend

2009-07-27T16:07:00.009-04:00

The Yeender's headed up to the Oregon Coast a few weeks ago for an extended reunion weekend. We had so much fun just relaxing and catching up. All of my first cousins except for Michelle and my brother were there. We missed having them, but we know that work and a new baby can keep people from traveling!

My dad, sister, Shawn and I drove up from CA. We stopped in Portland to see my grandma. She looked great. The other lady in the picture is her bff, Betsy.
There was lots of fun activities going on, including football, Frisbee, beach sunsets and nightly theme dinners!

Friday night was "Cape Cod Cool" sponsored by Matt and Amy. There were lots of speicality drinks and "special" outfits. The evite requested that we all dress in Cape Cod gear. Here are some pictures of the CCC:

We are looking forward to the next reunion.....2011 anyone? Maybe someplace a tad warmer like San Diego?? Just a suggestion!

D Train 4th of July Weekend

2009-07-07T10:22:00.001-04:00

We started off the long weekend in Coney Island for the AVP Beach Volleyball tourney. It was a long ride out there, but it was fun once the hour train ride was over!

Just because we don't have a yard, doesn't mean we didn't celebrate the 4th of July! We had an indoor bbq, with burgers, potato salad and corn on the cob. After dinner we headed to the Hudson River for the Macy's Fireworks show. They had 5 barges shooting off fireworks at the same time. They closed down the West Side Highway. It was great to watch the fireworks from up there. They also televised the event on NBC.

On Sunday we bought some last minutes tickets to the Yankee's game. Our seats were in the center field bleachers. The view was great, but the seats were in the direct sun and were hot! We spent the second half of the game walking around and checking out the new ballpark. Shawn and I both agree we like the Mets new stadium better. Yankee Stadium has outrageous prices, even for NYC!

All in all it was a wonderful 4th of July. It was the first time that it was just Shawn and me. It was very laid back and relaxing!!

Central Park

2009-07-07T10:14:00.001-04:00

Mom and I met Tony from No Doubt at the Expendables, Ziggy Marley and 311 show in Central Park. The whole band, except for Gwen were at the show!

Our view from "the deck" at the summer stage in Central Park.

Shane Sparks from "So You Think You Can Dance" was at the Knicks City Dancers auditions teaching the finalists a routine. I got to spend a little time with him. He was very down to earth and a great choreographer.

Mom in NYC

2009-06-28T14:22:00.002-04:00

My mom was in town this weekend. We had a great time walking all over the city and Brooklyn.

The Frying Pan

In Central Park

At the Brooklyn Brewery

Early June

2009-06-22T14:13:00.001-04:00

Marlene and Meghan came to town. We had a great time shopping and cathing up. Mar went with Shawn and me to the Frying Pan. It's a great outdoor bar and restaurant. It has amazing sunsets into the Hudson River!

Dinner for Meghan's 30th at Tao.

Shawn and I took the free Ikea Boat over to Red Hook, Brooklyn. We made our way over to the famous taco trucks in Red Hook Park! The weather has been rain, rain and more rain, so it was nice to take advantage of a sunny Sunday!

Kristin, Jeremy and Audrey were in town. Kristin and I had a couple of days to catch up. It was so great to see her and finally meet Audrey. Here Audrey is giving a Muppet a kiss at FAO Schwartz!

5 Years

2009-06-05T13:34:00.003-04:00

Then

Today is Shawn and my fifth wedding anniversary. The time sure does fly! We've been on so many crazy adventures. Memphis, Orlando, back to Memphis and now New York City. It has been an amazing ride, and I am looking forward to the adventures the future holds for us!Now

Memoiral Day Weekend

2009-06-02T13:22:00.005-04:00

With a great last minute flight price, I decided to head to NorCal for a long weekend. It was great to not really have any set plans. I was able to meet baby Roman and see some of the other kids that are getting so big! Tracy hosted a super fun girls night in, and we were all able to catch up! From there I headed to Santa Cruz with my friend Tracy. We met up with a few of our other friends, Heidi and Melissa and had a great night catching up, playing in the sand and watching a beautiful sunset.

It is always great to go home and still have such tight bonds with all of my friends that still live there. I love them all and treasure their friendships!!

Shawn was in St. Louis having just as much fun on guys weekend and cathing up with his family at his sister's high school graduation. We are very proud of Katie, and we wish her good luck at the University of Evansville this fall!

Mets

2009-05-17T17:53:00.002-04:00

On Mother's day Shawn and I headed to Queens to watch the Mets play the Pirates. We scored great seats on Craig's List. They have a new ballpark, and it was very fun to wonder around on a nice and sunny day!

Memphis in May

2009-05-17T17:40:00.004-04:00

A few weekends ago Shawn and I headed back to Memphis. We went by the house and met our renters. It was weird to be in my house with someone else living their life in there! After the quick stop by the house the rest of the weekend was all about the Beale St. Music Festival. Like always, it rained on Friday night making the whole place a muddy mess. Unlike past years it continued to rain the entire weekend. We really didn't care too much about that. I had my rain boots and Pancho, so I managed to keep semi dry.

We had a great time catching up with our Memphis friends and literally singing in the rain! Thanks to Mat and Bridget for letting us take over their living room all weekend!

Mat, Brent and Shawn at the dog track placing Derby bets!

Snoop Dogg in the background droppin like its hot!
The Blues Tent is the only cover from the rain.
It was nice for a few hours on Friday!

No Spring in NYC

2009-04-27T09:55:00.006-04:00

The weather has been nuts here in the city. We went from 50's and raining on Monday and Tuesday to 92 yesterday. We spent a good part of the weekend at the Sheep's Meadow in Central Park. It is just a block from our house and totally entertaining. At one point on Saturday I seriously though that I was in South Beach Miami! I didn't have my camera with me on Saturday and it was quite a sight. There were not as many people there on Sunday, but you can definitely get the picture from these photos!

30th Birthday, Vegas Style

2009-04-08T13:28:00.005-04:00

Here are a few pictures from my 30th Birthday weekend in Vegas. Saturday was the big surprise day. I found out that we were going to Vegas, our friends Mat and Bridget were waiting for us at the airport, we went to Japonais for dinner (YUM, I found out there is one in NYC too, so we'll be headed back soon!) and capped the night off with great seats to Cirque De Sole's Beatles Love.
Dinner at Lavo in the Palazzo followed by the Lavo Club. We got bottle service, that was a first for me!The next day we walked the strip, went shopping and had dinner at the Pink Taco in the Hard Rock Hotel.

The last day of our trip was my acutal birthday. We kept it pretty low key. We went to the Wynn and The Palms to gamble. We later headed to the Spice Market Buffet in the new Planet Hollywood. We couldn't leave Vegas without any crab legs!

Surprise Bday Get Away

2009-04-02T10:42:00.001-04:00

Shawn planed a surprise get away for my 30th birthday. He kept it a surprise until we checked in at the airport on Saturday. I started to get a feeling a few weeks ago that we were going to Las Vegas, and sure enough I was right! Shawn did a great job of keeping the secret for over 3 months. The best part about it all was that our great friends from Memphis, Mat and Bridget, were at the Vegas Airport waiting for us......sign and all. I will post with pics and details in the next couple of days!

The 5th floor is on Fire

2009-03-27T23:29:00.003-04:00

Yes, you read that right. This morning, 3:15 to be exact, my crazy upstairs neighbor set her apartment on fire. After over an hour of screaming, loud TV and throwing glass and paint cans out of the window for over 30 minutes just after 3 she officially lost it. The cops had to break down her door because she wouldn't answer. Little did we know at the time she was starting a fire.

Everyone in the building got out safe and sound, but we were all a little shaken up. We were not able to go back to our apartment until almost 5 a.m. I'll have to say it is pretty intense to have the FDNY and the NYPD in your apartment baging down your door screaming at you to "get out. FIRE!"

Hats off to NYPD, FDNY and our Super for making it all go as smooth as possible!

To see the video from ABC 7 (located across the street) click on the link:

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&id=6731250

March Madness

2009-03-24T12:11:00.004-04:00

March Madness, that is how I always feel about this month. Not just basketball March Madness, but the month seems to fly by. I know a lot of people think March is the longest month of the year, but not me. There is always so much going on. People in town, St. Patrick's day, spring and lots and lots of basketball....college and pro. I can't believe that we are in the last full week of the month. I also REALLY can't believe I will be 30 a week from today. Crazy! Here are some pics from the last couple of weeks.
My aunt and uncle, Denise and Bob, were in town for a day. We had a great time catching up, shopping, eating in Little Italy and watching the selection show!I've spent a lot of time at Madison Square Garden this month. Knicks, Rangers and the Big East Tourney. "St. Patrick's Day" in Hoboken with Jim and Emily. They celebrate on the first Saturday of March. It kind of reminded me of St. Patty's in Chico!

Dad and Rebelution in NYC

2009-03-02T17:44:00.003-05:00

My dad was in town last week, and we hit the town every night. We went to a Knicks Game, a Broadway show and the Rebelution concert. It's always so much fun to have people visit. It was a bonus that my brother's band was in town too! They put on a great show, as always, at The Blender Theatre here in NYC. If you have not seen them yet you should!!! They are touring nationally!!

Happy Birthday Shawn

2009-02-25T11:06:00.004-05:00

Sunday was Shawn's birthday. He had to work, so we celebrated on Saturday night with dinner at Rosa Mexicano and Karaoke!Happy Birthday Shawn! You're such a wonderful addition to my life. The past seven years have flown by. Thank you for being an amazing, understanding and hard working man!

Ben Harper

2009-02-18T17:21:00.003-05:00

Last night I managed to score tickets to Ben Harper's sold out show at the Highline Ballroom. I would guess that the place holds 500-700 people. I've seen a lot of shows there (including my brothers band Rebelution) but Ben is by far the biggest name I've seen there.
He put together a new band call Relentless7. They were great. The sound had more of a blues and rock n' roll sound. It was great, and even thought I've been in the front row for a couple of Ben's shows, I was the closest I think I've ever been to the stage!

I think the Relentless7 album drops this spring!

Valentine's Day Weekend

2009-02-18T17:10:00.003-05:00

My sister was in town for the long Valentine's day weekend. We had a great time exploring the city. Shawn and I are not big on celebrating Valentines day, so we decided to just spend the day together. We went to Brooklyn for lunch and went down to the East River to look at the NYC Skyline. I made dinner and we had some wine and watched the NBA Dunk Competition. As you can tell it was a very romantic night! :) I want to give a quick shout out to Nate Robinson of the NY Knicks for winning the dunk competition!!

Busy Basketball Week

2009-02-06T16:34:00.005-05:00

Shawn has had a super busy week at work. The Knicks played the Lakers on Monday (Kobe had 61, ouch) The Cavs on Wed. (LeBron had a 52 point triple double....triple ouch) and tonight they play the Celtics.
Shawn also had to work a Rangers game this week. They were retiring a guys number, so the Stanley Cup was there.On top of three basketball games and work, I also went to see James Morrison at the Highline Ballroom. He put on a great show. For those of you who don't know his music it's worth checking out!Oh yeah, we also hosted a Super Bowl Party.

Vienna and Obama

2009-01-28T13:04:00.003-05:00

I though I should write a little about my day in Vienna. It was inauguration day, and I thought it was really interesting to be in Austria for President Obama's inauguration. We had a tasting and a presentation prior to our dinner at a great restaurant in Vienna. We were able to make it to the restaurant by 6 p.m. (noon on the East Coast 1/20/09.)

As soon as we arrived at the restaurant everyone on our trip, along with some locals, gathered around the small TV to watch our 44th president be sworn in. There was a silence in the air as we watched history take place. Every Austrian we ran into keep say "Yes We Can." I figured if there are three words that people know in English, it seemed to be those! Everyone was so excited for our country, it seemed like there were only Obama supporters in Austria. I though that was a great sign that not only the US, but the world seem to be excited about the change of power in Washington!

When the swearing in was over, we got many toasts from all of the locals. It was a pretty cool moment!

Here are a few Vienna pictures. We were only there for a little over a day, and I was feeling sick, but I had to stick it out and see the sights.