Friday, May 30, 2014

5 on Friday

Right now, I am currently on the road headed toward Mississippi!  Jack and I left (hopefully) bright and early Thursday.  If you were feeling brave, I suppose one could do the drive in just a day.  But it's 17 hours, so we like to split it up and stay with some good friends of ours in Nashville.

But I missed last Friday, so I thought I would pre-write a 5 on Friday post.  


O     N     E

Have y'all seen this movie yet?


I don't know how Bech and I missed this movie coming out.  It's by the same people as Little Miss Sunshine and Juno, two of our favorites!  I read about The Way Way Back on someone's blog recently and found it at our local Redbox.  

Y'all.  This movie is so good.  Bech and I absolutely loved it.  I don't know that everyone will love it (I think Bech and I have quirky tastes).  But if you liked Little Miss Sunshine (and that style of humor), you should watch this movie.


T     W     O

I got so tickled the other day.  My sister, brother-in-law, and a group from their church went to a Maryland beach for Memorial Day.  On the way back, they obviously stopped at Sonic, as evidenced by the three instagram pictures I saw in a row (all three from Souther sojourners).

Part of why it was so funny to me?  I do the same thing.  You better believe that I will be instagramming all of my Southern favorites in the next couple of weeks:  Sonic, snowcones, Cups, Sakura Bana...


T     H     R     E     E

I think I've mentioned this before, but Bech and I have the hardest time finding a show that we both like.  But last fall we got really into this show, Suits:


And they just put season 3 on Amazon Prime.  It's such a good show!  Anyone else watch it?  


F     O     U     R

I don't know why, but I've been a little nervous about this trip home.  As you read this, we are in day 2, so hopefully everything has gone smoothly!  I have done this drive with Jack by myself before, and it was great.  So I'm not sure where all of the nervousness is coming from.

You should see my car set up--I have books on cd from the library, every Indelible Grace, Andrew Peterson, and David Wilcox cd (I'm taking Bech's truck which doesn't have an aux cord), plus toys and treats for Jack.

I think my nervousness comes from traveling with a now potty trained almost 3 year old and a 6 month pregnant woman...we might be stopping a lot more than in the past!


F     I     V     E

On Wednesday night, I helped host a lingerie shower/bachelorette for the RUF intern at PSU.  She loves whiskey and cigars, so we made it mustache themed.  Not your typical bachelorette theme, but really fun!

Since I am writing this ahead of time, I don't have any pictures to share (but I will share some later!).  But I did want to share a recipe.  I made these Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes.  They are so yummy!  I don't love the taste of beer, but the sweet cream cheese frosting balanced it all out.  It's sort of a strange recipe--no butter!--but the cupcakes were incredibly moist and really delicious.  


Have a wonderful weekend.  Just think, by the time you read this, I will be back in the SOUTH!


Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Our Week in NYC

We are home from a fun, long week in NYC with Bech's parents.  We had a wonderful time!


S     U     N     D     A     Y

We decided to take the Megabus to NYC.  We weren't sure how parking would be, so we didn't want to drive.  And the train was the same price, but we would have had to drive 45 minutes to Lewistown (the nearest station), then leave our car there for 7 days.  So Megabus it was!

Jack was SO excited about riding the bus.  We talked it up for about a month before hand.  And I gave him Bertie the bus (a Thomas vehicle) when we got on the bus.  We were lucky enough to snag the 4 seats that face each other, and Bech's classmate, Eric, who happened to be on the same bus, sat with us (a decision he may be regretting now...).

He really did pretty well.  He would NOT sleep on that bus ride, though!  He was a little wiggly and, sometimes, a little loud, but overall it was a good trip.  



When we got to the city, we grabbed a taxi to take us out to Brooklyn, where Bech's parents had rented an apartment.  And Jack fell asleep within 5 minutes of that taxi ride.  Of course.

We ordered in Chinese and Korean food and hung out with Bech's parents and brother in the apartment.

(A lot of nights were like that, just hanging out in the apartment, which was perfect for Jack, and for his pregnant momma!)


M     O     N     D     A     Y

Monday was probably our most tiring day (and definitely the day we walked the most!).  Bech's little brother just finished culinary school and is going to be working in the city at Cafe Boulud.  He is renting an apartment in Brooklyn, near Prospect Park, but he has no furniture.  So Monday morning we headed to Ikea to fix that.

After a morning at Ikea (and some Ikea cinnamon rolls...yum!), we headed to Hunter's apartment to drop off some purchases.  The big items were scheduled to be delivered on Tuesday.  We got back on the subway and headed to Chinatown.

Chinatown is crazy and a little overwhelming!  But we found a fun little restaurant for a late lunch/early dinner.  We had fun looking around, and Bech got some brushes to use for glazing pottery.


We headed back and sat on the rooftop of our apartment for a while, watching the sunset in Brooklyn.  My mother-in-law has a fitbit (which I am now obsessed with)--we walked 7 miles the first day!  Needless to say, we all went to bed pretty early!


T     U     E     S     D     A     Y

Tuesday was definitely a Jack day!

Tuesday morning, Hunter headed back to Hyde Park for two more classes before CIA graduation, Mr. John (my father-in-law) headed to Hunter's apartment to wait for the furniture delivery, and Miss Karey (my mother-in-law), Bech, Jack, and I headed to Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn. 


This zoo was so fun and cute.  It is not big at all, but that was perfect for Jack.  He loved playing and seeing all the animals, especially the monkeys.


But is favorite thing was the petting zoo, where he fed the goats and sheep.  I was really surprised...my kid screams if a butterfly gets near him!  But he LOVED this part.  In fact, now he tells us that his favorite animal is a goat!

We found a cute little pizza place, Gino's Trattoria, nearby for lunch, then headed to the Brooklyn Children's museum, where Mr. John met us.


And, of course, Jack fell asleep 5 minutes before we got to the museum.  We let him take a cat nap, then woke him up a little early to play.  I left my phone with the stroller, so I didn't get any pictures of him in the museum.  But he had a blast!  I am a sucker for Children's museums, and this one was really fun.  I felt like it was really unique.  

We headed back to the apartment and had another fun night in.


W     E     D     N     E     S     D     A     Y

Wednesday morning, we all split up.  Mr. John hung out at the apartment.  Bech and his mom hit Union Square for some shopping, and Jack and I headed out to meet some Mississippi people living in New York.

Jack and I had fun visiting with our new friends (although Jack was NOT on his best behaviour...sorry, Sarah Denley!).  And I loved the excitement of being all along with Jack in New York...terrifying and thrilling at the same time!

We met up with Mr. John near the subway stop, then headed into Union Square for lunch at Republic (which was one of my favorite meals!).  After lunch, we split up again:  Bech and his dad went to the Whitney to check out the Biennial show, and Miss Karey, Jack, and I went to Central Park (with a stop by Dylan's Candy Bar first!). 


We thought surely Jack would fall asleep walking around the park, but he was too excited!  We stopped for a snack break (Spiderman popsicle, of course!), looked at the sailboats, and played like we were John Smith.

We met back up with Bech and his dad, ate dinner at a local diner, then split up again.  Bech and his dad went to a Dorothy Parker reading, and Miss Karey and I took Jack home for bed.


T     H     U     R     S     D     A     Y

Thursday was our LONG day.  We got up at 5:30 a.m. and didn't get home until 9ish.

Thursday morning, we took the 7:15 train from Grand Central to Poughkeepsie to go to Hunter's graduation from the CIA (Culinary Institute of America).  After the graduation, there was a reception with tons of fancy food prepared by CIA students.  Seriously...think Top Chef and Iron Chef worthy.


Jack isn't much of a foodie.  But he couldn't resist playing with Uncle Hunter's chef hat.  Future chef, perhaps?

We loaded up Hunter's dorm room and rode the train back to the city.  After unloading all of his luggage at his new place, we went to Momofuku for a celabratory dinner.

I didn't really eat the duck dinner, but I did enjoy a cereal milk milkshake from the Milk Bar after dinner!


F     R     I     D     A     Y

I think Friday may have been Jack's favorite day!  We headed out a little later and hit up FAO Schwartz first.  Jack is still talking about the big toy store!  We had told Jack that he could get one "happy" at the store.  The first thing he wanted was a medium sized Woody (from Toy Story) doll.  We tried to talk him out of it by walking all over the store and pointing out tons of different, fun toys...I mean, we have three Woody's at home!  But this boy wanted that doll...so now we have four Woody's.

We headed to UNIQLO next.  Bech's parents have been raving about this store since they first went up to NYC to drop Hunter off.  And it was really cool.  No maternity section, but Bech got some cute pants.  I have now made a shopping trip to UNIQLO one of my motivators to lose the baby weight this fall!  

And while we were there, two friends, Jeff and Angeline (who is a classics professor at UVM) headed over to meet up with us).  I haven't seen Angeline since we moved from Vermont...it was great to catch up with her!  Plus she has a conference around the New Year in NOLA, so I'm hoping I can see her in 6 months too!


Not the best picture, but you get the idea.


We headed to the LEGO store next.  Jack is OBSESSED with Lego's.  He loves building and playing with his duplo sets.  He was in heaven in that store!  Plus his grandparents may have bought him a couple of birthday presents.

We had lunch outside (the weather was amazing the whole week!), then headed to Eataly to check it out.  Um...that place is amazing!  It was really crowded.  I don't know if it was the time (mid afternoon Friday) or the start of Memorial Day weekend.  I would love to go back at an earlier, less crowded time and check out the whole store.  

We headed home and had another lazy night in.


S     A     T     U     R     D     A     Y

We decided to check out the Brooklyn Flea Market in the morning.  I enjoyed that, but my favorite was actually a market we stumbled onto a little later.  As we left the flea market and headed for the subway, we ran into a once a year African market.  AH-MAZING.  I bought a happy for myself and a present for my goddaughter's first birthday.  Most of the vendors were from West Africa, and I loved talking to them!

We headed into Manhattan, wandered around the Union Square Farmer's Market (which is really fun!), and had a late lunch/brunch at Resto.  Since I didn't take any pictures all Saturday, here's a shot of Resto that I found online:



It was super yummy.  We let Jack play around at Union Square in the park before heading home.  Hunter made us an amazing dinner (having a chef bro-in-law definitely has its perks!).


S     U     N     D     A     Y

Ever have one of those days where everything works out really well?  Sunday was that for us!  

You can't call a taxi to come pick you up in Brooklyn.  You can call a car service, but that's twice as much!  Bech walked a couple of blocks away and was able to hail a cab to take us into Manhattan to the Megabus stop.  We got to the stop two hours early, but there was an earlier Megabus heading to State College.  There was room (and a really nominal fee) and we got to switch to the earlier trip!  Then we were able to get four seats facing each other again, and Jack fell asleep!


Seriously, it was great...everything just kept working out!  Jack did pretty well on the second Megabus trip, and we got home an hour and a half earlier than we thought we would.  

We had such a wonderful time in NYC.  And now that Hunter has an apartment there, I see a couple more trips in our future...!

Monday, May 26, 2014

24 Weeks!


I am a slacker!  I didn't post last week (we were in NYC for a week!) and I don't have a picture today.  But here's a fruit picture, which my mother will hate.

How Far Along: 
 
I am 24 weeks today!

 Baby Size:

The baby is 8 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 pounds in weight--about the size of an ear of corn (or a cantelope, according to the picture above).

Maternity Clothes:
 
Yup.  I just ordered a pair of maternity shorts, too.  I feel like I have reached an all time low in doing so, but it's getting hot!  I also need to start looking for a maternity bathing suit.
 
Sleep:

It is so up in the air.  Some nights are great and some nights are awful!

Movement:

My child kicks ALL of the time.  Seriously.  It is really fun, but it does make me worry about him when he comes out...

Best Moment This Week:

Having lots of fun in New York! 

Food Cravings:

Candy!  And cold fountain drinks!  

I know...SO healthy!

Food Aversions:

Most things savory

What I Miss:
 
Snowcones...less than a week.

At the Brooklyn Flea Market on Saturday, there was a cool snowcone booth.  The owners were shaving their own ice and I'm sure the flavors were made from real fruit.  Bech tried to buy me one.  But I didn't want it because I'm going to have MS. GUSSIE'S so soon.  

I think those moments really make Bech question both my sanity and why we are married.

What I Am Looking Forward To:

Being in Mississippi.  And Sonic ice.  And snow cones.  And Smith county watermelon. And sitting on the front porch and rocking.  

I could keep going, but I'll stop.  I think you get the picture.

Milestones:

I've hit the viability point!  

Pregnancy Symptoms:

My hips hurt so much!  We walked a TON in New York, which was great, but my hips are really feeling it.
 
Gender:
 
A boy!

Jack is still having a little trouble with this one.  He tried to argue with me yesterday that the baby was really a girl.  I am so confused...I thought boys wanted little brothers!

Weight Gain:
 
15 pounds.  We ate a ton in NYC but we walked so much so it mostly cancelled out.  Now I need to do the same in Mississippi to cancel out the snowcones...

Friday, May 16, 2014

5 on Friday



5 on Friday Time!


O     N     E

We leave for New York in 2 days!

Bech's little brother is graduating from the CIA (as a chef, not a spy) next week.  Bech's parents rented an apartment in Brooklyn, so we are going to spend the week together (and head over to Hyde Park on Thursday for the graduation).

We are also taking the megabus to NYC...which may end up being a completely dumb decision.  It was the same price as the train, and we would have had to drive at least 45 minutes to the nearest train station.  Usually Jack is a champion traveler, so we shall see!


T     W     O

Bech is back!  YAY!!!

Bech got back about dinner time on Wednesday.  Jack and I are both so happy to have him home!  This morning, Jack just kept telling Bech, "Daddy, I missed you so much!"

Which is great, because Wednesday morning he said, "Daddy coming home today.  Mommy, you 'member Daddy?"


T     H     R     E     E

Since Bech was gone for Mother's Day, he helped me pick out my Mother's Day present today.


Aren't they cute?  I know I was in love with the Jonathan Adler ones, but these seemed just a little bit more wearable.


The best part, I got some major deals:

-- Toms has free shipping for orders over $25 (I think that is still going on for at least another month of so).

-- If you use the code SUMMER15, you get $5 off of your order.

-- I went in through ebates and get 15% cash back on my order.

***sidenote, if you are not using ebates, you are crazy!  You make an account (here's the link), look for stores through their site first, and earn cash back.  I never earn that much, because I don't buy a ton online.  But every six months, I get a check for at least $10.  Obviously, if you shop a lot online, you would make more. ***

-- If you end up ordering any Toms (and haven't ordered through their site before), go through this link: http://friend.toms.com/x/ptwTum
You will get $20 off and I will get a $20 credit...win win!


F     O     U     R

In two weeks, Jack and I will be in the SOUTH!  AHHHH!  Seriously, we are both so excited. 

I can't wait to sit in the rocking chairs on the front porch in Brookhaven, smell all of the late spring/early summer Mississippi flowers, eat lots of yummy southern food, see friends and family, and just relax.  I really do love some things about the north, but there is something about summers in Mississippi...


F     I     V     E

I have no five :(

I am straight out of ideas.  I think my brain is still toast after 9 days of single parenting!


Have a wonderful weekend!

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

21 and 22 Week Updates

I actually had a picture for my 21 week update, but Bech took the camera it was on with him.  So I am just going to cram the two weeks together, pictureless.



How Far Along: 
 
I am 22 weeks, 2 days.

 Baby Size:

The baby is 8 inches long and 1 pound in weight--about the size of a spaghetti squash.

Maternity Clothes:
 
Yup.  And a friend just gave me some of her maternity short sleeve tops, which is great! Jack was born in June, so I don't have a ton of warmer weather maternity clothes.
 
Sleep:

It is starting to get bad again, but not too quickly.  Let's hope I can enjoy some good sleep before 3rd trimester starts!

Movement:

This baby kicks like nobody's business.

I am also very worried that I have another little wild child in here!

Best Moment This Week:

Jack got to feel the baby kick!  He though it was fun at first, but now he's not really that interested.

Food Cravings:

Ice water and fountain drinks

Food Aversions:

meat...yuck

What I Miss:
 
Snowcones.  But I will have one in 2 1/2 weeks.

Sidenote, Mom, when I roll into town, I want to go straight to a snowcone stand.  Bonus points if we are in Brookhaven and go to Ms. Gussies.

What I Am Looking Forward To:

Being in the South!

Oh, I think it means as far as the baby is concerned.  Um...yeah, I'm still going to go with BEING IN THE SOUTH!

Milestones:

Isn't the fact that I have housed another human being for 22 weeks an accomplishment in itself?

Pregnancy Symptoms:

Heartburn.  Also my hips are killing me!
 
Gender:
 
A boy!

Weight Gain:
 
12 pounds.  Now if I can just gain a pound or less a week until this baby is born, I can keep the total gain to 30 pounds or less!


Friday, May 9, 2014

5 on Friday


O     N     E

Bech is currently out of town for 9 days.  

Yup, 9 days.  If you are paying attention, that is longer than this trip was originally supposed to be.  Ugh.

Let's just say that Jack and I have eaten a lot of poptarts, watched a lot of Netflix, and have tried to keep very busy.  Solo parenting is hard!  Seriously, if you are reading this and you are a single parent, you are AMAZING!


T     W     O

Have y'all ever used a Coke freestyle machine?


Look, I'm not going so far as to say it's as good as Sonic (because Sonic has happy hour, styrofoam cups, and Sonic ice!), but Coke freestyle drinks are pretty awesome.

The Burger King down the road has one.  Pretty sure cherry Sprites are going to get me through the rest of this pregnancy.


T     H     R     E     E

I need some baby #2 advice.  By the time the new baby gets here, Jack will be 3 years and 3 months old.  So it's not like he will want to ride in a stroller all of the time.  But I do like to walk to the park and the library, and I don't want Jack just walking along side my single stroller (Britax B-Agile).  

I've thought about getting this stroller:


The Britax B Agile double stroller.  I love the single version, so I know that this will be a good stroller, especially for walks.  But it's a side by side, and thus wide.

Anyone have a tandem stroller?  What kind?  Of course, the Britax B-Ready and City Select both have the ability to be tandem strollers...but they are really expensive!  

Any advice would be very welcome!


F     O     U     R

Back before Jack was in daycare, we were starting to struggle with naps.  Then he was in daycare and did amazing with naps.

And now he's home again and the nap battles are on!

Seriously, why won't my kid nap?  


I have won 3 out of the past 4 days, so I consider that a victory of sorts.  And I know he needs the nap...he is a total grump when he doesn't have a nap!  Any toddler nap tricks?


F     I     V     E

Jack and I are heading to Mississippi in 3 weeks...AH!  I am so ready to be back in the South for a couple of weeks.  

I have so many people I want to see and so many things I want to do.

But at the top of the list:


A snowcone from Miss Gussies/Snowhaven!  Sadly, when I looked through instagram for a snowcone picture, I discovered that I have 4 snowcone pictures.  Obsessed much?


I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Friday, May 2, 2014

Five on Friday

Time for another Five on Friday, aka brain dump!


O     N     E

Remember that time I found out the gender and didn't even put it on my blog?


Oops!

I really wasn't trying to be mean.  I put it on facebook and just never got around to sharing it on our blog.  But as you can see, the Evans will be sticking with team boy for this go around.

Jack actually wanted a girl, but I think he is warming up to the idea of a brother.  I know, he does look super excited in this picture.  What really happened is that I told him he could not eat the cupcake unless he gave me an excited face.  Just being honest...


T     W     O

This week as been my first week off, and we have not slowed down!  Yesterday was the only day that we didn't have morning plans, but we took Bech dinner that night.  I think I just have wanted to catch up on so many things!  

But next week, we will be taking it a little more slowly...because...


T     H     R     E     E

I am solo parenting for 8 days.

Yup, 8 days.  I may just die.

Bech is going on a pottery tour as an assistant to his professor.  It is a super awesome opportunity and I know he will have an AMAZING time.  But 8 days.  Goodness.


F      O     U     R

I am always looking for new shoes to get into.  And based on the fact that I have watched almost every season of Murder, She Wrote and Agatha Christie's Jane Marple mysteries, Netflix finally gave me a good suggestion:


The Bletchley Circle

Y'all, this show is so good.  It's a PBS show.  Each episode is about 45 minutes, and there are 3 episodes first season (not sure about second season, I am starting it tonight!).  It is about women who secretly worked as code breakers during World War II and are now working secretly at catching serial killers.  


Jack skipped his nap today, which means he went to bed super early.  Which means I am going to end this one early and curl up in bed with the second season of The Bletchley Circle.  Have a wonderful weekend!