animal encounter.

it was so random, i had to make a movie about it.

pigeons.

my darling neighbor came over and helped me out- apparently she's done this before???

after the pigeons departure, i was left with a duvet of pigeon droppings and enough feathers to stuff my own pillows.

oh the adventure continues!!

black and white.

a state of emergency was proclaimed this past week as the 600th snow storm passed through the city. coming from utah, land of snow and mountains, i'm hardly ever phased by these little flurries. but new yorkers on the other hand- BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES. it snowed really hard for like 6 hours, then it started to rain. the end result looked something like this >>>>


Snit & Slush


oh- snit is a common term i've heard amongst the locals here.. you can imagine what it means. lots of dogs + lots of snow = not a very pretty snow.


on a different note: our couch finally came!!
on a bummer note: apparently it was a curbside drop off.
which means: it was up to secret and i to get the couch up to the fifth floor. *it's a sleeper sofa, and therefore weighs 800lbs.

elevator??

of course it doesn't fit!

carry it up the 5 flights of stairs??

only option! but we couldn't do it, so thank you craigslist for suggesting these movers!! this was on the 3rd floor. i'm sure he's looking out that window thinking "what the heck did i agree to??" after that i heard a few choice words :l

but then, after scraping the paint off the door and a fresh rip on the back… it was in the apartment.

 badabing-badaboom! our first couch ever. tis true! we've never owned a couch until now. secret did a good job picking it out. so come one, come all, help us keep it warm!

with that extremely depressing movie earlier, let's end on a good note! today the sun is shining! the sky is blue again! and we ventured out to the magnificent MET museum! it was wonderful! not only is the building itself stunning, so is their collection! i was so tickled to stumble across my favorite monet! just tickled!

have a great week everyone! let's pray for some warmer weather! (unless of course you're in CA, where some of you have reminded me that it's a balmy 70 degrees there… don't even get me started!)

winter in new york.

here on this cold winters night i find myself truly, 100% over winter. why, amanda! you say, you grew up in utah! aren't you used to all this cold and snow? why, yes i am. but for some reason this one is just particularly… dank. yes, dank. but despite this "dankness", i'm required to document our experiences here for our progeny.

so this week i established my very own cafe crawl. i've decided to visit 3 new cafes a week in hopes of better discovering my neighborhood and to enjoy the charming cafe scene here in NY. plus, the baby really loves hot cocoa, so i'm trying to be a good mother and let her enjoy it in moderation;)

1st cafe: Bel Ami, on 68th and Madison. DELICIOUS palmiers, average hot cocoa. charming little place though! loved the french music!

2nd cafe: Bocado Cafe, 87th and Lexington. average hot cocoa (i think it came from a packet), but good (just good) crepes. the mr. and i split a nutella crepe and it was very satisfying! it's a sit down cafe, but the ambiance is just delightful! [are you getting tired of these adjectives???]

>>> the pigeons here are so funny! on the row of trees outside our building they just huddle together on the branches and make their little cooing noise… i love it! i think it's a particularly fun characteristic of new york.

 >>> finally, the sun!!!

things i like about new york so far:
1- being able to walk EVERYWHERE. i rarely take the subway- too many germs.
2- the fashion. women 45+ in particular! i love their fur coats and hats (PETA is probably going nuts), and it's hilarious when they have their little yorkies in boots and a sweater. besides that, people here just have such a great sense of style!
3- townhouses- they are epic! i can't say anymore until you get here and see for yourself. i am truly so happy for who ever gets to live in those stunning homes.

things i dislike:
1- everyone SMOKES! okay, slight exaggeration, BUT i am constantly dodging smokers and holding my breath. isn't this the 21st century, people?! don't you know… smoking kills?!?  sometimes i just feel they are being selfish smoking right in front of me, making me breathe their bad choices. don't worry, i've become a VERY fast walker because of it. so maybe i should thank them for making my calves so toned…? HAHA!
2- the police sirens. all i can say is that police must get such a kick out of those things. it honestly sounds like the t-rex from jurassic park. it's completely frightening + annoying. if you can't hear it in your head after the t-rex description, imagine what a "zombie alert siren" would sound like. if you still can't imagine it, call me, i can do the exact noise, and it'll terrify you.
3- i have to say it: cost of living. i have not gotten used to spending $5.50 on a box of cereal yet. i never will. we have started to eat very boring cereals because i refuse to spend more than $4- which is still crazy!! maybe that's why people here are so skinny, they have chosen to forgo eating in order to shop at bloomingdales and have a roof over their heads. heavens knows you can't have it all.


enough about NYC. i'm sure i'll form more opinions over the next couple months, but for now let's just look at how i'm BUSTING out of my pants… >>>>

i don't want to complain because i know i'm very blessed, but can i just be honest?

i had a good friend back in california who absolutely LOVED being pregnant! she took on this "pregnant hippy" thing and rocked flowy dresses and ate "food of the earth" and just giggled all day because it was "good for the baby". 

i've kind of taken on this "what the HECK is going on here, this is not natural" thing. i feel like at any moment she is going to pop outta here, which is hilarious considering i'm only half way. i know this is totally normal and natural, but it's just so weird! plus she is constantly moving around, which is the same feeling as when you have gas (at least in my opinion), so i have to remind myself "oh, don't worry, it's not a fart, it's a baby…"

and THAT, is the HONEST truth. 

and on that note, we'll end there:)

baby: one. mom: ten.

secret insists that other people don't like looking at other people's ultrasounds, but i'm under the impression that because this blog is sort of like our "journal", and our family and friends are all here it's probably okay to share these with you. and heck! if you don't like looking at these, just click on over to pinterest, i won't even be offended!

badabing-badaboom! je vous présente: notre bebe!

22 week official statistical report:

baby growth: weighs 1 pound and is 5 inches long from head to bum. mom growth: gained 10 pounds. {this is probably the only time in a woman's life when it's okay to say that in a public place.} dad growth: same. baby movements: LOTS. secret felt her move this week for the first time. magical! what i'm wearing: i can no longer button any of my normal pants! zippers are starting to fall down!! getting a little nervous about the prospect of "maternity clothes"- so dipped my toe in and got my first pair of maternity pants. let's just say secret looked at them with the most perplexed look and asked "what is going on here?" so innocent. nursery progress: crib assembled. changing table assembled. bedding put together. next: accessories. 

>>> this child was insistent about having her hands up during the entire ultrasound. but at the very end i felt her change her mind and they slowly starting coming down... 

>>> atta girl!!! although secret is proud of her for "having her dukes up", i feel there is no need to protect yourself in the womb, so for heavens sake, show us your face!!

>>> OH, yep! and it's a girl! a girl with 10 fingers and 10 toes. we are feeling very blessed! >>>

it's been DISGUSTING weather here in NYC the past 2 weeks. i'm dying to get out and about without 21 layers of clothing and just explore!!! i've complied a list of "observations" about this city though, and next time i'll share them! let's just say, this city never ceases to surprise….

au revior!