DESPITE DELAY...

Okay people, let's not forget that I had a baby a month ago, and with an almost 2-year-old also running around the place, I have very little time to tell you about my days. And it's not like my days are that exciting anyways. You know what the highlight of my day has been for the past few weeks - my morning walk pushing Griffin in his stroller (and sometimes accompanied by other family members) to the nearby Starbucks, where I enjoy a skinny vanilla latte and a pumpkin scone. Since Adrian and I are starting our new "get fit" schedules tomorrow, I now don't even have that to look forward to anymore. Instead, I will have to make do with vanilla yogurt and pumpkin granola before the walk. Especially since my New York trainer is headed out to California soon and her visit gives me motivation to start the journey back to my former self. In the meantime, we spend our days making sure Griffin isn't crying and Jack is entertained. Oh, and trying to sneak in some sleep too. It doesn't sound like much, but it's quite fulfilling at the moment and we are happy to be so blessed.

THEY'RE MAGIC

When we painted the interior of our house, doors included, we picked not only an eco-friendly paint, but also one that was supposed to be easy to clean. But then it turned out that it wasn't that easy. The soap and water method that the painter guy told us would work simply wouldn't take off the little smudges and fingerprints that constantly appeared on our doors (I guess that's what we get for having white doors). Anyways, I know those magic erasers have been out forever, and I'm sure you already know about their magic, but I was never sold on the idea that this little scrubber could really work as well as they say it does. However, I've been converted! Our first foray into the magic erasers wasn't even into the "Magic Erasers" - we bought a generic brand! But when that first small scrub took off those grubby fingerprints, I was hooked. I use it everywhere, and every time it works its magic, I run to tell Adrian how much I love it. Last night, I cleaned every key on my white (and disgustingly dirty) keyboard and now it looks brand new. We finally even purchased the Mr. Clean brand name ones, but haven't used them just yet. I can only imagine how great those are going to be, if the generics have me this much in love.

LIKE F, LIKE S

You know, I can only hope that our second little guy gets as much of Adrian's calm and undauntable personality traits as Jack did. Honestly, nothing seems to faze the kid. He seems to be the world's best child traveler - never complaining, even as a baby, about time changes, airplane flights, schedule disruptions. He adapts to any new environment - the kid, only 22 months old, has now lived at three different residences, with three different room arrangements (and I almost want to count our Comfort Inn Room #317 as a fourth since we stayed there so often). This week, we officially transitioned him to his big boy bed, and we were overly prepared. We bought the twin mattress (no boxspring), put it on the floor, added those swim wacky noodles all around the border that isn't against the wall. Then we bought the foam mats to go around the bed, so he wouldn't crack his skull on the times he actually crawls out of it. We bought tension rods for his closet doors, so he can't get into those by himself. We searched and searched for the perfect dresser - and ended up with a small storage unit meant for a garage, but is really, really cute - and placed the monitor and sound machine on that with all the dangerous cords hidden behind it. We were more than ready. It's now been two nights, and two naps, and that kid has slept like a champ. He has yet to climb out - all four awakenings have found him sitting in the middle of the bed surrounded by his stuffed animals (I think having those helps a lot), patiently waiting for us to come get him. It's actually a little shocking, and I'm not going to say that it's going to last forever, but for right now, Jack gets my vote for World's Most Adaptable Kid - but then I realize he is Adrian's son, after all.

IN PLACE

We're in place - here at our new home, and have been for three weeks now. (Wow, time flies!) Our furniture is all in place; including all the new stuff we've bought or built (sometimes I think we never leave IKEA or Home Depot). Of course, not every room is done just yet, but we're getting there. I feel so bad every time I walk down the hallway on the bedroom side of the house because Griffin's room is all in place and just waiting his arrival. Since it's just Jack's old room but placed here in California, it wasn't hard to do. I even washed the newborn clothes yesterday and put the bassinet for our room together today just in case anything unexpected should happen. Then you get to Jack's room and there's absolutely nothing in it except his Pack'n'Play and his new twin mattress sitting on the floor. No furniture, no wall decorations, nothing in place yet, but it's a work in progress so I hope he forgives us. His new favorite word, and actually the one he now says the clearest, is "bus" - and he loves to point them out on his new sheets, which are decorated with an assortment of vehicles. It's so hot right now I can't really think straight, but I promised my mom I would write a blog tonight, so that's all you're going to get. Now that my computer is finally set up, things on my end will start picking up...for at least the next 33 days that is.

3 DAYS...

Three days left, and this will be my last posting for a bit since we have to return both our cable box and router to Time Warner tomorrow afternoon. Maybe I'll be motivated enough to try to write a post from my phone, but I'm not promising anything. Today was a big day for both me and Adrian. We officially said good-bye to people who truly changed our lives - our trainers/instructors. I had my last workout with Charlotte this morning. I wasn't sure if it was going to be our last one - I had hoped to fit one more in, but our schedules just wouldn't allow it, so I bid farewell - yes, I shed some tears. I know I'll see her again on our visits back, but it's going to be so weird not to see her three times a week. She was more than a trainer to me; she was almost like a therapist, as well as a friend. I plan to make her proud and get this baby weight off by myself this time around, with the help of our home gym, but it won't be as fun or as easy without her. As for Adrian, he had his belt test today - and he did it! He is now officially a blue belt, and I'm so proud of him. Even with all the teasing I do about how obsessed he is with jiu-jitsu - from the expensive books he buys off of Amazon to the YouTube videos he watches relentlessly to the many seminars and classes he goes to - I can't help but be proud of him for being so devoted to something he loves (as long as it never replaces me, of course). He really liked his instructor and I know they really liked him (they moved his belt test specifically so he could get his blue belt with them before moving!), so even though he's tried many different places in the Bay Area, and found one he liked, I know it isn't as good as the one here in NYC. So I left in tears, and Adrian left with a pretty blue belt; not bad for a day's work...