Take Me Back to the Start

I love the Upper West Side. I love the apartment Alex and I shared in a beautiful pre-war building right by the subway. It was the first place we lived together as just the 2 of us. There are so many wonderful memories from the past 6 years that we've enjoyed at The Verdi in 11C or as we affectionately call him, Clarence. I love our doormen and the friendly building staff. I love that we know our neighbors. What I didn't love, is the fact that there's only 1 bedroom in our apartment when we will soon need 2. And so, we knew a move to a bigger apartment was required.

It's been an interesting time to move as we have not yet found a buyer or renter for our one-bedroom. We're hopeful that when things open up again in NYC, there will be some movement on the real estate market. Clarence has a lot going for him! Here he is in all his glory (plus a view from our roof deck):

As for where we've moved, the location is a familiar one for both Alex and me. We began our lives in Yorkville on the Upper East Side and we've returned. We're settling in to our new home very slowly and it will likely be a while before it truly feels like our place. We've got 2 bedrooms, a large living room, and 2 bathrooms. The bathrooms and kitchen are brand new (appliances, fixtures, finishes) as is the bamboo flooring. We went to 4 modest closets to 8 decently sized ones. It's been wonderful putting everything in order and tucking all of our things out of sight.

The building itself, The Barclay, is a newer building with less charm but more polish than our last place. The staff has been friendly and welcoming despite wearing masks, social distancing, and the circumstances of our move during the pandemic. A few of our neighbors have reached out with lovely notes of welcome. There's a playroom and a playground in the interior of the building which make it an ideal place for a baby during the coronavirus outbreak. We'll have access to a gym, a lounge, a roof deck, and an interior courtyard with a lovely outdoor area. The building offers complimentary bus service to the nearby subway stations and is directly on a crosstown bus route. 

But the best part about our new location is that we'll be close to Alex's parents, his sister, my aunt, and my cousin and we're still just a short trip out to Long Island to visit my mom and brother. With our little addition arriving soon, we couldn't think of a better place to be!

First is the Worst, Second is the Best

Or so they say...



With the first trimester behind me, my anxiety calmed significantly. I continued meditating, seeing my therapist, and taking extra good care of myself.

I'd been told that the nausea of the first trimester would simply vanish. I was very skeptical. But it totally did!

I saw the doctor significantly less than in my first trimester - monthly appointments with my OBGYN and 2 fetal anatomy scans at the hospital. I had a screening test for neural tube defects which came back normal. I was tested for gestational diabetes, which I thankfully do not have.

But not everything was magic and sunshine.

Starting the 15th week, sleeping suddenly became super uncomfortable. My poor hips were so incredibly sore it felt like I'd taken some falls during a run on the slopes. A pregnancy pillow solved that problem. It also now takes over the entire bed!

I had a short stint at the hospital at 18 weeks after a 12 hour migraine. I had been experiencing some intermittent dizziness, shortness of breath, and my heart was racing at times. I figured - I'm pregnant, so of course I don't feel like my normal self. My blood pressure had been measuring high throughout my pregnancy but I chalked it up to nerves. All of these things combined gave my doctor pause. I was monitored at the hospital and had some blood work done. My doctor sent me home with instructions to regularly check my blood pressure. I was given a test to measure the protein in my urine. We played the wait and see game since it looked as if I was just on the cusp of developing pre-eclampsia.

In week 22 at my fetal anatomy scan, the doctor at the hospital found some uterine scarring (likely a result of the D&C I had). They also noticed calcification on the baby's heart but told me not to worry yet (yeah right!). So it was determined I'd return to the hospital for another advanced scan at the start of my third trimester.

In week 23, the doctor informed me that I would be delivering early and would be induced a few weeks before my due date because of my super high blood pressure. She reassured me that we would re-assess the situation and make decisions in real time but for now, I was looking at a May birth.

In week 24, acid reflux started to rear its ugly head. Mylanta became my new best friend.

I thought the second trimester was supposed to be the golden trimester when you could pamper yourself and take it easy. This was not the case for me. No prenatal massages due to my high blood pressure. No indulgent eating due to my constant heartburn. And  no resting easy due to the many little hurdles I faced.

Baby prep was in full force. We began the very long and tedious process of applying to daycare on the Upper East Side and I'm thrilled to say our tiny lady will be starting at a lovely daycare in September. We locked down a pediatrician for our little one and had an orientation with her team of doctors. I mapped out all the things we'd need for our newest family member and we purchased a bunch of must-have items. We put our one-bedroom apartment on the market and lined up a great two-bedroom rental to move to in April. So many things to do before the arrival of our bundle of joy!

If I could sum up the second trimester of my pregnancy in one word it would be busy. So many unexpected (and sometimes scary!) things cropping up out of the blue. Heaps of planning, tons of tasks, so much thinking about a new little human who we can't wait to meet!!

California Here We Come

When Alex and I were looking for a warm place to greet the new decade, we did a whole lot of research. He wanted to hike, I wanted to walk on the beach. He wanted fancy restaurants, I wanted a place with a bit of culture. We settled on San Diego and we couldn't have picked a better spot!

We stayed at the Park Hyatt in Carlsbad, a beautiful resort outside of the hustle and bustle of the city but close enough to all the things we wanted to do.

The highlight of our hiking was spending New Year's Day in Anza-Borrego. We hiked in the desert to an oasis and through a slot canyon and we even saw a mirage!

We did a bunch more hiking too - at the Batiquitos Lagoon, through Torrey Pines State Park, and taking in a sunset at Sunset Cliffs. And I got my beach walks - in La Jolla to the Children's Pool and a full day at Corronado walking in the sand.

Our dining options were surprisingly fantastic. We ate at Herb & Wood, Campfire, NINE-TEN, Jeune-Jolie, and Juniper & Ivy. We also ate an incredible meal at the San Diego Yacht Club and toured the clubhouse with its many many sailing trophies. Plus there were delicious tacos, amazing ice cream at Handel's, and lots of breakfast burritos along the way.

We were certainly not lacking for cultural experiences. A private 2 hour long docent tour at the San Diego Museum of art was spectacular. We took an historic walking tour of the Gaslamp District with a guide and learned about just how wild the wild wild west used to be. We traveled to Point Loma and checked out the monument and lighthouse enjoying the California sunshine along the way.

We spent a full day spent at the San Diego Zoo - hands down the best zoo we've visited.

The trip was exactly what we needed to bring in the new year. Relaxing, exhilarating, beautiful, and full of quality time together.