New York Newlyweds

In May I took the train from DC to NYC to catch up with not-so-newlyweds SBE and FTDE. It was my first time seeing the World Trade Center memorial and museum, which was really incredible. We also took in a Yankee game, my first at their new stadium, and we indoctrianted SBE into the family obsession with Les Miserables at the revival show. I think my favorite part was a loooong night at the Dead Rabbit's courtesy of bro-in-law SBE. And thanks also for the incredible weather!

World Trade Center Memorial

World Trade Center Memorial and Museum

View of the harbor from their apartment

Glorious weather for a glorious trip

It's been too long. . .

For mom, on Mother's Day:

After LDL's post, I opened up my own book of love letters and browsed a few before having to put them away because it got a little misty in the apartment. The running theme was my adventurous spirit and tenacious attitude, gifted to me and supported by my most amazing mother. So mom, since all you wanted was a blog update for mother's day, here you go.

Inside the Woolworth Building Lobby

Since it's been 6 months since the wedding and the last major blog from me I'll probably skip over a lot of things. It was winter. A long, freezing, hard winter. While I was thrilled and ecstatic to be Spencer's wife and starting a new life together in New York City, I was also grieving the loss of proximity to my most faithful and trusted companions (and the sunshine and warmth). I struggled to find my way in a new city, felt vulnerable trying to find new friends, new grocery store, new church, new hobbies, a new gym, and a new career. I felt alone in a crowded city. And cold, I was really, really cold. But I was and am also really very happy. Spencer and I started developing our own partnership and learning more about each other and our dreams for our family. NYC, while freezing, also began to show me the vast world of opportunity available for those of us who live here. Short story to the long winter: I was missing Orlando, the Dalton/Loflin clan, and the incredible community we established there. But at the very same time I felt secure, and loved, and welcomed to a new adventure, excited to see what God has in store for me. Also, just as an aside for those who think that I complained to much about how cold it was, the NYTimes ran an article that described Winter 2015 as the coldest, harshest Winter in 80 something years. Welcome to the Big Apple, right?

Views of One World Trade on a typical dog walk

Manhattan Views from Brooklyn Bridge

But the winter wasn't all bad. I tried my best to take advantage of not having to go into the office every day and made myself a tourist, experiencing an extended staycation. From January until May I job hunted, friend hunted, and adventure hunted. I explored with Pax, with Spencer, and alone. I walked historic streets, and developed a love of the Waffle truck across from the Brooklyn Bridge. I found respite from the city noise in museums, the Ford Foundation atrium, and in the middle of the Park. I took the train to Connecticut to find comfort in a forever friend. I made a nest of the apartment, ensuring proper Christmas decorations, a comfortable bed, and art work; learning to make a house a home. Family came to visit and were game for venturing out in the freezing wind or snow to find a new experience or snuggle up in blankets and just enjoy each others company. S and I began keeping a list of adventures to do separately and together, so we've managed to do quite a bit in the 6 months we've been married!

Real Citizenship: a NYPL card

So far, we have toured Grand Central Station and The Woolworth Building. We've seen Beautiful: The Carole King Story, Jersey Boys, You Can't Take It With You, Matilda, and The Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder on Broadway. We've walked The Brooklyn Bridge many times to explore the waterfront, rock climb, and be foodies in a hipster neighborhood. We toured the island via air when S flew us down the Hudson River and back up the East River. We saw some of my favorite musicians Lake Street Dive at Terminal 5, as well as Galactic and The Revivalists at Best Buy Theater in Times Square. We've enjoyed early access to some of the new developments around the Financial District, namely the new Brookfield Place, and Pier A - an excellent place for beers and pretzels as you gaze across the river at the Statue of Liberty. We've had cocktails with a view at the Mandarin Hotel, with Barbara Walters at the Carlyle (with CMD), and with fellow winter warriors at the Dead Rabbit.

Bowery Mission Fundraiser at The Plaza

I've started a new job now in the world of advertising technology, working to keep internet content free. ;) It's a brand new industry for me but I am learning quite a bit and am thankful to be surrounded by very bright co-workers and people who are genuinely interested in the success of others. It is an answer to prayer. S and I are learning to adjust to our new routine. Pax has a dog walker again to make sure he gets exercise in the middle of the day. He is starting to show his age a bit, as he sleeps more often than he is awake. I continue to be impressed by his resiliency and loyalty as I move him around from city to city with me. I can tell he missed the commotion at 1127, especially when we get visitors. He hasn't forgotten how many people loved on him while we were in Orlando and greets with with much enthusiasm when they visit. I think the noise and crowds of the city overwhelm him occasionally - he loves to sleep under the table or at my feet. Pax and S have welcomed each other into their individual lives, which is really fun for me to watched. S throws the ball farther and for longer than I do usually so they've begun to cherish their evening play dates (especially when I was too cold to venture out at night).

Picking up some Georgia Peach Jam on our 3rd road trip to/from Florida

Spring / Summer is like new life in New York. People are coming out of hibernation so I know there are more adventures to come. I'm grateful for the incredible support I've gotten from LTD in the form of advice, ideas for excursions, and just generally a pillar of strength on which I constantly rely. Thanks for that mom. You really are a best.

SBE and Pax getting cozy

My Advent calendar 

The Christmas Spectacular at Rockefeller Center

Taking in the City Sights with CMD

For My Mom

I have been trying to get back into a routine, laundry, cleaning house, organizing, and in doing so have come across one of the most precious things in the world to me..."Lea's Lessons of Love".  These life lessons written by my mom from the time I was born to when I graduated from Vanderbilt.  I have relocated this gem of a journal to my bedside table and have stayed up way to late at night reading and rereading, learning about myself, my mom, and all the life lessons that go with mothering.  I'll be forever grateful.

Around Mother's Day, when I look at my kids, what I really want to know is, will they think of me as well as I think of my mom these days?  Am I as good to them as she is to me?  Will my little tribe be as close and as committed to each other as the one I grew up in? How did she get us all dressed and out the door with shoes on?? The shoes...I can never get the shoes on.   How did she do it?  How does she continue to do it?  And what in the world did I do to get such an incredible woman for a mother, and more importantly, the worlds best Yay Yay!  Seriously.  Does anyone love their mom any more than when watching her with your kids?  My little people think my mom is the JAM.  And she is!  Her world is their own private preschool, where lately they have been learning about monarch butterflies, gardening, & any kind of science experiement that comes along the way.  Like bridge, Peter wants to learn Bridge from Yay Yay.  

So, to say thanks to my mom..I'm doing what she asked me to do.  I'm blogging, and writing a birthday letter to her that was due in November.

This Mother's Day I'm expecting baby Loflin #4, which feels crazy to me.  Brendan and I always imagined having a big family, but I'd totally be lieing if I acted like I wasn't a little bit overwhelmed and freaked out about things.  One of my favorite things to say (besides..."he's parenting" when people ask me if Brendan is babysitting the kids) is, it's a good thing you don't birth a 2 year old!  And you get almost 10 full months to wrap your head around another tiny human coming into your house.  In about a month, I'm 16 weeks now, we'll find out if we are going to have a girl or a boy and then I'll get moving on clearing out old kids clothes.  We'll move Lucy into Addy's room and work on teaching her to use the bathroom at night to get her out of pull-ups.  I'll get the baby stuff back out of storage and pare down again.  Baby #4 will be well cared for, and loved, but will be short on the newest, fanciest baby things.  Unless said baby is a crazy person and then we'll go all out and do anything to get some sleep around here.  Peter and Lucy broke the news to everyone they saw when I was less than 8 weeks pregnant so it's old news.  I love how excited they are about their new sibling, Peter says that he and Addy will stick together and Lucy can have the new baby.  Unless the baby is a boy and then Peter will take care of the baby, but under no circumstances will Peter and Lucy be together.   This is hilarious to me, because as our oldest two...they'll be hanging out a lot!

Anyway, I'm due at the end of October.  I'm sure I'll enjoy the Florida heat this summer and plan on being in the pool as much as possible, not that lounging in the pool is an option, I'm sure I'll be required to tow little people around most of the time...but it beats the heat!

A few weeks ago we had a good little girls weekend up in NYC to visit Taylor and Spencer and relax for a little bit.  You know things are hectic when you are going to New York to chill out.  It really was just what we all needed, their apartment is incredible and felt like staying in a fancy hotel, but with a full service kitchen :)  We were not your usual New York tourists and spent a good amount of time on the couch in our pajamas....so perfect.  I loved seeing T out navigating the world of crazy..she seemed like such a pro, but I know she was exhausted at the end of the day!  It's draining to "fake it till you make it!"  I feel like I am doing that most days in my parenting life - but we do seem to be making it.

Peter man will be wrapping up his preschool years pretty soon and you know what, he is prepared for Kindergarten.  I know there will be (my) tears in August watching my boy head off to Lake Silver, my elementary alma mater, but I'm also excited for us in this new stage.  Don't get me wrong, I love the babies, but I also really enjoy having conversations with these little people.  I've learned to embrace his later bedtime and we read extra books or talk or play in the yard later and I really really enjoy his company these days.  Peter and Lucy are actually really funny, curious, and kind.  So sometimes, I think, we must be doing something right around here.  And then P yells out "what the Shell!??" and I realize I've been letting him watch too much of the teenage mutant ninja turtles, we'll need to dial that one back a little bit.   He credits his good math scores to the numbers show he has been watching during "rest time" and I'll take it!

Lucy loo is rapidly becoming the 2nd oldest - as she should - she's growing like a weed and weighs abour 15 pounds (seriously, I think Addy weighs more than Lucy by a lot). Like Peter, she adores her school and her teachers (who I am thrilled I have fall babies so I can have the same teachers for my 2 year olds!)  After their teacher conferences I am always amazed at how different these two little beings can be.  They are opposites in nearly every way.  Dear Lucy can't catch a ball or stand on one foot, but she'll be the first to share in circle time or go to comfort a friend.  She's going to be a sweet little helper as she loves playing "mommy" at school.  Lately "school" is her favorite game and she carries her Elmo backpack with her wherever she goes, it's full of snacks that no one is ever allowed to eat, my little pony,  her lunch box and whatever else she finds around the house.  This girl is always ready for anything and is a good sport about life, except bedtime.

My sweet Addy girl is just as sweet as ever, though she spent the last few weeks getting in some pretty major teeth so she has lived on squeeze packs and pretzel rods.  She is always smiling and greets all of her loved ones with a mouth wide open and tells them goodbye with a big wet snotty kiss.  Like all of my kids, she loves yay yay the most, which I suppose is how things should be.  I don't mind often though that she cries a little when I leave her with someone else.  Addy loves water, she climbs in the bathtub with P and L and is desperate to swim.  Some of my favorite activies to watch are Peter pushing Addy around the pool in her float.  She screams with laughter and Peter grins with pride as they make their laps around the pool.  Addy will hopefully keep her sweet disposition when new baby comes, she won't quite be 2 so I'm hopeful that after a few months she'll really have no memory of when she was the baby around the house!

I love these tiny humans more than I could have ever imagined.  And I love them so differently - equal amounts - but so differently.  They each have such unique qualities about them that I know comes only from above - whenever I question my faith or wonder where God is, a quick look at the goldfish in the couch, toilet paper on the floor, play doh on the shoes (why are they wearing shoes while stepping on play doh!??), reminds me He is here, in all the mess and we're going to "fake it till we make it."

Happy Mother's Day mom / yay yay!  Your shoes are impossible to fill...and so it's helpful again for me to realize that as unique as God has made my kids, he made me unique too.  So I don't look to fill my moms shoes, but my own, and I look forward to all of our walks together. Thanks for everything you say, do, write & pray, and for teaching me how to be a mom. (Like reading to my boy...sometimes.)