Adelaide Jane: 3 Months

Dearest Adelaide,

The months seem to be flying by especially this past one. I think that pesky hurricane had something to do with it as well as hosting our first Thanksgiving. When other people are around, the days just seem to whip by. 

You have really grown in the past 4 weeks and your personality is flourishing. You are eating 6 ounces of formula 5 to 6 times a day. You are still a pleasant sleeper and are getting better at day time naps. You weigh over 12 pounds and are 23.5 inches long. You have gained 4 pounds & have grown 3 inches since birth. You received your 2 2 1/2 month shots which you took like a champ. To reward you, we had a mommy & daughter girly day involving getting your ears pierced :) You picked out the peridot earrings to match me!

The first holidays are being rapidly fired at you as well as the accompanying outfits and pjs. You had quite a few outfit changes for Thanksgiving, and you hammed it up with your cousins for the Macy's Day Parade. We put up your first Christmas tree and hung our stockings this week. You are in seventh heaven with all those lights. You even have a special pink & purple tree in your nursery.

Baptized on Sunday November 25th, you were a chatter box and very observant. The priests simply adored you and everyone complimented us on how beautiful you are. We know :)

We took an impromptu trip with daddy to Chicago where you got to meet one of my bffs, Lindsay Marquette. It was your first flight being toted facing out in the baby bjorn. You loved it. Just moving your head from side to side taking in all of the people and sights. 

Many nights I read stories to you. You will no doubt be a little bookworm like your mother. Some of your faves include The Little Spider, My ABC Bible, Goodnight I Love You, & The First Thanksgiving.

I love you munchkin. You have brought so much light & love to my heart. Something about your smile and giggle melts my heart every time.

Love,
Mommy (& Daddy)

PS~ You were a little tyrant today. Apparently you thought it would be funny to play a cruel trick on mommy by refusing to stop crying if you were in your car seat while we were grocery shopping. As soon as I picked you up, you started smiling & laughing...no joke. So we spent 2 1/2 hrs in the grocery while I held you in one arm & pushed the cart with the other. I, of course, did not find it to be all that amusing as you might imagine. Lesson learned, get you a cake for every milestone even if it is a 3 month birthday!

Copy Cat Closet: Colored Tights

Sort of missed the boat on this week's Copy Cat Closet: Colored Tights edition so I improvised and decided to show you all flashbacks of my colored jeans that I've been sporting this fall/winter.

Red Jeggings: Bed Bath Beyond (who knew?)
Blue Skinny Jeans: seen here & here
Purple Tights: Target (festively worn here)

I'm looking forward to sporting my red tights for the Christmas holiday in the weeks to come. I generally reserved red & green for the month of December :) 

Last year, I was all sorts of festive...

Hard to believe I was also pregnant last Christmas! I'm not sure anything will ever top that Christmas Eve when I took several pregnancy tests which all turned out to be positive ;) And the look on Ryan's face as well as our families when we shared the GREAT news with them!!

Can't wait for the holiday celebrations to begin and to see all of the fun outfits everyone will be sporting!

If you are interested in linking up, be sure to visit Ma Nouvelle Mode and get style inspiration directly to your inbox! I can't wait to see what each new challenge brings for my inner fashionista because this new mommy needs all the style tips she can get!

;

Bless This Child: AJT

On Sunday, Ms Adelaide Jane was baptized in the Catholic church. A beautiful ceremony took place for four babies at St. Augustine's church just steps from our house. It was wonderful to be able to celebrate with our families. Proud Godmother, Aunt Bees or Tay Tay, and excited Godfather, Uncle Shawn helped bless our sweet baby girl and welcome her into the faith community.

"May the Lord give His angel charge over you, 

to guide you in all your ways"

Psalm 91:11

Snapshots on a Saturday

This past week we hosted 14 of our family members for a Thanksgiving adventure in New York. Have you ever decided to host that many people at your 5 bedroom home for 6 nights? Have you ever tried to feed that many people for many, many meals? Have you ever attempted to juggle that many people taking showers in 3 bathrooms? If not, I can tell you that it is quite tiring & a little overwhelming but so worth the efforts to spend a week with family. And we all came out alive which is a major plus ;)

We had a *home alone* moment Tuesday night when adults were drinking, kids were running & screaming, and dogs were barking as the pizza man showed up beyond baffled at the scene. I couldn't help but chuckle at the Christmas movie (a fam fave) and how that was *temporarily* my life.

Wednesday we all packed our overnight bags and headed into the city. Again try rolling a double stroller and 15 bags onto a crowded, narrow train with a bunch of folks from KEN-tucky...its a site to see for sure. 

We enjoyed a day of tourism as we walked the streets of New York City from Grand Central to Rockefeller Center and from Times Square to Central Park. We hit up the M&M Factory and FAO Schwarz as a few of our main kid-friendly attractions. We took pics with Batman, Elmo, & Minnie Mouse. We dined at The Counter and Shun Lee West. We enjoyed all of the holiday decorations as well as the amazing views of Central Park from our hotel room.

Thursday we enjoyed the Macy's Day Parade from our suite at the Essex House. We were on a direct path for the parade so we could see the balloons & floats coming up Central Park West then watch them come down Central Park South as they passed our window. To see it all up close & personal was a treat as I've been watching since I was a child.

We returned back to Ossining for a Thanksgiving dinner feast. With an all-star menu including turkey, stuffing, mac n' cheese, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, corn souffle, cranberries, salad, and dinner rolls, we definitely filled our tummies. Not to mention the *trifecta* of desserts: pecan pie, pumpkin pie, & pumpkin gingerbread truffle.

And then there was a lot of sleeping ;)

Hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving and long weekend!!!

Copy Cat Closet: Monochromatic Challenge

Finally a Copy Cat Closet edition that I can partake in! For the past few weeks, I was displaced with the hurricane and all so my wardrobe consisted of swimsuits or shorts in FL. Not complaining, just sayin' it wasn't exactly *fall* attire. So I was bound and determined to accept this weeks challenge.

Monochromatic means wearing different shades of the same color apparently. I do a lot of matching as in black bra, black undies, black pants, black shoes, etc but hadn't ever thought to incorporate different shades of one color family.

Recently I read an article about how women have gotten away from dressing up for the everyday life. I certainly find myself in yoga pants and workout shirts a large chunk of the time. I have all of my holiday outfits mapped out, but I rarely *dress up* if I don't have plans. The author remarked how she used to do the same thing until she decided that it made her feel better to be dolled up so she began wearing those sparkly pumps on a Tuesday to lunch with friends or that new scarf to grocery shop on a Thursday. I found her empowering and decided I should do a little more dolling up myself.

So I decided to try out the monochromatic challenge on Sunday while running errands. Yep taking Beau to the groomers, grocery shopping for Thanksgiving, and sipping Starbucks with Ms Adelaide. I opted for a few shades of my favorite color: blue. I broke up the blue with a nude flat and my gold custom Bill Collins necklace as a tribute to my papa.

Sweater: Victoria Secret (old)
Jeans: Express (recent, similar here)
Flats: Cole Haan Maria Sharapova (worn here)
Necklace: custom

If you are interested in linking up, be sure to visit Ma Nouvelle Mode and get style inspiration directly to your inbox! I can't wait to see what each new challenge brings for my inner fashionista because this new mommy needs all the style tips she can get!

;

Music Mondays

Lovin' this country hit...heard it in Santa Rosa Beach, Fl a few weeks ago and can't get it out of my head

Snapshots on a Saturday

This week Adelaide & I attended our first New Mom's of Westchester group playdate. It was refreshing to speak with other moms and compare notes/stories. Adelaide loved making friends and definitely is looking forward to the next time.

We did some prep work before everyone arrives for Thanksgiving next week. Cooking, cleaning, and a few last minute preparations.

Miss Adelaide Jane finally got her two month shots. Thanks to Hurricane Sandy and the lack of power, we had to wait two weeks past our scheduled appointment to see the doc.

We cheered on the CATS and ran around town playing dress up...

And we discovered that little A likes to dance, particularly in her whale tub...



specifically to this tune...



Yes when I play the Wobble, our little boogie gets down. It is beyond precious.



Perhaps the biggest news of the week...

Miss Adelaide Jane got her ears pierced. She was just dying for some peridot jewelry like mommy!!

Hope you all had a fabulous week!

Celebrating Our First Year

To say that our first anniversary weekend was perfect would be putting it mildly. We could not have had a better time together. Surprises still run high in our relationship, and I hope it is something that never changes.

Saturday we had a lazy morning as we snuggled & cuddled with Adelaide. Finishing a few house chores before we picked up Ms. Bedi to stay with our baby girl. Then Ryan whisked us off to the city. All dolled up & ready for a night on the town, we dined at Del Frisco's located in the heart of NYC. The ambiance was beyond romantic coupled with top-notch service making it an unforgettable experience. Dinner began with complimentary champagne courtesy of our waiter. Next we selected our wine from the 2500 bottle wine cellar. I chose the filet mignon while Ryan opted for the bone-in prime rib. For sides, we indulged in creamy spinach and king crab gnocchi. Everything was phenomenal. Hands down the greatest meal either of us have ever eaten. **My fave personal touch was that the steak knives were heated**

Next we walked over to Radio City Music Hall to watch the Rockettes 85th Celebration Christmas show. Amazing. Starting with the reindeer Rockettes as they fly into New York City and leading into the 12 days of Christmas followed by a tribute of the 8 decades that make up the show's history. Next the Rockettes go on a tour of the city during holiday time highlighting the hot spots in all their glory complete with an ice skating show. Then Santa helps a child and her mother discover the true meaning of Christmas via a trip to the North Pole and a 3-D video game challenge. Last but certainly not least, a recreation of the nativity story with none other than real camels for the wise men and sheep for the shepards. Such a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season! If you are ever in NYC during the holidays, the Rockettes are a must see.




Sunday I planned a little country excursion up to New Paltz for some wine tasting at the Robibero Family Vineyards. I'd ordered up a warm and sunny day making the drive all the more gorgeous. The winery was quite quaint much like Lincourt where we were married. We enjoyed the crisp NY wines as well as a bit of a history lesson from our wine guide. They had some adorable wine gifts as well which I just had to get my hands on. Adelaide enjoyed her first trip to a winery as she starred at all the people and was the star of the day. She could not have been more content just celebrating with mom and dad.

After our tasting, we grabbed lunch in town at The Gilded Otter. A unique brewery-restaurant with stainless steel brewers throughout the facility and stunning views of the countryside. We each chose a light, crisp salad and split a pumpkin ale beer.

Upon returning home, we settled into the basement in our jammies for movie fest. You might recall the wedding gift that Ryan gave me: an etched wine box with a scene from our wedding locale with bottles of wine inside to commemorate specific years and a love letter to accompany each bottle. So we cracked open the bottle as we watched our rehearsal dinner & wedding videos. Then Ryan had one more surprise...The Time Traveler's Wife. It was the first movie we ever saw together which happened to be our second date. We wrapped up the night with the emotional, love story film as we remembered the very start to our relationship.

Smiling happy smiles. Crying joyful tears. Singing loving hearts.

Adelaide's First Halloween: Naples Style

Due to Hurricane "Mom" Sandy, we extended our FL family vaca for another week. My biggest concern (aside from Beau being at the kennel) was that all of our Halloween attire & treats were being held hostage in New York. So I did what any mom would do and replanned! I grabbed a few ladybug costumes last minute for baby girl and I so we wouldn't miss out on the festivities.

We trick or treated down in Naples with the other neighborhood kids. Cindy & Willie, my parents' good friends, let us borrow their golf cart so we could jet around and score loads of candy for Adelaide me. She was definitely the youngest on the block but by far the cutest little ladybug around. No bias here!

Here are some pics from the spooky night...

Santa Rosa Beach: Tiff & Ryan's Wedding

Tiffany, my ADPi little, and I met back in 2002 on Alpha Delta Pi's bid day. We were both talking about a mile a minute and instantly knew we'd be the closest of friends :) We have grown even closer over the years as she truly gets me and I get her. She is one of the most genuine, loyal, hard working woman I know. So when it came time to be a part of her wedding, I was beyond excited.

Our first family trip with Adelaide, the three of us packed our bags and headed down to the sunshine state. Tiff & Ryan ordered beautiful blue skies and warm temps for the week. Our condo was located just across the street from the beach so we were able to walk everywhere. We enjoyed the quaintness of Gulf Place with unique, niche restaurants and shops. We took advantage of the weather by taking daily walks up and down the beach.

Thursday night, we enjoyed a beach bonfire with live music, potent punch, and yummy s'mores. Adelaide loved the bright lights via tiki torches and soothing sounds of the crashing waves. Ryan and I enjoyed the beer & wine and the company of friends.

Friday Adelaide & I hit the beach for a few rays (for me) and a little nap (for her). After a short walk around the resort, we put on our wedding attire and witnessed the vows between Tiff & Ryan. The cermony was beautiful, set on the beach as the sun was beginning to set. The bride was stunning and the groom was precious. Then we headed to the lawn for a Mad Men themed reception complete with swanky white couches, tequila infused shrimp appetizers, mustaches on a stick, TV dinners, and enough bourbon to mistake the event for the Kentucky Derby!

We braved getting a sitter for Adelaide for a few hours (mind you that we could see our condo from the reception :) ) so that we could boogie the night away. We certainly did just that between re-inacting our wedding song, getting down to rap, and fist pumping to the couple's techno mix.


Saturday we had a little family day with breakfast at the Donut Hole, browsing/shopping at the outlets, and a seafood dinner in Destin. Ryan & I are getting used to and sort of good at this parent thing ;)

We really did enjoy a wonderful family trip for three as we got to relax and rejuvenate ourselves and our spirits!

Music Mondays

In honor of our anniversary, where we have come from and where we dream of going...





I love you Ryan Michael 'til my last day, 'til my last breather. 'Til my last day, I'll be loving you.

Whitney & Ryan: Surviving the First Year

Today we celebrate one year of marriage. To say its been a whirlwind would be an understatement. I don't know many people who manage to get married, take a fabulous international honeymoon, move across the country, buy a new car, buy a house, and a have a baby all in 365 days...much less successfully without killing one another :)

In sticking with tradition, I wanted to give Ryan a *paper* gift and I wanted it to be meaningful & not cheesy. I examined our favorite things coming up with one common theme: exploring. We love to try new things especially in our local community. So with my creative imagination and a little help from Pinterest, I came up with 12 dates (one per month for the next year) that have us exploring New York.

**I would also like to note that the modern gift is clock so I figured these dates give us time together. And coincidentally, one of the symbols of the first anniversary is the gem peridot which happens to be Ms. Adelaide's birthstone. I thought that was pretty nifty**

I created different dates according to the month & any accompanying holiday while making sure that we had not been to or experienced the date activities. Each date involves some type of dining whether it be brunch, dinner, cocktails, or dessert. Preceded or followed by a fun activity. The idea is to continue growing & exploring with one another all year long.

For the presentation, I crafted up 12 manilla envelopes with scrapbook stickers and printed card stock. Inside each envelope is a description of the date along with directions, tickets, menus, etc that pertain to that specific date.

As the year goes on, I plan to create a scrapbook page for each date so we can look back and remember the wonderful times we had during our 2nd year of marriage :) Of course I will be blogging about them too!

So for our first date of our 2nd year as husband & wife, we are heading up to Robibero Family Vineyards to enjoy a little wine tasting followed by lunch at The Gilded Otter. I thought in honor of our wine country wedding that it was only fitting to *pretend* to be back in Solvang at Lincourt. Cheers! Can't wait to share the deets with you :)

It has certainly been a year to remember and one that I will always cherish close to my heart. And I look forward to many, many more years of love & marriage!

Snapshots *From a Few* Saturdays

Playing catch up from the past few weeks...we've been busy, busy bees!!! And not to mention, semi-homeless without power which results in less blogging :(