We had a weekend full of visitors. First Angela , Jeff, and Sydney came to see us and then Hannah and Toros (and their little Nugget in the oven) came too. It’s always nice to see family in Brooklyn. Because if we’re seeing them in Baltimore it usually means we have about 45 seconds to spend together before we have to move on to the next house, family, and/or activity. But here in our little apartment, it’s different. Slower. And certainly more enjoyable. We got to see all of Sydney’s new tricks and talents. The most impressive being her general good nature and ability to remain happy no matter what happens around her. Angela and I did a bit of wedding dress shopping at an adorable little boutique in the West Village called Lovely. And it really was just that - lovely. The place was cozy, amazingly decorated, and had an attentive staff. Angela looked beyond lovely in every single dress she tried on. And Angela and I had a nice, little, baby-free bonding sesh. Meanwhile, Jeff spent the weekend trying to convince Jason that it was time for us to move closer to Baltimore. And Liam spent the weekend being pleasantly surprising. At Christmas he made it very clear that he wasn’t really so fond of the new babies in his family. But this time he was quite sweet with Sydney. He wanted to (and did) hold her. He tried to put her pacifier back in mouth after it popped out. He patted her head and inspected her little hands and feet. He jumped around to make her laugh. And he offered to share his pancakes with her. He did also try to headbutt her. But we'll just breeze by that. Mostly, he proved that he can be a very nice cousin and might even make a very nice older brother… one day. One day in the not-so-near future.
On Sunday evening, Angela, Jeff, and Sydney packed up their car and headed back to Baltimore. An hour later Hannah and Toros were on our doorstep. Right away it was totally noticeable that Hannah has an adorable little baby bump now! She looks happy, rested, and glowing. We ordered dinner, had some wine (not Hannah who instead drank enough water to create a drought on the east coast), and played with Liam until it was WAAAY past his bedtime. Liam was really happy to see Hannah and Toros and was especially happy that Toros showed interest in his cars. This morning we all got up and had a breakfast together (with the exception of Liam who chose, instead, to have a meltdown). Then, once Liam had recovered, Toros, Liam and Jason began building train tracks (which actually resembled a roller coaster in the end) and played indoor soccer with Liam’s little soccer goal (thanks, Phil!). Hannah and I got out my old maternity clothes for her to take back with her. By noon Hannah and Toros were also packing up their car and heading back home.
Now it’s a little bit too quiet in our place. It would certainly be nice to live a little closer to everyone. Especially with Sydney and Nugget in the picture. I want Jason and I to play an important role in the lives of our nieces and nephews. I know Jason agrees, but I don’t think Jeff had much luck with convincing Jason to move right now. We’re committed to New York and our work. So, family, keep visiting us. We LOVE having you here.
