Oh Boy! Or Girl?

could this be the final belly shot? only a few more days until the due date! we're holding that baby in until after daddy's birthday dinner tonight at the very least. for so long, i thought it would be fun for the baby to be born on my mom and jon's birthday, but i've recently changed my mind. our baby should have it's own special day and he or she will decide when that magical moment is.

Best Brooklyn Baby Shower!

 

many of you know that One Girl Cookies is my favorite little neighborhood joint so it was very appropriate for the baby shower. the owners, dawn and dave, graciously allowed us to have the space to ourselves. a special thanks to jillian, nola, and courtney for hosting and making it extra cute! i loved every single minute! the best part was being surrounded by all of my best brooklyn girls as well as a few special family members. thanks to everyone for making that day one very memorable afternoon for me.

 

 

jillian went above and beyond to make these adorable flags with everyone's advice for the mom-to-be. it's now hanging in the baby room so i can remind myself how to stay calm in the not so calm moments. 

 

and lots of personalized bibs for the messy moments! fun!

whoopie pies, watermelon, and cheese...3 of my all time favorites.

 

can't wait for the day i get to put these little shoes on!

oh my goodness...a michael jackson onesie!! and another cutie straight from Paris. thanks to all of you, this little baby has a better wardrobe than mommy! we also got some much appreciated practical gifts from the recent moms that know the best products on the market from their own experience. jon and i are glad we weren't the first of our friends to have a baby for this exact reason. we'll take all the advice we can get.

xoxo

jenna & baby y.

Got a little Watermelon in there!

 

this is quite appropriate since i've been eating watermelon like it's my full-time job. my favorite recipe of the whole summer is below, but first a little update: the baby weighs almost 7 pounds and is about 19 1/2 inches long! though we'll see about that. i'm pretty sure we won't be raising a basketball player. and based on the weight i've gained, my midwife seems to think we won't even have an 8 pounder either. la petite bébé? we shall see...only 14 days until the due date! we can't wait to meet the little one that we already nurture and love so much!

Heirloom tomato, Watermelon, Feta Salad...Deliciousness!

 

  

Ingredients

2 seedless watermelons, peeled & cut into chunks
*8 organic local heirloom tomatoes (various colors and sizes), cut up
24 fresh mint and basil leaves
2 tablespoons red onion, sliced paper-thin
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (key! i add even more)
Feta cheese, optional (every salad is better with cheese)
Coarse sea salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

*a little note about the tomatoes: heirlooms are far better than regular tomatoes if you can find them. i get mine at the farmer's market and whole foods. they're practically dessert! 

and if you're feeling thirsty and just craving watermelon in general, like i am, throw cubes of seedless watermelon in the blender and pour over ice...watermelon juice. yum, yum, yum! try it at least once before the season's over.

Sure to be Friends!

our dear friends, Jeff & Emily, are due just a few weeks after us and we couldn't be more thrilled to be sharing the experience with them. They live in the neighborhood so we're looking forward to many walks and play dates together! 

and then of course we have the adorable two older boys in the friend family! Luca on the left, belonging to Anne & Abe, and Liam, Jillian & Scott's little boy. this is them meeting for the first time...so cute! 

we really appreciate taking in all the advice from great friends who are just a little ahead of us.

Patrick and Erica's sweet, little Lyla Belle, the big sister to all of the above. she'll be showing them around Brooklyn on her scooter in no time!

and last, but definitely not least, Miss Sadie Heller of manhattan! isn't she a doll? jon is Sadie's godfather so we're positive their will be a special between between our children. proud parents: jason and nola.

A Special Family Heirloom

this classic style of bentwood rocking chair reminds me so much of my childhood. i knew i needed one for our baby's room. what i didn't know, as i searched and searched, was that jon's Aunts, Abbe and Poco, had one in their living room the entire time.

Aunt Abbe received this chair from her godparents as her Bat Mitzvah gift when she was 13 years old. when we joined them for Passover, she stunned us by making it a gift. we were beyond touched. 

it makes me so happy to know that one of the most important items in the baby room has a family history to it. and when our baby grows up and has a baby, this chair will be waiting.

Inspiration to Live By...

 

i spotted this in Paris and fell in love.

it seems especially appropriate for a brand new family.

Paris is for Lovers : Our Dream Babymoon

the first pregnancy has to be one of the most special times in a couple's life. i can't think of a better way to celebrate it than taking one little last hurrah together in what we consider the most romantic city in the world. it truly felt like the second honeymoon. we had such an incredible few days strolling and eating and passing all the museums by. it was a much more laissez-faire rendezvous to accommodate the baby and the belly. click here if you wish to see some of our highlights, complete with comments and all. but you have to click the captions button on the lower right. looks like this: 

Followed by a trip to the English Countryside: Lara & Oliver Got Married!

cheers to that! it was one of the most magical wedding's we've been to. i did all of the calligraphy for the special occasion so naturally, we had to attend even at 7 months pregnant! and, we happen to love Lara & Oliver a whole lot too.

after the wedding, we ventured around the Cotswolds which meant 4 days of jon driving on the wrong side of the road! it was worth it for all the fairytale like scenery. you can see for yourself...just click here!

Happy 4th of July!

instead of fireworks and bbq's this year, we took parenthood seriously and painted the baby room midnight blue and white last weekend in honor of our country. it was a huge step and left us feeling very satisfied. my belly is somewhat of a furnace these days so i often can't even have fabric touching it, hence the painted belly button! jon started laughing out loud and made me rush to the mirror...whoopsie! i'm so big that i truly couldn't even look down and see it if i tried.