Toby's straw hat

The other day, Toby and I were walking back from a music class when it started raining. We ducked into a J.Crew store and went to the kids area to see if there were any toys to play with. Instead, he immediately spotted this straw hat. I took him over to the three-way mirror, and he was beside himself with how cool he was. It was the first time he has taken any interest in his clothes at all (usually he just wants to stay in his pajamas).
Needless to say, he is now the proud owner of said hat:)

P.S. Do your eyes light up when you see your child? And the adorable reason kids cover their eyes when hiding.

Summer's here!

After a never-ending winter, New York has finally enjoyed a stretch of balmy weather. Aren't you excited for summer? We went to Washington Square Park the other day and waded in the fountain. The water was sparkling clean (officially) and Toby was in heaven splashing around.
And to top it off, we saw a rainbow:)

Hope you're having a good day. Stay dry in all this rain!

P.S. The full Cup of Jo Guide to NYC.

Toby's 3rd birthday party (or, the Lazy Parent's Guide to an Awesome Party)

Toby's third birthday is next weekend, but since my mom is in town this weekend, we decided to have his party early. It was such a wonderful afternoon! Here are a few photos, if you'd like to see...Read More >

Vacation photos: San Francisco

We just got back from our week-long family vacation to San Francisco. We wanted to take Toby on his own babymoon trip, so he could enjoy tons of center-of-attention time before the new baby turns his world upside down. San Francisco is truly amazing, and we had the best time. Here are a few photos, if you'd like to see...Read More >

Motherhood Mondays: On being your child's touchstone

Did you read this amazing discovery in the New York Times...Read More >

Toby and the violin

Recently Toby became randomly obsessed with violins. Alex and I were trying to figure out where this new fascination came from. A street musician? A Dora the Explorer episode? Thin air? However it started, Toby's love of the violin is a real thing. He draws pictures of violins. He pretends that his books are violins and holds them up to his neck. Every evening, instead of watching a kids TV show, he asks for bluegrass videos on YouTube. (Annie is his favorite.)

Last week, Alex suggested we find him a miniature used violin on eBay. At first I thought it sounded crazy and extravagant (he's only two!), but Alex really thought it was worth it. So we ordered this teeny violin (it's 1/8th size), and Toby was psychotically excited about the impending arrival ("The brown package here yet, Mama?" "You think today the violin comes, Mama?" "We open it with scissors, Mama?") until it arrived this past Friday. Honestly, I have been amazed by how much Toby has played with it, and he even insists on carrying it with him in the stroller and gently cuddling it while we read bedtime stories.

Anyway, it has been such a fascinating turn-of-events. Maybe when he's a bit older, if he's still interested, we could sign him up for some lessons.
The giddy moment we realized that the case could double as a backpack!

Do your kiddos play any instruments? (Do you?) I wish I did!

P.S. The magic of Central Park and a lullaby that actually works.

Weekend getaway

We did something kind of funny last weekend...
Read More >

My two boys?

Yesterday Toby took his girlfriend for a ride on his motorcycle (aka a lion statue at the playground). These two kill me, they really are in love!
And I had another sonogram at the hospital this week. How sweet is that profile?! I can usually keep it together, but when I saw this little face, I started crying at the doctor's office. I cannot wait to hold this little one in my arms. So the big question remains: Does this look like a boy or a girl? :) (I'm strongly thinking boy.)

P.S. This baby's first sonogram, and Toby's funny-looking sonogram.

Toby making conversation

Before I had a baby, I loved reading posts by mothers about the cute things their children would say. I daydreamed about the day when I'd hear cute things coming from my own child's mouth. Well, now that Toby is almost three (!), he's been talking up a storm and I love it so much. For example...

* He likes to start up conversations, but doesn’t always get it quite right. He'll say, “Mama?” I'll answer, “Yeah?” “Um.....remember Daddy?” "Yeah, totally! That guy from this morning? He was awesome."

* The other day, I walked into the living room and asked what he was doing. He answered, "Just chillin'." Another day, he answered, "Doing my thing." Oh. Okay.

* When I sing songs and put him to bed, I'll say, "Good night, sweetie," right before I walk about the door. And recently, he'll whisper, “Thank you so much." The sweetness breaks my heart.

* When he had his first bad dream and woke up crying, I asked him what he was scared of, he said ominously, "The restaurant." He wouldn't elaborate.

* The other night, I was putting Toby to bed, and we were lying in the dark talking about the new baby. Toby told me that the baby could sleep in his room and that he would help feed it. And I said, “What would you feed the new baby? Milk maybe?” And he paused, thought about it seriously, and said, “Pain au chocolat maybe?”

Oh, Toby, you're so awesome. P.S. Mamas, this might be a dumb question, but how can you love another baby as much as your first child?! My heart is already filled to the brim.

Staring at the pretzel truck

Oh, Toby! It's hard living in a world where you can't constantly consume giant pretzels and German beer.

Indoor activity: Spa day with your child

Sometimes you just need a bit of pampering, right? So, last week, Toby and I decided to do a mama/baby spa day...
Our particular spa day was held at my friend Gemma’s apartment. That way, Toby and her son Errol could enjoy the splashy fun together. (Also, they have a much nicer tub; ours is exactly 1 billion years old—and looks older.)
First Toby ran a bubble bath…(Nothing is sweeter than multiple babies in the bath!)
Then, since it was a special day, we busted out The Ultimate Toddler Treat: lollipops.
With that sugary snack, they didn’t mind when we shampooed their hair, made soapy mohawks and washed their nooks and crannies.
The highlight of the spa experience was when we brought a colander into the bath and made it “rain.” The boys were totally delighted. (Brilliant idea, Gemma!)
After the bath, the little guys dried off with their animal towels. (I am going to weep and then frame Toby’s duck towel when he grows out of it, I love it so much:) Also, you will note that Toby is wearing diapers—we’re taking a few-month hiatus from potty training, since, in the end, he didn’t seem ready. I can explain more in the comments below, if you’d like!
Finally, we gave them massages with body lotion—an activity which, we quickly realized, had been easier with infants than with squirmy toddlers! (Here's a tutorial.) But Errol blissed out during the foot massage, and Toby thought leg massages were hilarious. He would dissolve into giggles as soon as I pressed his little calf muscle, it was so cute. (Is that a baby thing?)
It was such a cute afternoon, and the boys ended up happy, sleepy and sparkly clean. Mission accomplished. :)
For our sweet babes, we used natural products from The Honest Company, which we trust and adore: bubble bath, shampoo and body wash, face and body lotion, diapers and wipes. We also lit one of their new soy candles, which smelled like gardenia jasmine.

Bonus for all readers: Get $10 off a $40 purchase at The Honest Company using code ACupofJo10off40. (Limited to first-time customers and one use per customer. Good until April 1st.)

(This post is sponsored by The Honest Company, a company that we use everyday and whose mission we admire. Photos by Alpha Smoot for Cup of Jo)

Motherhood Monday: Bringing your child's favorite book to life

Every night, Alex and I read Toby bedtime stories. His absolute favorite is One Sunday Morning, which tells the story of a boy named Minho, who spends the day at Central Park with his dad. Whenever we read the book, Toby's eyes light up. We realized that he was imagining that he was the little boy in the book. Seeing how excited Toby was, Alex decided to actually make the day come true. Here are Alex's photos...Read More >

My little duck

I snapped these photos yesterday. His earnestness makes my heart hurt. I love this little boy so much!
Here's the same towel when Toby was six weeks old. They grow too quickly, but at the same time it feels like a lifetime ago.

Motherhood Mondays: Work/life balance

Work/life balance is a topic near and dear to my heart. Sarah Lacy just wrote a BRILLIANT post about every woman's individual path to finding balance as a mother. My favorite line might have been...
Read More >

Do or Don't: Naked babies at the beach

The last time we were at the beach, something surprising happened...
Read More >

Motherhood Mondays: A lullaby that actually works

Which lullabies do you sing to your child? We recently started singing one that works like magic...
Read More >

Motherhood Mondays: How do you prepare your older child for a new baby?

My one big worry these days is...
Read More >

34th birthday

Yesterday was my 34th birthday, and, I have to say, it was one of my favorites. We just celebrated in a low-key family way, and it was so nice. First, on Wednesday night, Alex took me to see the The Book of Mormon. Our friend (who actually happens to be Mormon) helped us get discounted house seats through her friend who works for the play. When we showed up, we realized we were sitting fifth row center! We were so close, we could see the sweat on the actors' faces; it was crazy.
Look how beautiful the boxes were on the sides of the theater...
The play was absolutely hilarious, and the acting was fantastic. Jon Stewart said the play was "so f**king good it makes me angry," which seemed about right. We had smiles plastered on our faces the whole time.
The next morning, my brother and his French girlfriend Audrey came over for breakfast. She recommended Bien Cuit, a new bakery in our neighborhood...
...so we headed over there for delicious pain au chocolat and carrot bread. (Toby preferred the former:)
That evening, Alex and I went to Junoon, a fancy Indian restaurant in the Flatiron district.
The food was exploding with flavor. We had crispy cauliflower, fried paneer cheese and duck meatballs just to start, and then shared lentil-encrusted mahi mahi and lamb shank braised for five hours.
During dinner, Alex surprised me with a handmade Mason Pearson brush. I've wanted one ever since Caroline explained that the boar bristles evenly distribute your hair's natural oils to make it extra shiny. Plus, every woman in my family had one growing up—my mom, my aunts, my grandmother—so in a funny way, it feels like I've finally grown up. :)