All in August

More swimming lessons, Saturday excursions around the city, a trip to VA with a museum visit and birthday party to boot, a week-long VBS program, and a first-time movie theater experience-- all in the month of August.  The joyous moments thankfully helped us to put into perspective the stressful news we got this month of Maelee's upcoming afternoon pre-school program being transferred to the west side due to the building's owner's decision to convert the school space to condos... 

So let's reflect on those happy memories! :)  (We are still weighing whether or not to keep her in the program or just do a an assortment of other activities for the school year... sigh.)

Starting with Maelee's final swim classes.  Wait.  Did I say joyous and happy?  Well, unfortunately, as each class took place in a freezing swimming pool with many screaming kids, I wouldn't exactly say joyous but I was very proud of our brave girl for getting better each time and tolerating the 70 something degree water (FYI- from my swimmer husband: tolerable temps are well above 80!).  Steve even took the class with her one day and she put her head in!  Something she was not thrilled to do in the cold, but it was still a good intro at least :) 

Doing her best in daddy's arms!

With her "certificate of participation" and celebratory cookie

With princess pal, Marissa

On Fri, 8/9, we took Maelee to my pre-natal appointment where she got to hear the baby's heartbeat. It was so sweet- her face just lit up when she heard the loud thump, thump, thump through the machine.  We find out if a baby brother or baby sister is in her future this Wed and are so excited to start calling them by name and "he" or "she!"  The next day, we took the ferry over to Governor's Island as a family this time to let Maelee take in more of the Fete Paradiso- vintage French carnival rides.  She has gotten much more daring and brave and loved all the rides, but especially, the fast "roller coaster" that she went on with daddy.  He was even pretty dizzy afterward, but she was all smiles!

On the ferry

Such a fun time!

Then we decided to take a quick trip to VA in the middle of August to coincide with an old friend's birthday party and meet up with family, including meeting baby Lane! As always, it was a great visit.

Fun in the grass with Gracie

Enjoying Market Square

And since Nana had to work a couple of the days we were there, Maelee and I went into DC for a visit to the Smithsonian's Natural History Musuem.  Maelee, of course, LOVED the carousel nearby on the mall...

And the dinosaur bones were by far the favorite inside the museum!

Lounging on the rooftop where daddy was working

More Marker Square fun

An obsession during this trip? The "ice well" that has been recently put on display in Old Town, dating back to the 1700s!

More carousel fun the day before we left at Sana's birthday party!  We were fortunate to get to know Sana when she lived in our apartment building for several months but has since moved to VA.  Lucky for us, they're super close to my folks and she even had her party at the National Harbor which we go to almost every time we visit!  It was a great party, with unlimited carousel rides, and a beautiful view of the Potomac River.  We're so glad it worked out!

Maelee must've ridden the carousel a dozen times or so and the party ended up perfectly with a blue (!) cake pop :)

During the first part of the party, Nana & Pop-Pop snuck over to the Build-a-Bear workshop to pick out a couple outfits for the bear Maelee designed several months ago.  It is quite the snazzy ensemble!

Blue sequins with pink shoes- what could be better?

Later that evening, we got to top off our visit over dinner with Too-Dad & Too-Mom, Tom & Viv, Sam & Kim and their boys, Mason & Lane.  It was super fun.  The restaurant had a little electric model train with tracks that came down from the ceiling circling around each dining area and both Maelee and Mason loved it!  I have memories of enjoying that train from when I was younger so it was awesome to go back with my own child.  

Waiting intently for the train to come back

Loving on Mason, who she would hardly leave alone!

Special visit:)

More pics from VA trip:

The day after we got back to NY, Maelee and pal, James, had a week-long VBS (Vacation Bible School) program at a nearby Methodist church.   It was over 3 hrs each morning which gave me a jump start on pre-baby home organizing, and they both loved it.  Hard to tell what they learned... but they seemed to enjoy the crafts and play!

Dancing along the East River to an outdoor concert

At the Brooklyn Flea Market

Chocolate ice cream later that evening with the UES community at Burger Fi.

First movie in an actual movie theater!!! $1 feature at local cinema- Ice Age: The Meltdown!

Water fun at one of our favorite playgrounds

Then the last full week of August, Steve took a day off work so we could all enjoy the Bronx Zoo with some of our closest friends.

The crew- Ethan, James, and Maelee

She does love ALL animals!

Special surprise treat- a "bug" carousel at the zoo!!!

In the Butterfly Garden

On the "dinosaur safari-" by far a highlight of the visit!

Ah, the T-Rex... Maelee's favorite!

The other highlight- feeding the animals!

Finally, this past weekend, we enjoyed some of our beloved Central Park with fun at Heckscher Playground, another carousel ride (!), and lunch on a rock. 

The super tall, fast slide!

Fitting shot to sum up August!

I think Maelee definitely had a good month!  We are anxious to see how September will start shaping up with this pre-school program vs various other activities...  Thankfully, we know however it ends up, Maelee will probably love it.  Her first words after waking up (whether in the morning or from a nap) remain "where are we gonna go today???" and she is quite a social butterfly who loves being out and about.  So as long we are not inside for the majority of the day, we think she'll be fine! 

And here's a slideshow of more August pics:

A Jolly End to July

It was a little easier getting back into the swing of things after we all returned from our big mid-July vacation, simply because of how much we had going on after we got back!  A lot of jolly stuff, too... :)

Going back to the wonderful news that Maelee enjoyed announcing back in June:

And we had our sonogram appointment the morning we got back to NYC where we got to see this precious little life!  Despite some pretty major exhaustion during the first trimester, the queasiness was thankfully mild and I'm feeling great now.  Praise the Lord for baby #2 due in January!!!

Already sporting quite the "bump" this time around, even  though with Maelee I was barely showing yet!  Sigh... I was already about 20 weeks along the first time at this size.  Can't complain, though, just thankful!

 ~14 weeks along

 Also that next morning after our return, Maelee had the first of several "Power Playdates," a two hour drop-off crafts/play/story time at the "Museum of Motherhood" a few blocks away.  It is such a win-win!  She LOVES the play area and different themes, and I don't mind a little extra free time!

Sporting her super hero mask after her first "playdate."

Enjoying one of the city's many playground sprinklers on a hot day

A Saturday trip over to Governor's Island via ferry with some friends while daddy was at an ad board in the city

Nice views of city

Fun ringing the big bell!

Feeling brave enough to try this crazy fast ride after tackling the ones at Fun Land in Rehoboth!

Not too crazy about it afterward though... :)  A little too fast!

Some ice cream after getting back onto the bigger island of Manhattan

It was a fun trip and we're excited to go back for more of the vintage French rides that are featured there later this summer!

Painting fun with daddy

(Each paper plate had to be "baked" in the play oven, like her ceramics that she made with Nana.  And they were all "Mother's Day gifts-"  so sweet!)

Enjoying some big band music in Carl Schurz with friends while daddy was in Atlanta for a meeting

With James after some mommy/daughter dancing :)

Then last weekend, we had a fun morning trip to the Museum of Natural History with pals, James & Ethan.  We mainly checked out the dinosaurs, then had lunch outside afterward.  The kids all did great!

Another big activity that started this past week was Maelee's first swim lessons!  We were fortunate to have made it through the lottery system to get 6 lessons for free (!!!) but maybe not so fortunate because the days our lessons have been scheduled have also happened to be the COLDEST days of the summer!  The very first class took place in cloudy, breezy 60 degree temp and practically turned poor Maelee completely off of the pool.  These poor kids were literally shivering with purple lips!  I couldn't believe it was still held.  This past Tues wasn't much better and my sweet girl ended up just refusing to jump back in toward the end of class.  I couldn't blame her.  And tomorrow's class is forecast to be chilly and rainy.  AARGH!  Really hoping it does just storm at this point so they won't have to go in the water!  We'll see...  She does look awfully cute in her swim gear, though!

And, finally, loved this shot showing her excitement over pushing the little stroller at the grocery store!

It's been a pretty full month, and it doesn't look like the end of summer will slow down much.  We are so thankful for what this city has to offer and for the fun our little family has in it. 

Slideshow of more from July!