Vacation photos: Woodstock, NY

Last week, we escaped to Woodstock, a charming town two hours north of New York City. And we realized that the secret to a great family vacation is...Read More >

Family photos

Now that we're a family of four, our friend Julia Robbs came over to take a few photos. She shot us at our apartment, just hanging out, as usual.
Amazing to think these two will be brothers and friends all their lives.
Alex and Toby have been spending so much time together these days, and I'm so grateful to watch their relationship grow even sweeter and deeper.
Lucky Toby has also gotten 8 million new "big brother" presents from friends! You've never seen so many toy cars and taxis:)
Remember this photo of Toby? Such a flashback!
Thank you so much, Julia! What a gift to have photos capturing these dreamy, hazy, chaotic, wonderful early days. xoxo

Daddy's boys

How is your week going? To be honest, we've had a few ups and downs. Overall things are good, but sweet little Anton has started grunting (!) in his sleep, and since we share a room, I'm basically averaging 3.5 hours of sleep a night, broken up into half hour chunks. Consider me totally exhausted. Did your babies ever grunt in their sleep? Our pediatrician reassures us that it's normal, but holy smokes, it's not ideal.

But during waking hours, things are great. One sweet thing I've loved watching: Our two little boys are totally enamored with Alex. Anton gazes at him, awestruck, like in the sweet photo above. And Toby thinks he's a total hero. Toby's favorite thing of all time is when Daddy takes him to an Indian restaurant in the East Village. They sit quietly together at a table and watch two men play Indian instruments, and it has become a Sunday ritual. In the video below, Toby tells my sister (whose husband's family is from India) about their dinners...

P.S. I just have to remember: Babies be babies. :) Also, 8 confessions of a new dad, and what marriage means.

Toby meets Anton for the first time

Thank you again for all the sweet notes about the new baby! I'd love to share a few photos of Toby meeting his brother for the first time...Read More >

Cheap date night: Biore strips

Our baby must be cozy because I haven't gone into labor yet! My due date is still a couple days away, but my doctor really expects the baby to arrive early, so we're on pins and needles.

In the meantime, Alex and I have been trying to work in some pre-baby Last Hurrahs—going to a romantic Italian restaurant, hanging with friends, staying up late watching movies. So, last night, we decided to do an at-home spa night, where we drank sparkling water, gave each other massages (and foot rubs), and busted out...Biore Pore Strips.

Have you ever tried them? You stick them on your nose, wait ten minutes and then peel them off, along with all the dirt and blackheads. I know, it's gross. But! They are weirdly awesome and satisfying, and the funny thing is, guys love them. When I was younger, I used to even bring a pack home at Christmas for my male relatives, who would all jump at the chance to compare their used strips. It's a rare mix of guy humor and girly pampering.
(Haha, I spared Alex from posing for a photo.) It was a really fun night, and I'd recommend them if you want to do something amusing and random one evening.
P.S. Just for fun, here's Toby dressed up as Daddy earlier that evening. #nailedit

P.S. 10 NYC dates, including fire-escape drinks and a terrifying trapeze class.

Toby nostalgia

Our second baby is due in less than two weeks, but...Read More >

Have a great weekend.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! What are your plans for the weekend? A few beloved relatives—including my own dad—are coming to visit us this weekend, so we'll be hitting up museums, parks and restaurants. I'm also going to read this genius book again! Hope you have a wonderful relaxing weekend, and here are some fun posts from around the web (blogs have been so good lately!)...

"Rose gold goes really well with a tan." — Lucky Magazine

Grandmothers and their meals.

A personal breathalyzer.

What a beautiful and moving quote about fatherhood.

Would you put butter in your coffee?

People seeing the sea for the first time.

What it feels like to be a pilot.

Just got a pair of these for summer adventures.

Cute iPhone case.

Easy adult dinner party.

Abbey wrote a great Paris cheat sheet.

How not to be alone.

From croissant to cronut.

Mike D from the Beastie Boys has the most beautiful town house.

A mother's touching realization.

Are classic children's stories being dumbed down?

Made me laugh. (Busted.)

Have a good one! xoxo

(Photo of Toby playing air guitar for Alex and me at Washington Square Park)

Swimming lessons on the roof!

So, my #1 tip for living in New York is to make friends with someone with a rooftop pool:)...Read More >

Have a wonderful weekend.

What are your plans for this weekend? Alex and I are going to see a movie tonight (maybe this one?), and tomorrow my sweet friend Samantha is throwing me a baby shower! I'm excited to relax with my favorite ladies and eat mini quiches. Hope you have a good one, and here are a few fun links from around the web...

People are going crazy for these cronuts.

Beautiful understated bump photos.

Awesome beach towel.

This is a true story, believe it or not.

Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes. (Remember this?)

Pretty summer dress.

Awkward family moment.

Big appetites made me smile.

Wow! A 102-year-old woman's birthday activity.

Peanut butter pretzel bites.

20 hilarious charts.

A fantastic new shop in Maine.

Pay for coffee with a kiss.

I loved the 1993 movie Much Ado About Nothing, and a new modern version opens tonight to good reviews.

New Yorkers: From June 1-16, 88 pianos have been placed in city parks, on sidewalks and in other public places for anyone to play.

Finally, thank you so much for your help choosing a baby name! You guys are the best. It was so helpful to read all the insightful comments.
P.S. Our babysitter recently sent me this video of Toby dancing. He looks like an old man at a wedding; I love it so much.

(Top photo of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin)

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

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, I promise! 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)