Walking Naps

I love that going for a walk in the stroller with Isaac is pretty much a guaranteed nap. The weather has been pretty gorgeous lately, so it’s the perfect opportunity for fresh air, sunshine, exercise for me, and an effortless nap for Isaac. Isaac is otherwise not a great napper. (Well, except at daycare…for some reason he naps like a champ there, but at home it’s a struggle to make naps last much longer than 30-40 minutes.) However, on a nice day like today, all I need to do is stick him in the stroller and walk a few miles. I can even get my errands in. Trader Joe’s, CVS, etc.

I know that these guaranteed stroller nap days are limited, so I plan to take full advantage of this for as long as I can!

Isaac at Cold Spring Park on Sunday.

Oh, and by the way…

I’m going to start blogging again.

That’s my big fella!

Sick Mama

Being a new mom, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected. Things that were easy before are not-so-easy now. Namely, being sick. It used to be so simple…camp out on the couch with tissues, orange juice, tea, and the remote control.

Isaac had a cold in January, and a few days later, I caught it. I was by far the bigger baby than he was. Then last week, he caught another cold and I knew it was inevitable that I’d be catching it shortly after. On Sunday morning at 4:30 AM, I woke up with one of those “it-hurts-to-swallow-my-own-saliva” sore throats. Oh no.

Isaac’s at the age where he needs a lot of entertainment. Maybe I can get 20 minutes here and there of him playing on his activity mat or on his bouncy chair. Just enough time to make a cup of tea but not much opportunity to really rest.

I also don’t enjoy the lack of NyQuil. I had only one bad cold while pregnant and I really missed being able to take NyQuil. I didn’t realize that while nursing NyQuil would be out of the question, too. Plus, NyQuil knocks me out so well that I’m sure I’d sleep straight through any night wakings.

So, I just gotta suck it up! Matt can take care of the baby AND me tonight!

Achoo!

Baby-Friendly Restaurants in Greater Boston

As many of you know, Matt and I love to dine out. I didn’t want to stop dining out after having a baby, so I’m putting together a list of baby-friendly restaurants around Boston. Feel free to add any.

Boston Beer Works in Fenway for lunch. I probably wouldn’t bring a baby there in the evening (we only go out for lunch now, anyway) but there were plenty of babies/toddlers/kids there when we went during lunchtime.

Want to enjoy some live jazz with your baby while having some yummy brunch? Ryles Jazz brunch is definitely baby friendly. Beware, though, there are no changing tables in the restrooms. After a major poop blow-out I had to do the full body change on the floor.

La Casa de Pedro in Watertown is yummy and baby friendly. Nice changing table in the ladies’ room (not sure if there is one in the men’s room), and the waiter happily brought us water for our baby’s bottle. Lots of space if you need to bring a stroller, and my baby loved the colorful decor and the huge fish tank. (It distracted him when he was ravenous and waiting for his bottle)

Grab a beer and some chow at Watch City Brewing in Waltham. Baby friendly, spacious if you want to bring the stroller, and there’s even a little play area in the back with trains and stuff. No changing tables, though.

Bugaboo Creek is super baby friendly. I’ve only been to the one in Watertown but it’s loud with kids and families and there’s a changing table in the ladies room.

Not Your Average Joe’s is baby friendly as well. They’ve always been very accommodating when we’ve needed to heat a bottle, and they’re also stroller friendly if they’re not busy.

Another baby-friendly place, but one I’d recommend going to during an “off” time if you’re bringing a stroller: Zaftigs in Brookline. Just writing this is making me crave their challah french toast.

Bertucci’s is baby friendly, and I recommend the Chestnut Hill Mall location because it’s extra roomy if you’re bringing the stroller. Chestnut Hill Mall also has a really nice changing table on the 4th floor as well as a nursing area.

I’ll add to this as I think of more and would love to hear other people’s suggestions.

Oh, bloggy blog!

I haven’t logged into my blog in 2 months. Oops.

I’m going to try to do Project 365 again (lots of pictures of Isaac can be expected) so I’ll be bloggy again. I need to play catch-up first!

WELCOME BABY ISAAC!

Isaac Henry Mahoney

Born on 11/11/09 at 8:44 AM, 6 lbs. 12 oz, 18 inches!

He’s good and sweet and we just love him!

Mac & Cheese in Greater Boston

I love macaroni and cheese. The real stuff, not just the orange powdery cheese in a box! I tend to order macaroni and cheese whenever I see it on a menu because I just can’t resist! Here’s where I’ve enjoyed it. Make any mac and cheese suggestions.

Zaftigs in Coolidge Corner. It comes en casserole with breadcrumbs on top. Very tasty!

Watch City Brewing in Waltham. Lots of herbs and spices with breadcrumbs. Goes great with beer!

The Local in West Newton. They have 3 types: ham and peas, lobster, and chives with truffle oil. I’ve never had the lobster, but I’ve had (and enjoyed) the ham and peas and the chives with truffle oil. It’s very creamy but the portion is small, so I always get a salad with it.

Church in Fenway. It came in a cute little skillet. I got the small portion for only $7 and it was still pretty filling. The only downside was that it had crumbled crackers on top, which I didn’t like that much.

Solas in Back Bay. Loved it! Cavatelli in a creamy cheese sauce with diced ham, topped with breadcrumbs. It came in a cute little skillet. (I guess I like my mac and cheese served to me in skillets!) It was a little heavy on the ham, but I still really liked it a lot.

Union Street in Newton Centre. Good and HUGE. Come with your appetite, prepare to share, or know your limits and bring some home for tomorrow’s lunch!

Redbones in Davis Square. I’m not really that into barbecue and their sandwiches are sort of “eh” to me, but I really do like their macaroni and cheese. It’s simple but very good!

Those are my favorites, but here are some other places worth noting:

Cambridge Common — Their macaroni and cheese is fine, but definitely a little bland. Not something I’ve ordered upon return visits.

Johnny’s Luncheonette — I used to ADORE their macaroni and cheese, but I can’t wholeheartedly endorse it now. The last few times I’ve gone (didn’t get mac and cheese, got something else) the service was bad and their food was sub-par.

Cabot’s in Newton. I don’t get it often because I usually go there with the intent of ordering ice cream and their mac and cheese plus ice cream would be a dairy overload. Nevertheless, I like their mac and cheese. It’s VERY creamy and there’s a slice o’ tomato on top.

I also really like the mac and cheese at Whole Foods. I’ve only regularly had it at the Newtonville location, so I’m not sure if they use different recipes at different locations but I love the stuff at Whole Foods. Whenever I have a sore throat, I get it!

I also loved the macaroni and cheese at Zon’s in JP, but they’re gone. (sadly)

My Creepy Ice Cream Incident

Yesterday, before going to Toscanini’s, I Tweeted: “Can’t wait for ice cream tonight! Going to @tosci and thinking about the Hydrox.” And later, while sitting at Toscanini’s, sipping on a delicious chocolate frappe (they didn’t have the Hydrox flavor this time!), my friend pointed out that my Tweet (and profile picture) popped up on a TV screen.

It was sort of weird seeing my mug show up on a TV screen in public!

Haven’t blogged in a while…

Now that everyone I know is on Facebook, I pretty much keep everyone updated on my life through there, with my pictures and pregnancy and everything. But in case anyone out there is still reading this, I’ll give an update!

I have less than 2 months to go until the baby is born! We decided to name him Isaac. No decision on the middle name yet, but he does have his Chinese name. It’s “Ga Fai” which means family oriented and brilliant!

We did a 3D ultrasound at the end of last month, and here’s our boy!

Besides work and getting ready for Isaac, I’ve also been busy blogging at KeenForGreen. You can visit my blog here. I’m blogging about gardening, green home, etc. I’m sure that in a few months I’ll also be blogging about green baby stuff!

ARGH!!

Last month, National Grid called and said they needed to replace our gas meter. They said they’d come on June 19, between 12 and 6. I stayed home all afternoon, and no National Grid.

Then last week, we made another appointment with them. They said they’d come (today) July 31, between 12 and 6. Again, I stayed home all afternoon, and no National Grid.

They’ve had 2 opportunities and 12 hours to come and replace our gas meter. They’ll probably claim that I wasn’t home (even though I spent the time in the living room with the front door open so there was no way I could miss them) and then they’ll want me to block another 6 hours off for them to come.