We spent a lot of the weekend wandering around in the still-pretty-nice weather and eating things like crepes.
That up there is a Snap ‘n’ Go, and is how I ended up resolving the stroller issue. It’s an inexpensive frame that you snap a car seat (which you have to get anyway, even in NYC) into, and that you retire when the baby hits three months and can get into a regular stroller. And then that regular stroller can be a light, relatively wallet-friendly one, rather than a pricey version that accommodates a newborn (and is often much heavier, nothankyou).
(To those of you who’ve emailed me with questions about what to put on your registry and what I’ve found to be must-haves over the past month, I have a post coming up soon with all that info.)
Saturday night was Date Night. So I broke out the sparkle and fringe.
And the sexy perfume.
Most of the time, I wear Bond No. 9 Nuits de Noho, but Calvin Klein Secret Obsession is my wintry romance perfume: I find it too heavy and spicy for the warmer months or the daytime, but in a dark, candlelit room (preferably one with a fireplace) it feels just right.
We didn’t want to go too far from home, so we ended up getting dinner at a place Francesca recommended, Jones Wood Foundry. It’s a gastropub with awesome decor (big, wooden communal tables, leather armchairs, cozy corners, etc) and fancified takes on traditional English dishes like bangers & mash and cottage pie. I got the burger with Stilton cheese and bacon; Kendrick got the steak & kidney pie. I won. (That was a really good burger.)
You know, the joke (in the movies, anyway) is that couples who leave their babies at home for the first time are total basket cases, calling home every three seconds and skipping the after-dinner movie because they’re so nervous about the baby.
Nope.
Or not us, anyway. I had an amazing time. The baby was with my mom and aunt, so I knew that everything was fine…and getting to spend some concentrated time with Kendrick, talking about things that didn’t include diapers, felt great. More than that: it felt important.
It feels like there’s a lot of pressure on parents to loudly announce to whoever will listen that they just hate being away from their baby for even a second; that they can’t stand the very thought of even being in another room. And while to some extent it’s true – especially in the first couple of weeks, I did get panicky if someone other than me held him for too long, or if he was out of my sight for more than a few minutes – I think a lot of it is social pressure to prove that you’re the Perfect Parent.
I loved spending time alone with my husband before having a baby; I love spending time alone with my husband now. And I feel a little guilty saying that (hello, social pressure!)…but it’s true.
Of course it was exciting to get back home, and yeah, we spent a good portion of the meal imitating the baby’s funniest faces for each other…but I really do believe (always have; I suspected that I would feel this way even before I became a mother) that maintaining the romance in a relationship is one of the best things you can do for your child. And not just with “Date Nights”…but by making a real effort to attend to each other on a daily basis, to really look at and appreciate each other as partners and lovers, not just parents.
Happy parents, happy baby.
One more thing I want to mention about this weekend. That? Is CHURRO-COATED CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST. With fried plantains.
Pepe Patron, on 2nd Avenue, just started doing brunch a couple of weeks ago, and they’re killing it. First of all, it feels like you’re on a Caribbean vacation inside, what with the music and the lights and all, which in my book is always a plus. And the food: there are standard options like breakfast burritos and eggs benedict, but there are also more interesting offerings like that french toast and a fabulous pulled pork sandwich with seasoned fries.
And before you even get your coffee, you’re handed a little basket filled with mini muffins. I love mini muffins.
And the sangria isn’t just cheap wine with apples and oranges dumped in; it’s filled with strawberries and cherries, and topped off with a little champagne and brandy.
And! The whole thing – little muffin things, entree, cocktail – is $12.95.
New favorite!
