Alley Pond Park: Part Two

Today was the last day off for Zac. Happy Labor Day! Because the actual holiday is today, and not on Saturday or Sunday, and because the weather is so, so nice (bright sun, not too hot and pleasantly breezy), the park was unrecognizable. It was no longer that romantic and mysterious, as it was filled with people. Outdoor grilles were smoking, the paths were packed with children running and scooter/bike riding, and the lawns were filled with people sunbathing, picnicking and playing sports.

We still had a great walk, though. Gabriel pooped and fell asleep. Zachary was let out of his stroller and after a few minutes at a jungle gym, he switched to his favorite thing: Pushing the stroller. His behavior was great! He wasn't whining or misbehaving. he walked together with us probably a mile or two. In fact, he didn't just walk. he also ran: Sometimes, he was stuck behind and then ran to catch up to us. And sometimes, he ran ahead of us, and them towards us again.


Just like everyone else in a good mood, Zachary is great when happy! His laugh is joyful and contagious, he is very friendly, talkative, and he genuinely enjoys the surroundings. Today, he was in this exact mood, therefore, our trip to the park was a big success. 

what can Zachary do, as of today? He can sing the ABC song; he can dance and sing along many nursery rhymes; he can count to ten; and he can repeat many words, including long and complicated ones. In our opinion, he understands everything we say. 

And one more thing: Last night, before it was time to go to bed, he cleaned up his toys, all by himself! Nobody asked him to do it, he just looked around and parked his walker; parked all his trucks in their specific locations; and put together his pyramid with rings. I was so proud of him, my heart almost jumped out of my chest!

Alley Pond Park: Part One

Zachary woke up very early today, at 6:30AM. I have a feeling he got cold. He sleeps in summer pajamas, and he unwraps from his blanket at night.

I decided to change his morning routine, hoping that it will help his morning whining. before, if he woke up as early as today, and we did not need to rush, we would take him to our bed and let him watch videos while we caught another 20 minutes of "sleep." Usually, after that, Zac was very whiny, as if all his morning energy disappeared and he was tired and bored. Starting today, right after he woke up, I include him in a busy morning routine: Potty, get dressed, brush hair, and have milk while sitting in a chair. As soon as he is done with his morning chores, he is allowed to whine or watch cartoons. At that point, it would matter less. So far, the plan is working, and we have smoothly completed day one.

After lunch, once again, we went to a park. And once again, we picked a new location. Alley Pond park is situated is a strange location: right in between a few highways; sort of right in the middle of highways, and almost under them. it is amazing how such a big park could hide like that! Besides thick walls of trees, bushes and wild flowers, there was a deep ravine. Generally, the park felt very romantic! We didn't find the pond itself, however, windy alleys hidden behind giant trees looked very mysterious. 

While my mom and I were exploring the park, Zachary and I played at the playground with Zac's sitter Shawn and her son Logan.

Sunday fun day!

First Family Dinner & Crocheron Park

Yesterday, we all went to Applebee's (me and Mike, my mom, Zac and Gabi). Gabriel slept through the whole dinner in his stroller. Zachary was participating in dinner. He sat in a high chair and played with all offered entertainment, which included dishes and two crayons. He tried drawing with the crayons and tried eating them. They tasted petty bad, unlike French fries and fried fish that he ate with pleasure.

Life is fascinating! How many times did Mike and I come to Applebee's and talked (read, dreamed) about bringing our children here for a fun and easy family dinner? And finally, yesterday, this dream came true. And it was as amazing as I was dreaming about it. Beer helped, LOL.

Today, we went Crocheron Park. it is a regular park, without a historic mansion and Manhattan skyline views. But it did feature shady paths and old giant trees. There were very little people there, maybe because the day was very gray and gloomy. The park is located on a hill. We could hear a highway, but we couldn't see it behind thick trees. There was a side of the park where a lake was seen. Probably, back in day, when the landscape was a bit neater, this side of the park was the most picturesque. However, now, the trees and bushes are so thick and wild, they create a wall that blocks beautiful views from our eyes.

The Crocheron family house burned down in 1907, and the estate remained unused and undeveloped for almost 20 years. In 1924, the City of New York bought the land where the house once stood. The following year, at the request of the Bayside Civic Association, the City purchased another 45 acres and drew up plans to build a park on the consolidated property. By 1936, the City had turned the area into a park with picnic grounds, winding walks, an enlarged lake for wintertime skating, and thousands of trees. 

We walked along the park's paths, pushing two strollers, and after that, Zachary and I went to a playground, and my mom and Gabriel continued exploring the park. During the walk, Gabi experienced his first adventure! It looked like for the first time in his life, he was bit by a bug. While my mom was looking at Zachary, something landed on Gabi's cheek and bit him. My mom saw a tiny drop of blood on Gabi's cheek and assumed he had a mosquito bite. Gabriel didn't seem to notice, and did not show any discomfort. Perhaps, then, it wasn't a mosquito? On Sunday, while in a tub, I scrubbed his cheeks and the spot disappeared. It looks like the adventure finished without any loses.

Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park & Coe Hall Historic House Museum

It's Gabriel's due date! If he followed the doctor's orders, he would have been born today. In honor of such a big day, I took some pretty pictures with him.

It is amazing to see how big our "newborn" is now. I can't stop thinking, how wonderful it is that he is already born! So many tough events are already behind: Feeling nervous, pain, labor, Bris, adjustment of our schedule... And it is so impressive how much Gabriel grew up in just one month!

After lunch, we made another attempt to go to the Coe museum. Neither I not my mom read anything about this park, so we drove into an unknown location. The park, on one hand, exceeded out expectations, and on the other hand, it was disappointing.

A few words about the park. Planting Fields Arboretum is a historic location. Mr. and Mrs. Coe purchased the land in the beginning of the 20th century (1910-s), where later, they hired architects and designers to build a Victorian-style mansion and a beautiful park. They lived in the house for a little while, until 1920-s, and after that, they sold the property to the state of New York for just one dollar. Did some charity work, that is. Currently, the park is a popular wedding and photography venue.

We were truly charmed by the beauty of the park. Coe's garden park made a big aesthetic impression on us. We loved walking along windy paths, surrounded by decorative trees. The mansion was very picturesque as well. It features giant columns, tall chimneys, giant windows and gray "antique" brick. It looks like in Spring, there are a lot of flowers here. Unfortunately, now, in late Summer, flowers are not blooming even in the green house.

This, the beauty of the place was not doubtful. The problem was that my children are not old enough to appreciate this beauty. At the same time, no matter how much we loved the look and feel of the paths, most of them were covered with gravel, which made it very hard to push strollers. The giant emerald green lawns were very inviting, but again, we cannot push strollers on grass. Therefore, Zac, who loved pushing his stroller, did not really have an opportunity to enjoy the process, and constantly needed my help.

Gabriel wasn't lucky, either. He woke up to eat at the time we started driving back home. He had to fall back asleep on the way home. It sounds like not such a bad thing, but it turned out that he slept through the whole day, and he had no choice but to be active and playful at night... another sleepless nigh: Check! 

Change of Plans

On weekends, I try to plan fun outings. My mom, the boys (Zac and Gabi) and I drive somewhere pretty or fun. We all like this idea as new impressions, new knowledge and new possibilities is good for both adults and children. Unfortunately, as of today, we cannot drive all together, and Mike stays home with Ralphie. It is not very convenient taking two cars, plus, in certain locations, dogs are not allowed. In addition, Ralph is pretty rough when he is exploring a new territory, and walks with him are not relaxing at all.

Today, I planned to go to Coe park in Long Island. I didn't really have a chance to read about it. I liked the pictures, and I learned that it was located 40 minutes from home, which is not that bad. Unfortunately, my plan did not come to the fruition. To plan something that includes to many people with different schedules is a tough job. As expected, I started having doubts about going when Zachary fell asleep one hour after I out him to bed. Obviously, this means, that he woke up one hour later than usual, too. The park closes at 5, and we only started driving at 4. From the beginning it was clear that the park will closes right after we arrive. Therefore, I made a decision to go to another park, this time, local.

(To tell the truth, I am terrible at changing plans on a spot. If I have already planned something, and was about to follow the plan, and then this plan suddenly falls apart, I feel disappointment and frustration. After I had children, honestly, this happens all the time. So I do work on myself in that regards. I try to learn how to be flexible without getting upset. This time, all worked out very well. As soon as we started driving to a new location, I felt better and happier.)  

The park we went to was Kissena Park in Fresh Meadows. It turned out to be very pleasant, shady and neat. We walked along smooth stroller-friendly paths and near a big man-made pond. We saw ducks, geese and... turtles! There were big adult turtles and their baby turtles. They swam together, and they swam separately. I have never seen so many turtles at once! Unfortunately, Zachary was not impressed with either geese, ducks, or turtles. He was happy about a playground we found there, where he went down the slide and enjoyed the swings. Gabriel stayed with my mom. He drank milk from the bottle and napped, so I want to believe, he enjoyed his walk as well.

I think Zac's top tooth popped out! There might be more than one, but he didn't let me look.

Before we went to the park, for fun, I put Zac's hair together in a tine ponytail. It looked very, very cute and silly!

Queens Botanical Garden: More Pretty Views

As the forecast predicted, after the rain, the weather was gorgeous.

 Today is Saturday, and we decided to look for a new place to go for a walk. This time, we drove to Queens Botanical Garden. It is not too far from our house, but we still had to drive to get there.

 The Botanical Garden turned out to be more a place where you would go for a walk or jog, rather than a collection of botanical treasures. However, this only means that the paths are shady and very cozy, and decorative flowers bloomed everywhere and added beauty to the place.

 We went with the same tactics we used last weekend (long walk with Zac in the stroller, then choosing a spot to 'anchor,' and only after that letting Zachary out), and it worked well this time, too. We walked around the park for quite a while, and then picked a bench to sit on. I let Zachary out, and the same second, he pushed his stroller away. My mom stayed to feed Gabi. We had quite a bit of fun watching Zachary running and playing with strollers, and I even managed to take some photos of the boys wearing matching outfits. I was pretty lucky taking those shots because Zachary is not the most patient kid, and could have easily not cooperate. I have a second to take a good picture of him, because after a short smile, he storms away and will not come back to take another picture.     

Long Island City: Views, Views, Views...

Today, Zachary came down stairs ALMOST all by himself. He didn't go down backwards (the easier way), but the 'adult' way, step by step, one hand holding the railing, the other one holding balance. Perhaps, if both of his hands could reach the railings, he would go down all by himself; but the width of his arms is not yet big enough. That's why towards the end of the stars, he had to hold on to my hand. However, his steps were confident, and his legs were strong. I think this is all the result of his endless outdoor playground activities (going up and down the slide, climbing and running).

We were also able to fulfill my plan and we drove to Gantry Plaza park in Long Island City. Just like Brooklyn Bridge Park, Gantry Plaza is located right across Manhattan. Thus, you can stand right on the boarwalk, or beach line, and take pictures with the skyline background view. It was unclear whether the boys will have enough patience to take some photos with The View. However, as my mom and I picked the correct strategy from the beginning, we were able to take some great shots. Right after we arrived to the park, we put Zachary in his stroller, which kept him calm for quite a while, and my mom took some photos of me with two strollers.

Right after the photo session, we let Zachary run around on his own. Set free, Zac went to the playground, and went down the slide a few times. The slide was for big kids, actually, and it wasn't easy to keep an eye on him at all times. For a second or two, he disappeared here and there, and I was very uncomfortable not being able to see him. This made me think of him growing up just a little more, and wanting more freedom and independence. It will so hard to let him go and explore, and I am glad I still have time to be 'in control.'

Watching Autumn Taking Over: North-South Lake Campground

It looks like my plan to celebrate autumn is working.

Normally, I try to never rush the time. If I want a moment to pass faster, I keep reminding myself that when it passes, the moment will never be back. It is only given once, and bad or good, it must be treasured. I have to elaborate a little here:

Infertility does not have any “benefits”; but what it gives us is an opportunity to observe more than a fertile woman does. Which is neither good, nor bad. It’s just a “side effect.” We observe, and imagine what kind of mother we would be. We observe, and image what we would do differently. We observe, and we do things a pregnant woman, or a mother, wouldn’t do, just because they don’t have an opportunity to do it (get drunk? - yes, this is in our top ten things to do list). I was lucky enough to get pregnant after all; that’s why I was given a chance to realize that infertility taught me something I probably wouldn’t have learned if I was fertile. NB: While you are fighting to get pregnant, you are not learning anything. But if you do get pregnant, you are given a chance to slow down, take a deep breath, and look from the side at your own life and experience you gained while being infertile. When I re-evaluated myself, I found that I learned how to find pleasure in life when there is barely any pleasure to be found. I learned that I am now able to see a lot more beauty in every day than I was before. I guess, you have to master a skill of being happy somehow when THE thing that should have made you the happiest woman on earth is not happening to you. I also learned that I am now a lot more patient. Hmm, perhaps, I should have said it differently. I learned that there is no point in being impatient. No matter how much you are rushing things, they will not happen just because you cannot wait for them to happen. Unlike feelings, such as anger, or being nervous, or being jealous, which you cannot control easily, your quality of being impatient is quite simple to subdue. You can try to do it, and you will see for yourself. I am still impatient when it comes to a lot of things in everyday life; but generally, when there is something big I am waiting for, I learned how not to rush it. So, waiting for my son to be born is not simple. But definitely manageable! In July, I sat down and thought of how I was going to spend my time waiting for his arrival. Shopping? Decorating the nursery? Joining some kind of endless everything-you-need-to-know-about-your-baby class? All of this was not for me. What really did interest me, though, was to create a bunch of “milestones” which we would move to every week. I wanted to plan something interesting for as many weekends as I could, so “milestones” would come soon enough, but they themselves would be worth to wait. Mike and I love road trips, so for the months of September and October I planned some cool short half-day getaways. This also gave us an opportunity to celebrate fall, which we both are fond of. Finally, we were able to travel with Ralph, who is a true member of our family, and who deserves to see the world, too. Last weekend, we went to Saratoga (read about the trip here), and today we went to North-South Lake Campground, which is near Hunter, NY.

My original plan, and the highlight of the trip, was to see Kaaterskill Falls. I thought we would hike to the falls, and then, we would move to the campground, have a picnic lunch there, perhaps explore a couple of trails and go home. However – and another thing I learned during infertility – my plan went crushing down; but I was prepared for it to happen, and was opened to whatever would have come instead. We drove past the falls, but we were not able to stop the car and park. The waterfall is located in the middle of the scenic view road, which is a classic windy road with mountains on one side and nothing of the other. The designated parking lot fits barely 12-15 cars, and at the time we were passing it, it was completely full. We did see the falls from the car window, though, and, like I honestly was suspecting, poor waterfall was lacking water. Unfortunately, due to such a dry summer and September, the waterfall lost all its power and therefore beauty. We continued driving, and decided we would try to stop there again on the way back.

When we arrived to the campground, we first had lunch. We were not allowed by the water with the dog, but they have a gazillion picnic tables all around the grounds.

Then, we went hiking. Mike is definitely not a hiker, but he really enjoys long walks. I myself am now being very cautious with where and how I am going and what I am doing; so, when we saw a steep hill, or a too small of a path, we would turn around and change the direction.

We were walking like that for about three hours. The weather was gorgeous: Crisp mountain air, soft but still warm autumn sun, and blue cloudless sky. Ralph was doing what he does best – following his nose barely even looking around; Mike was enjoying his vapor and taking pictures of me and Ralphie; and I couldn’t take smile off of my face and hand off of my belly. We ended up hiking to a beautiful spot on top of the mountain overlooking Catskills. Stunning!

The best part about leaving early in the morning is that we were able to come back home by 5 PM and have the whole Saturday evening for ourselves.

Scenic upstate roads. So cozy!

Next weekend, we are taking a break. Another lesson I learned – Kat, do not overdo it!! Happy 23 weeks to us!