BIG GAY TURKEY DAY!

Joe and Scott hosted a fabulous Thanksgiving (once again!)

with Martha-Stewart-worthy food

which we happily devoured

and my vegan pumpkin pie was a hit

but not as big of a hit as Biet

who flirted with everyone

and ate an entire bowl of peanuts

and even joined in for a game of charades.

And then Scott's drag wigs came out

and the party really got started..

Thanksgiving this year was a blast.

We love our friends so much. 

xx

TWENTY SEVEN + EIGHTEEN + GIVING THANKS

We have a lot to be thankful for right now.  I was carrying Biet down the street yesterday when I suddenly realized that in that instant there were three heartbeats, all beating next to each other, all connected to one another, and all dependent on me. And I am healthy enough and strong enough to be able to care for them all. As simple as that sounds, it really kind of amazes me. 

Dear city-toned legs of mine: thank you for being able to walk down the street while holding up a baby bump, a bundled Mama, and a wily eighteen month old.  My body may have its harder days, but with a little tenderness everything seems to balance out.  And if there is one body part of mine which forever continues to amaze me, it is my toddler-chasing, table-waiting, stair-climbing, sidewalk-strolling, midnight-dancing legs. 

Dear tiny baby boy: you are 27 weeks along now, with only thirteen more weeks to go.  As the weeks roll by (and this time around, they are rolling by faster than I can count them!), my connection with you grows at an exponential rate.  In my heart, I am already a mother to one daughter and one son.  Thank you little boy for already teaching me so many quiet lessons of wisdom and acceptance. I cannot fathom the blessings you will bring to us all when you finally arrive.

Dear wily eighteen-month-old: When people ask how old you are, I can now tell them "a year and a half." A year and a half, oh my.  You have a spark, my little love, that is so hard to put into words. As you grow into a little girl, your energy and your humor and your unstoppable drive shine brighter and brighter. You are already the most amazing person I know. I am so very excited to introduce you, properly this time, to the joy of the holiday season.  Thank you for making this time of year, once again, the most wonderful time of the year, for all of us. Sometimes I forget how much magic the holidays hold, but you will not let me forget. 

Dear husband: Thank you for being. We are so good together. Next week will be four years since we were wedded on that winter day in the park.  Look at all we have created together!

Dear my Nico baby: Love, Love Love. You show it, you foster it, you are it.  

I am really truly thankful to be connected to these souls, and to have so much to look forward to.

(yellow neck cowl c/o Flutter by Hannah)

Thankful.

I am truly thankful for my loved ones and for all of the amazing people in my life. I thank my husband for having a heart of gold, for reveling in his newfound fatherhood, and for reminding me each day of the importance, the necessity, of creativity.  I thank my sisters for making me laugh, always picking up the phone when I need to hear their voices, and for proving to me that sisterhood is a sacred bond. I thank my friends, near and far, who each hold a little spot in my heart. We have built a loose family with our NYC friends, and I thank them especially for being such a tremendous help so far as we navigate this life as parents. Thank you friends for all of your support, generosity, and last-minute babysitting adventures. You mean the world to us, and you have really shown us that it does indeed take a village. I thank my Dad for showing me what it is to be strong, for encouraging my unquenchable wonder, and for always teaching me that a bit of madness is a wonderful thing. I am thankful that he has finally held Biet in his arms, and that she will know his voice and his song. I thank my neighbors, the citizens of New York City, for creating the hustle and bustle that I so love, for each being a small part of the vast canvas of the city that, when woven together, is the backdrop on which anything is possible. You make NYC, you are NYC (yes, I'm talking to you crazy taxi drivers, businessmen, artists, immigrants, school kids, hot dog vendors, upper east side socialites, lower east side street musicians, transit workers, vagrants, movie stars, politicians, & locals of all neighborhoods in all five boroughs). You are why I love my home. I am thankful for my loving dog Nico (the best dog in the world). Nico, you are beauty, and you are family.

On Thanksgiving eve this year, Biet and I headed out to the local organic market and neighborhood fruit stands, and came home with bags and bags of seasonal produce. I stayed up late that night prepping the veggies and baking a chocolate hazelnut cake, and awoke early the next day to finish up. Then we all three dressed up, arranged our brussels sprouts and asparagus and kale and cheeses onto platters, and headed out to Queens, to our dear friends Joe & Scott's house (Joe & Scott's wedding was the first wedding Biet ever attended, when she was only a couple of months old). When we arrived, we were greeted with food & friends & games, and an amazing turkey baking in the oven.  Scott is quite an impressive chef. We lounged all afternoon, stuffing ourselves silly and playing charades.  Biet didn't get any turkey, but she did munch on a pear. She also had books upon books read to her, took a nap in the middle of the festivities on their bed, and got to play with Scott's brooch (she was FASCINATED with that pin!). It was quite a lovely Thanksgiving.  Thank you Joe & Scott, thank you fall, and thank you holiday season- you are off to a good start.