When I was pregnant with Big Boy Zog I got loads of advice about how to handle pregnancy, child birth and parenting. But perhaps the best advice we received in those nine months was from people who had managed to get married, have children, stay married and above all...be happy. At its core, the message was, "Put your marriage first, above jobs, above circumstances, and yes, even above the children. If your marriage is solid, loving and on track everything else will fall into place."
My own observations on this topic could result in a second blog dedicated solely to the subject, but at the end of the day, I agree with this philosophy 100%. Of course as any parent knows, daily practice can be challenging. "Honey, I want to sit on the deck shile sipping wine and having an indepth conversation about our dreams and goals and the steps we'll take together to reach them, but right now this diaper
really needs to be changed and there is spilled milk on the rug." So, we've learned to find small ways to stay on track.
One thing we are dedicated to is spending time together, away from BBZ. We were a couple for 11 years before he came onto the scene, so it's nice to reconnect and remember why we fell in love...long before he was the #1 joy in our lives. We grab dinner out on the town as often as we can, but we also like to get away for a few days from time to time. Since BBZ's birth 30 months ago, we have traveled alone to Philadelphia, PA; Boston, MA; Aurora, NY; Blowing Rock, NC; Biloxi, MS; Raleigh, NC (I know it's close by, but we were gone overnight so it totally counts!) and - this past weekend - New York, NY. Thanks to generous birthday gifts from my Mother-in-Law, we were able to travel up to visit Daddy Zog's sister, Deenie. We hung out, ate, laughed, went to the Met, rode the subway, and just generally had a great time. I kept telling Daddy Zog, "This is so fun...we don't have to worry about BBZ running out into the street, so instead you can hold MY hand!"
Of course, coming home on Mother's Day to our excited favorite person who tried to run
up the
down escalator at the airport when we saw us headed his way was just as wonderful as seeing Renoir at the MET or enjoying an apple martini while sitting rooftop amid the NYC skyline. It's not about one or the other, but a balance that makes me feel like a great mommy and a very happy wife. What else could I ask for on Mother's Day?
Click
here for pics of our trip to NYC.
Thursday was Picture Day at BBZ's school. I don't know how the professional photos will turn out and if we'll choose package A or D, but I sure do love the ones I snapped before we piled into the car that morning. We even got a great shot of Mommy and her baby and Daddy with his little man. I couldn't pick just one to share, so enjoy an entire photo album here. I would share my heartfelt mommy comments about how grown up he looks with his shirt tucked in or how I'm wondering where my baby disappeared to, but I'm in the middle of what I've dubbed "The Most Productive Three Day Weekend Ever," and must be off to scratch more things off my task list! 
