Nuts for nuts!

Pecans, almonds, pistachios, walnuts and of course cashews, are my personal fav's!  I have PB&J sandwiches at least twice a week and must hit up the Nuts 4 Nuts street vendors whenever I'm in NYC.  Sadly, I think its all coming to an end....sniffle, sniffle.  A few weeks ago, I developed this horrible case of chapped lips.  Nothing seemed to be working.  A co-worker mentioned that it was possibly a nut allergy.  Desperate to cure this, I gave up my beloved, candied pecans.  The following day, finally brought relief.  I thought it must have just been coincidence, so I had some more and the following day, the itchy, burning, dry lips returned.  Awww man!  I tried this same elimination test with a PB&J sandwich and vanilla almond granola and the same thing happened.  So based on my "very scientific" testing, I have self-diagnosed myself with tree-nut allergies.
I am not used to this idea at all.  Yesterday, at work in an attempt to eat a quick snack, I grabbed some peanut butter and crackers!  Then, I wanted some candy after lunch, I grabbed a peanut chew!  Needless to say, my lips are not appreciating that at all.  I have scheduled an appointment with an allergist and will keep you updated.
Its crazy, so many adults are being diagnosed with food allergies now.  It really makes you wonder what is going on with our food source.  Has anyone else developed a food allergy later in life?

Balance....

So, going from one to two children has finally hit me.  I can admit that I am overwhelmed by it all.  I am assuming (and praying) its because she is an infant and that eventually I will develop a system.  I am the type of person that likes to check things off my to-do list, to help me feel like I've done something.  In the meantime I am just going with it.  What seems to work the best is picking one chore to accomplish for the day, not running a million errands (because she's miserable if she misses her naps), and cooking an easy meal during the week days.  Otherwise, I am working all day and have no time for the baby, my son, my husband or me.
I am a super planner and have found it most helpful to assign a chore to each day of the week and make sure I have girlfriend time set up at least once a month, as well as, a family activity.  This weekend we are  heading to the Philadelphia Art Museum and I have a brunch date planned with my friend.

I am a Libra, and we represent balance, so hopefully I won't let my sign down!  How do you guys manage it all?

Solange

Solange is everywhere these days.  She's a fashion maven, blogger, DJ and most of all, a singer.  Open any magazine and there she is displaying her awesome fashion sense.  I have been a fan since her second album Sol-angel and the Hadley St. Dreams.  Most recently, she graced the cover of Fader magazine and after reading the article, I like her even more.  I enjoyed learning about her creative process and how she's doing it all with her adorable son.  Read it here: http://www.thefader.com/2013/02/12/solange-rise-and-shine/

Last December, she released an EP, True, which has been a mainstay in my playlist.  I got to check out her show when she came to Philly and she was fab!  Since then she has been adding shows to her tour, so if you have a chance, check her out!  Here's a performance from her live show in Paris.

Date Day

Each week, Mel and I try to set aside some time for us.  Pre-baby we would go to lunch or coffee while Idris was in school, free babysitting!  Nowadays, our daytime dates are more of a threesome.
Today, we grabbed some coffee at one of my favorite local coffee spots, Espressit, http://espressitcoffeehouse.vpweb.com/default.html  I found it kind of funny that one of the baristas from the competition was there as well!  Anyway, we had our usuals, an Americano for me and a soy chai latte for the non-coffee drinker.  They have great treats there as well, like muffins, cookies, strata and soups. The owner makes them fresh, daily.  We split a pumpkin muffin topped with pecans.  She also showcases local artists, which is cool.  This week happened  to be my son's art class teacher.  Also, their bathroom has a beautiful mosaic artwork in it, which I forgot to get a pic of, oops!
Little mama was chillin' at first, until I realized she needed her diaper changed.  First problem, no changing area.  Problem #2, she got tired and refuses to sleep anywhere besides her crib, so we ended up rushing out of there.  Lastly, note to self, whenever your baby goes up a size in clothing remember to change out your spare diaper bag outfit, so your child doesn't end up wearing shorts in the middle of winter!
This week was a bust!  Today's lesson:  our dates have to be better planned and totally revolve around Mena's schedule.

Update: I survived!

So, my return to work was interesting.  In addition to the thought of leaving my baby, I was worried about having time to pump and whether or not my mommy-brain would function well at work.  I could barely sleep the night before, so I was quite tired the entire next day.  I got to work though and realized that I had thrown out my work shoes right before I went on leave, and even though I had 5 months to replace them, I never did!  Thankfully, I was wearing sneakers.  Anyhow, work was obnoxious!  It was so busy, I barely had time to go to the bathroom, let alone pump!  I was so busy, I didn't even have time to realize that I missed her and being home.  All I could think about as I clocked out late...Welcome back!
The next 2 days were much better, thankfully.  I was able to pump and I wasn't as anxious.  It was nice to see all my co-workers and catch up on the latest.  I got to participate in my first delivery since going out and that was great.  No matter how many deliveries I see, the entrance of new life never gets old.

Mel faired well, for his first time alone with Mena.  She was fed, clean and happy.  The house...well, let's just say, I spent the next day cleaning.  I love my husband dearly, but he is only good for either taking care of the children or doing tasks, not both at the same time.  I thought I was alone in this, until I was discussing this at work with the girls and they mentioned that their husbands are the same way.  Oh well, at least I'm not alone!  As long as the kids are well and dinner's made, I am not going to complain about the rest...its a losing battle.

All in all, I still would love to be home full-time, but going back wasn't too bad!