I was recently informed that you stole my pre-baby bucket list idea for a commercial. I just want to let you know that Brett and I will gladly accept a CRV as payment for creative rights. We like the polished metal metallic color. Thanks!
{ NYPD preparing for battle – 3:00pm }
{ we got to walk through the police barricades on our way to dinner – 7:30pm }
{ and on the way back – 10:00pm }
{ as close as we got – 11:59pm }
{ view from our hotel window – 12:08am }
When you tell people you’re spending New Years Eve in Times Square, they think you’re crazy. When you tell people you’re spending New Years Eve in Times Square and you’re five months pregnant, they look at you with squinted judging eyes.
As previously mentioned, it was never the plan to go to NYC while five months pregnant. I figured we’d still be trying to get knocked up by now, and that I’d be able to secure a spot front and center in Times Square, ensuring that Lady Gaga and I could make clear eye contact. I was sure I’d be drinking cocktails all night, and toasting champagne at the stroke of midnight wearing a slinky dress, dancing my heart out.
Enter: pregnancy, and the new plan. Our new plan for NYE was simple: get dressed up, enjoy a romantic dinner, venture into the chaos at 11:30pm and get as close as we could to the action.
When you watch the ball drop on TV, Times Square looks crazy. But being there, in the midst of the millions of people, is a completely different story. People start lining up first thing in the morning to secure a good spot. They stand there ALL DAY LONG, wearing ADULT DIAPERS. They get locked into fenced off areas at 3:00pm and stay there ALL NIGHT. When Brett and I walked back from Central Park around 3:30pm, we got swept up in a sea of thousands of people running towards Times Square. At 3:30pm! I still had plans to take a nap, and hadn’t even showered yet! I’m sure those people were able to enjoy the concert and see Lady Gaga and watch the ball drop and have their heads dusted in confetti. But really, at what cost are you willing to give up an entire day in New York to stand in a fenced off pen like an animal, wearing diapers?
I have no regrets about our NYE. We got dressed up, ate ridiculously good food, watched the countdown screen, kissed at midnight, cheered with millions, and were back in our hotel room safe and sound by 12:08am. No, we didn’t see the ball drop. Lady Gaga and I didn’t share a moment, and confetti didn’t fall on our heads. But I’m okay with that. Because on December 31st, we spent New Years Eve in Times Square and crossed number two off our pre-baby bucket list.
Next year I’m guessing we’ll ring in the new year New York style again, at 9:00pm. We’ll probably be at home with flutes of champagne curled up on the couch, telling our sweet baby boy about the time Mommy and Daddy spent NYE in NYC. It will be quiet and cozy and mellow, but I promise you, it will be just as good.
This trip wasn’t exactly perfectly planned. We booked our flights to New York on September 7th and nine days later, I found out I was pregnant. Brett and I were a bit….shocked at the time. Not that we weren’t “trying” per se, but it happened fast. Really fast. Like, I-figured-we’d-be-able-to-squeeze-in-a-few-more-pre-baby-bucket-list-items-before-it-happened fast. As in, I-was-still-drinking-alcohol-and-eating-all-kinds-of-cheeses fast. And of course I found a stellar deal through Orbitz and the tickets were 100% non-refundable. Of course.
So, without knowing how I would be feeling five months pregnant, or what would happen between then and now, we just said to heck with it, WE’RE GOING TO NEW YORK!!! And you know what? I am so dang happy we did. Yes, it was slightly exhausting and my feet hurt at night. Yes, I had to pee every 20 minutes and wait in line to use the bathroom everywhere we went. Yes, people may have judged me in my skintight sequined dress on NYE. But I was not going to let a baby bump stand in the way of me and New York City.
New York City is magical….the energy, the people, the lights. Everything about it is nonstop; people are going places and doing things every second of every day. Brett and I arrived there without a plan, aside from a few dinner reservations, and in my opinion, that is the best way to see New York. Get there, and let New York embrace you. Throw on a coat and walk the streets and open your eyes to the beauty of life whizzing all around. That’s really what New York is all about. Strangers on every corner, engaged in their own story, yet able to relate to the person standing next to them because they have one thing in common—they’re New Yorkers. Survivors. Once you look past the tourists, you can see it, this unspoken connection people share in New York. It’s an unbreakable bond, a knowing nod on the subway.
Our trip went by slowly, which was surprising, but again I attribute this to not having a plan. We woke up every morning and decided on the fly what to do and where to go. Our first day led us through grand central station, rockefeller center, and ended with pizza in the west village with some dear friends. I decided not to bring my fancy camera on this trip, so all the photos you’ll see this week are from my point and shoot. I didn’t think I could handle carrying ten extra pounds of baby bump and a DSLR all weekend (plus my iphone for NY instagrams, obviously).
All that being said, I know I’m pregnant and not technically pre-baby anymore, but on Friday December 30th we saw the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center and crossed number eleven off the list, hurrah!
Our roadtrip, in summary:
5 days. 1,537 miles. 27 hours in the car. 13 stops for food & gas. A LOT of Adele on the iPod.
I am equally happy and disappointed to report that aside from sitting in the passenger seat, I did not turn on my camera once during the entire trip. Instead, I spent five lovely days exploring new cities, walking hand in hand with Brett, and eating enough junk food to justify moving my new years resolution up to October 1st. I am also happy to report that my car survived, as did our marriage. Our key to success = frequent bathroom stops & adequate servings of frozen yogurt per every three hours spent in the car.
The only photos I have are from the open road, and of course, the ones I snapped via Instagram. I also took a couple short videos (fancy!) so if I am able to splice them together into something cool, I will share that later this week. Don’t get your hopes up.
It’s good to be home!
{ Sidenote: if you’re looking for a place to stay in Bend, OR, we highly recommend the Seventh Mountain Resort and if you’re looking for a place to stay in Portland, we absolutely loved Hotel Lucia. If you’re looking for a place to stay in Seattle, our friends Dave and Kristin have a really nice house. Happy travels! }
Two years ago when Brett and I created our pre-baby bucket list, I honestly had no idea if we would do any of it. Not because we weren’t dedicated to the cause….but sometimes when you have really good ideas, they don’t always come into fruition. Life gets in the way. Money isn’t there. Schedules are too busy.
I’ve had plenty of ideas that didn’t exactly pan out.
All that being said, I try really hard to be a doer, and not a sayer. One of the good (and bad) things about having a blog is that it holds you accountable. If I constantly blog about how I’m working on my patience, but never put that into real life practice, what does that make me? If I post a list of things to accomplish before I have a baby but never do any of them, what does that say about me? Often it’s all too easy to get caught up in the art of verbalizing your hopes and dreams through bold statements, especially in a public forum such as this.
{ Speaking of which, now would probably be a good time to mention that I didn’t make it past day 17 of my dairy-free challenge. I’m sorry. To be honest, the first few days were great and I even thought my skin was clearing up. But then day 6-17 happened, and all improvements stopped. I also became very cranky, and very annoyed and frustrated at how hard it was to find something to eat. I might try it again someday, but for now, I’m back on the cheese. }
Where was I?
Oh yes. On being a doer and not just a sayer.
Our pre-baby bucket list was easily said. We scribbled down fifteen items in ten minutes and it was posted here shortly after. Over time I’ve received more and more positive feedback about it, and “pre-baby bucket list” became the number one search term that people use to find my blog. It’s funny how just knowing that people were reading the list made me want to do it that much more. As Brett and I started crossing items off one by one, friends and family members and blog readers alike began cheering us on from the sidelines. It really kicked my (and our?) motivation into high gear.
As it stands today, Brett and I have crossed seven out of fifteen items off the list. We were audience members at The Tonight Show (team CoCo for life), spent weekends with each of our living sets of grandparents, gambled in Vegas, went to Disneyland, saw Cirque de Soleil, took a cooking class together, and last but certainly not least, traveled to Greece.
Today, we are hopping in the car for our first official road trip (number twelve!), as we head to Oregon and Washington for a long weekend with friends. Yesterday we booked our flights to New York to a) see the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center (number eleven!) and b) ring in the new year in Times Square (number two!). I am so, so excited.
Sometimes I can’t help but wonder what the past two years would have looked like if Brett and I had never made our list. Would we have done any of that? Would we have gone to Greece?! What if I had never posted the list here? Would it be sitting in a messy drawer somewhere? Completely abandoned and forgotten about?
Of course I’d like to think no, and that my inner desire to go to Greece (among other things) was strong enough to make it happen. But to be honest, I’m not so sure.
So thank you dear friends and family members and blog readers. Thank you for reading the list, and for being listeners when we were just sayers. Thank you for encouraging us to be doers. When I imagine Brett and I as parents, I always picture us telling our children about the list, and all the special things we did together while it was just the two of us.
There is a lot of power in saying, in believing.
Saying is good.
But doing is better.
Let’s all DO something this week.
Me? I bought plane tickets to New York yesterday.
Now it’s your turn. Go.
