"People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one." ~ Leo J. Burke

An open letter to Fisher Price...

Dear Fisher Price:

In the sleep deprived reality of caring for a newborn, your deluxe bouncer offers much-needed respite.  At 5:30am when my baby girl refuses to sleep another minute in her crib, she can often be lulled back to sleep after a few minutes of the chair's soothing vibrations. At 3:30pm when my baby girl refuses her afternoon nap, I can sometimes fool her into a few  minutes of rest by placing her in the chair.  At 5:30pm when my baby girl hits her cranky period and my husband and I are desperate for 10 minutes with hands free to scarf down dinner, the chair is the perfect sitter.   At random points in the day when my baby girl wants nothing to do with the swing, exhausts the playmat, and listens to all the story time she can stand, a little quiet time in the chair is exactly the respite she needs.

However, perfection escapes this chair due to one fatal flaw... the vibrations automatically shut off after 30 minutes.  Its as if the designers of this chair have no clue that it often takes at least 30 minutes for a newborn to be suckered into falling asleep.  Inevitably, just when I breathe a sigh of relief because baby girl's heavy eyelids have finally closed and I'm pulling the afghan over my shoulders for a much-needed cat nap, bam! the vibrations stop, baby girl's eyelids fly open, and we're back to square one.  Sometimes I can remember to quickly reset the vibrations after 25 minutes, buying myself another half an hour, but with a two-month-old, I can rarely remember deodorant let alone resetting the vibration on the bouncy chair mid-nap.

Please let me know when/if this flaw is rectified, as I would be first in line to purchase the new and improved model.

Warmest regards.

"Babies are always more trouble than you thought - and more wonderful." ~ Charles Osgood

One of the many blessings we've been afforded while trying to adjust to our new lives as parents is a circle of friends and family willing to lend a helping hand.  We've been given generous gifts, great food, and, best of all, gracious offers to babysit so B and I could escape for a little alone time.

More than once we've gone out between feedings for a quick beer and burger at the Pour House, a Westmont spot known for its raw bar and impressive beer list.

Both times we split a dozen oysters (yay oysters, how I've missed you these last 10 months) and we each opted for a burger - I had the Pour House Delux (a LaFrieda combo of short rib, brisket, and chuck topped with American cheese and bacon marmalade) and B had the Second Coming (sirloin topped with gruyere, tomatoes, and garlic aioli) - with Parmesan truffle fries.  Yum yum and more yum. The Pour House burger in particular was juicy, loaded with flavor, and paired perfectly with the bacon marmalade. Add in outdoor seating and you've got the perfect 2 hour retreat.

 {first dinner out away from Baby Girl, thanks grammy! - June 6, 2013}

 {first beer in 10 months delicious - June 6, 2013}

{thanks JEG for watching Baby Girl! - June 13, 2013}

Then, a few weeks ago while at the shore, my in-laws offered to watch Baby J so we could go with my brother and sister-in-law for a more leisurely and upscale dinner out after champagne on the deck (thanks to a couple pre-pumped bottles of breast milk).  

 {thanks for watching Baby Girl Poppy! - June 21, 2013}

{first glass of champagne in 10 months, heaven - June 21, 2013}

We hit LBI staple Yellowfin.  They've had the same menu and specials with only slight variation since I can remember, but I guess if it ain't broke...

I started with the scallop and foie gras special.  The scallop and foie were seared, drizzled with a balsamic reduction, and served over creamy potatoes... and yes, it was as delicious and decadent as it sounds.  To avoid being overly stuffed, I opted for another appetizer for my entree, the fried tomato and crab salad.  Although its a fried red beefsteak tomato, rather than green, the breading is thin and crunchy, and the warmth of the fried tomato adds a nice contrast to the cool, perfectly dressed crab salad.  Paired with a bottle of Kim Crawford sav blanc and the banana creme pie for dessert and we went home happy.

{baby's first beach day! - June 22, 2013}

When we got back from the shore, my parents and sister were up for a visit and they too let us get out for a night, this time for dinner in Philly at Barbuzzo, one of the spots on 13th street owned by Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran.  

{ready for my visit with aunt SCS, grammy, and grampa - June 27, 2013}

We started with the olives, the cheese plate, and the pate.  With the exception of the creamy gorgonzola the cheese plate was nothing to write home about.  The pâté  on the other hand, was out of this world.  Normally I'm not a pâté fan, but this pork walnut pâté, encased in a piece of cured bacon and served with beer mustard and a blood orange marmalade, was probably the best thing we ate all night.

Next we had one of the specials - summer squash stuffed with ricotta and lightly fried over sauted summer corn and roasted heirloom tomatoes.  It was fantastic.  Last we had the gnocchi and the octopus salad.  The gnocchi, served with royal trumpet mushrooms, smoked corn, guanciale, and baby tomatoes in a truffle butter sauce, were light, and the dish perfectly balanced.  Unfortunately the octopus salad, including sopressata, fingerling potato, cucumber and roasted peppers, was underwhelming. Fortunately it was not our last bite because you cannot go to Barbuzzo without ordering the budino for dessert.  Budino is Italian for custard or pudding.  Barbuzzo serves its salted caramel custard in a jar, with a dark chocolate crust on the bottom and a dollop of whipped cream, a drizzle of vanilla bean caramel, and a sprinkling of sea salt on top.  It is the perfect sweet and salty confection, and was a delectable end to a great date night.