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Friday, December 18, 2009

Cheesy Lights and Fancy French Food

Last week we had the Second Annual Cheesy Light Display & Fancy French Holiday Dinner Extravaganza with SACLDFFHD Chairman Steve and Jeremy, the H's and the Stierwalts. We started off at Lincoln Park Zoo for ZooLights. The zoo looked great--pretty lights with just the right amount of cheese. Jody had his trusty flask and, despite my germ concerns, the boys warmed up with some Woodford.

We then headed over to Mon Ami Gabi in the Belden-Stafford for a yummy French dinner of steak frites for Jody and me. I hadn't had steak since Valentine's Day (a.k.a. the night I went into labor), so that was a treat--but really I just wanted the frites! The building's lobby and the restaurant were all decorated for Christmas, which added to the whole night. Mon Ami Gabi is such a cozy and lively spot--perfect for hanging out with a larger group. We've all had a pretty eventful 2009, with three new babies and all, so I think we needed a good night out to just catch up and celebrate. It was a really nice night with good food, good wine and great friends!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Hanukkah Hat


Zoe's first Hanukkah started out in style with this rockin' new hat from Grandma. Now our little fashionista is a much happier and more stylish camper on our frigid Charlie walks every day!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Designer Duds on a Dime

Ever since losing the baby weight I have been having a major jeans crisis. None of my jeans look right on me and they just hang all wrong. So I finally bit the bullet and splurged on a pair of designer jeans. I headed to the Joe's Jeans boutique in Bucktown and spent way too much time and money finding the perfect pair. I was thrilled to finally have jeans that actually looked good.

The next day, however, I had some buyer's remorse. I could not believe that I dropped almost $200 on one pair of jeans. It didn't seem right. So I spent the next two days during Zoe's naps doing some serious internet surfing to find my new jeans for less. And all that time suckage paid off.

Enter HauteLook--a web site perfect for your inner recessionista. The site has daily sales on designer clothes, shoes, handbags, fragrances, makeup, etc. And the sales are unbelievable, offering anywhere from 30%-70% off of the different items. The day I stumbled on the site, they were having a sale on Joe's Jeans, so I was able to get my new jeans for a fraction of the cost (just $76). The jeans arrived this week and I'm even happier with them than before. My only complaint with HauteLook is that your color options are a bit limited, so I couldn't choose my first choice for the wash. But whatever for $76 I'll wear the darker wash proudly.

If you're interested in checking out HauteLook, click on the link above for an invitation to join and start getting sweet deals on designer goodies.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Giving Thanks

Cheerios and jammies party
We have so much to be thankful for, and even though we don't really need Thanksgiving to remind us of that, it is still my all-time favorite holiday. A lot of that has to do with the fact that it is usually the only time all year that my whole family is together. This year we all spent the longLabor Day weekend here in Chicago, so we were due to have two full family weekends for 2009. Unfortunately, Josh got really sick the day before Thanksgiving this year and didn't make it to Ann Arbor this year. It was so sad without him there and he was greatly missed. This is the first Thanksgiving that we haven't all been together in as long as I can remember.

Despite missing Josh, the long weekend up there was nice. I was a little nervous doing so much back-to-back travelling with Zoe. But, she was a champ. She loved being up there and surrounded by so many people. She was especially happy playing with Edin and Adam. She couldn't take her eyes off them--and seemed to want to do whatever they were doing. Watching the three of them together was awesome. It's so fun that they are all relatively close in age and will have lifelong play pals in each other. Edin and Adam were great with Zoe--so sweet and so funny!

Aside from the Turkey Trot and going to a movie one day (New Moon!), the weekend was pretty mellow--just the way I like it. Even though travelling with a baby is not the easiest thing in the world, my parents' house is still one of the only places that I truly relax.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Makaboo

Adorable baby stuff alert! My sister's friend, Cindy, just launched an awesome personalized baby business called Makaboo. She has a storefront in St. Louis, and she just set up her e-commerce site this week. Check it out at http://www.makaboo.com/.

We loved the personalized gifts we got when Zoe was born. There's something so sweet about seeing your new baby's name creatively embroidered on a little burpie cloth or blankie. So when Ean was born, I was eager to get Jason and Heather something personalized. I got in touch with Cindy and she helped me pick out a beautiful (and uber-soft) blue blankie. After I chose the thread color and the adorable winking monkey logo, we were good to go. (Check out baby model Ean snuggling up to his cuddly Makaboo blankie.)

Makaboo also has burp cloths, hoodies, pillows, onsies, lovies and more. So next time you're looking for a cute baby gift with a personal touch, try Makaboo.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Turkey Trot


This Thanksgiving my sister and I decided to do the Ann Arbor 5K Turkey Trot. Bonnie (Jody's aunt) told me that she was going to do a Turkey Trot in Palos this year and that inspired me to look into races in A2. I've never done a race before, so I figured a 5K would be a good way to start. Plus, doing it with my sister would be really fun.

The day before Thanksgiving I started getting a really bad sore throat and cough. But, Lisa convinced me to stay strong and promised that we'd just take it easy on the run. On race day, I felt a little better, and Lisa again assured me it was all good.

Anyway, long story short, my dear, sweet big sister totally ditched me. We had only gone like a half mile and she just slowly started creeping ahead of me. Didn't even warn me, just started running faster. She gave me a little smile and then, poof, she was gone. Who knew she was so competitive?! Anyway, I stopped being mad at her once I lost sight of her and enjoyed the race solo. I just wish I would have brought my iPod. There was an older woman dressed up as a turkey -- yellow tights with a brown leotard with feathers glued all over it -- running in front of me that kept me entertained and motivated. My whole goal was to beat the turkey lady, which I totally did.

I was pretty happy with my time: 29:28, a 9:29 mile pace. I placed 27th out of 67 in my age group. Even with her major betrayal, Lisa beat me by less than a minute. Her time: 28:41, a 9:14 mile pace. She placed 21st out of 67 in our age group. My own little victory? Next year, Lisa won't even be in my age group!

All in all, it was really fun to run in my first race, get the cute T-shirt and be able to eat a huge Thanksgiving dinner sans guilt. I think Lisa and I are going to make this an annual tradition. Next year, I'll just remember to bring my iPod.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Mazal Tov

The man of the hourAdam rockin' the finest plastic fedora on the dance floor
Us

Edin looking way cool in her party dress

Mona on the chair (so ladylike, with her legs crossed the whole time)

My mom and her siblings in their signature Ellis pose

The Klatsky crew

We've been totally MIA on the blog lately, so I'm going to try to catch up a bit. These past couple weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind with plenty of travel and loads of family time.

A couple weekends ago we headed to D.C. for my cousin Paul's Bar Mitzvah. It was a great trip. Paul was fantastic! So poised up there and chanting his Torah and Haftorah portion like a pro. We were all quite impressed. Mazal Tov, Paul! We're so proud of you.

The weekend went by way too fast and was such a good time. We stayed with the Lisa and her fam and it was awesome for Zoe to get to know her cousins. And, we got to catch up with our cousins, too. My mom's sister and her family (my three other cousins) all came in from New York/New Jersey for the festivities, and it was great to catch up with the Klatsky crew. I hadn't seen my cousins in ages, and Jody and Avi had never even met them before. My cousin Mike and his wife Marie are expecting their first baby next summer, so it was fun talking baby/pregancy with them and giving them a slight taste of what they're in for. It was so nice to see everyone. Hopefully we won't wait so many years before getting together again!

Monday, November 16, 2009

How big is Zoe? So Big!


This weekend marked Zoe's 9-month "birthday." It's crazy how fast these 9 months have flown by. I took her to the doctor today and she's looking good. She's not gaining weight as quickly as she had been, but hopefully once she starts eating more and more solids she'll be on track. Plus, I don't think anyone fully understands how much this little chica moves. The only time she is still is when she's sleeping and even then she's rolling all over the place. When the doc told me that Zoe would probably be standing and possibly taking a step or two by 1 year, I had to laugh and explain that Zoe is already standing on her own. When it comes those motor skills, Zoe is so obviously Jody's baby.

Additionally, I'm thinking it may be time to start weaning her. Originally I had just hoped to nurse her for just a few months, which then turned into 6 months and then I figured I could probably keep it up for a whole year. But it's becoming much more of a struggle as she gets more and more distracted. We'll see how the next three months go.

Anyway, in keeping with our every-three-month Zoe birthday celebrations, Jody and I celebrated with a night out with some of the Naperville crew on Saturday night. We grabbed some dinner downtown at Bijan's Bistro before heading over to the House of Blues to see a stand-up comedian named Aaron Karo. His show pretty much focused on his antics as a 30-year-old single dude and he was pretty entertaining. It was awesome to see the Naperville peeps and enjoy a night out. Jody and I headed home earlier than most to relieve his dad who was babysitting for us, but it was still a great night. Thankfully, Zoe must have known that Mom and Dad needed to sleep off some of the fun and she slept in until 8 am!

We spent Sunday evening with Nick and Connie. They cooked an amazing dinner for us that left us stuffed until this morning. It's so great having them back in Chicago! Nick is hard at work launching his sausage business and it's pretty impressive seeing how much he's done thus far. It sounds like 2010 is going to be really exciting for them with the business kicking into full gear. Very exciting for them. Zoe enjoyed chasing their cat Leo around the apartment and chewing on all their coasters/their coffee table/and their dining chairs. So many new things to put in her mouth, so little time.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Veteran's Day

Photo by: Steve Carroll, Luncheon Chairman (not pictured)

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love bank holidays! It's one of the perks of Jody working for a bank and of me having a flexible work schedule. Yesterday, we had Gracie (the nanny) come and Jody and I got to enjoy a beautiful fall day out and about with each other.

I worked in the morning while Jody caught up on some much-needed downtime at home. Then we headed over to R.J. Grunts in Lincoln Park to meet up with the Hunts and Steve for a Veteran's Day Luncheon. Having friends who also work for banks is pretty great too! It was a really nice lunch--thanks to Steve for organizing! Lydia represented the baby faction quite well on her own since Andrew and the Stierwalts couldn't make it and Zoe was playing with the nanny.

After lunch, Jody and I ran some errands and went over to the North and Sheffield area to do some shopping. We were going to see a movie since it's been way too long since we've seen anything in the theater, but there was nothing worth seeing and it was too nice of a day to sit inside a dark theater chowing on popcorn. In the meantime, however, I am counting down the days 'til "New Moon" comes out!

Finally, we finished the day with a good workout (we had to work off all the chips we ate at lunch). When we got home Zoe was in such a great mood after a day of play with Gracie, making it the perfect way to end a really fun day.

Jody and I rarely get time together sans Zoe and it was really nice to get a chance to just focus on each other for a little while. Thank you bank holidays! And, of course, thanks to the veterans for all that they do!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

On Strike!

Aye, we've been having a rough week here in the Schirel household. Jody got sick on Sunday and was out of commission until today. Next up, Zoe got the H1N1 vaccine on Monday and was not quite her usual cheery self afterward. And now, Zoe's on a nursing strike. This is the first time that she's gone on a nursing strike and it stinks!

No matter what we do, she screams bloody murder when I try to get her to nurse. Last night before bed, she was so beside herself that she would not even take a bottle. She slept the whole night still, but I was really worried about her getting enough to eat/drink. This morning she still threw a fit. Jody eventually got her to take a bottle, but not without plenty of drama.

Ah! It's been upsetting and frustrating on so many levels. I've been lucky enough to be able to breastfeed Zoe almost 9 months, and it has been so rewarding. But as anyone who has done it will probably agree, it's so much more challenging than you'd ever imagine. I'm hoping this is just a reaction to her vaccine and nothing more serious. I've heard these nursing strikes can last a little while, so here's hoping it's over sooner rather than later.

Trick or Treat

Some of the mom's group crew, plus Bridgette's hubby on twin duty
Delaney rocked her pink wig in an awesome punk-rock baby get-up

I promised more Zoe the cow posts, so here goes. We sure got a lot of use out of Zoe's cow costume. I swear, I have never celebrated Halloween so much! It's time for some serious candy detox. The weekend before Halloween, one of the girls in my mom's group had a party up in Roscoe Village, so we headed over there and went to the neighborhood parade. It was fun to get together with my mom's group peeps outside of our usual weekly meet ups. It was great meeting all the husbands and seeing all the kiddos in their Halloween cuteness. I feel like it's never easy to make new friends, but I've really enjoyed getting to know all the girls in the group over the past few months. We're all in the same new-mom boat and meeting up with them every week is something I really look forward to.


Our Halloween celebration continued this past weekend up in Wrigleyville on the actual night-of Halloween. We met up with Kristin, Tom and Lydia and Kristin's parents to do dinner and Trick or Treating. The girls were both cows (we didn't even plan it) and looked so freakin' cute. They both got all method in costume and wouldn't crack a smile for the cameras. Really, Zoe was quite serious about Halloween in general! Anyway, we went over to Alta Vista for Trick or Treating and got a chance to catch up with the Stierwalts for a few minutes too. Unfortunately, we only got to say a quick hello to Andrew because he was Halloweened out by the time we got there. All in all, it was way more tame than Halloweens past, but also way cuter.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Picture Perfect


My brother, Josh, takes awesome pictures. He just shoots photos for fun, but he really has a natural eye for it. Living out west certainly gives him plenty of gorgeous scenery to shoot, as well. So when he was here in September I loaded a bunch of his photos onto my computer, and I've decided to start posting them up here as our opening blog photo.

The photo above had been our opening photo for a little while and it is one of my favorites that he took in Millenium Park over Labor Day. He actually took a ton of great Chicago pictures, so I'll be posting those soon. For now, though, I just loved this new photo, which was taken on a ravine trail near him in Montana.

Cousin Time

This weekend we headed out to the 'burbs to see Jason, Heather and Ean. Ean is doing well and getting cuter by the day. He's gaining weight and still a really mellow little dude. I have yet to see him with his eyes fully open! I know Jason and Heather are not getting a normal amount of sleep these days, but they looked great and really seemed way more with it than I was at just 2 weeks.

Zoe didn't even clobber Ean. She grabbed at him a little, but was actually way more gentle than I was expecting. She definitely enjoyed exploring Heather's parents' house, and we realized how nice it was to have carpet for her now that she's moving and grooving all over the place. That plush carpet was way easier to motor around on than our wood floors.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Boo..er, I mean Moo




This weekend kicked off Zoe's first Halloween adventure. Our neighborhood held a Halloween bash with a petting zoo, pumpkin patch and games, followed by Trick-or-Treating at the shops and restaurants down Madison.

I love Halloween and I was so excited to get Zoe all dressed up. She rocked the house in her cow outfit. Not a big fan of actually putting on the costume, but once I got her in it she seemed pretty happy...and toasty.

Zoe was mostly unimpressed by the petting zoo. Jody took her up to all the animals and she just sort of sat there--no big screams or anything. Just lots of intense stare downs. Obviously, none of them were as fun as Charlie--her all-time favorite four-legged friend. The animals were pretty skeevy, particularly the llama, who was soaking wet and covered in dirt. Poor llama.

We then headed down Madison and got some candy. We felt a little shady taking the candy, since everyone knew Zoe wouldn't be eating it, but whatever. She was cute enough that no one seemed to care. Our last stop was a little Italian wine bar in our neighborhood that we've actually never tried. The owner was serving up make-your-own carmel apples. Mmm. So we made some carmel apples, had cider and pumpkin pie latte samples and chatted with the owner for a while. The owner was super nice and we promised to come back for dinner soon. Then as we were bundling up to leave, she killed my Halloween buzz instantly by asking, "When is your due date?" It took me a second to realize she thought I was preggers. Not cool. I had to let her know that I was, in fact, not pregnant...as I held my little 8-month-old cow. I was so sad (and I'm sure the lady was kicking herself when we left). I have finally gotten down to my pre-pregnancy weight and this lady just killed me. I'm pretty sure Jody was equally upset since he had to deal with me wallowing in this all day long. Although he did get the eat the rest of my carmel apple and candy as a result!

Aside from that slight buzzkill, it was a fun day. Prepare to see more Zoe the cow pictures in the next couple of weeks as we continue celebrating Halloween all over the city.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Proud Parents

Here's a photo of the new family of three. Ean and Heather got discharged yesterday and I'm sure are enjoying the comfort of being home. Now the fun can really begin! Jody and I both got a chance to visit while they were in the hospital, and Ean was such an angel. I hung out for about an hour and he slept in my arms the entire time with hardly a peep. So sweet! Here's hoping he continues being a peaceful, sleepy baby. Hopefully, we'll get out to the 'burbs soon for a cousin meet-and-greet. Zoe's turned into a little terror lately, grabbing, banging and climbing on everything, so we'll have to give her some lessons in "gentle" before she tries to clobber little Ean.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Welcome Ean Andrew Michael Schwartz



Congratulations to my brother Jason and his wife Heather who welcomed the most gorgeous baby boy into the world today. Ean, spelled with an 'E' in honor or my grandmother Edyth, was born 10/13/09 at 9:55am, weighs 8lb 6oz, and is 20in long. The "A" is for Ardelle Oestmann (Heather's Grandmother), and Michael is for Jason Michael Mueller, their friend who was tragically killed last year.

Jason, Heather, and Ean are doing well. It's exciting to see my little brother all grown up as a Dad. Zoe can't wait to meet her future cousin/partner in crime. I am sure the two will become fast friends at only 8 months apart.

I couldn't help but impart some of my fatherly wisdom when I visited tonight, so I showed them my "super secret" swaddling technique. I had to perfect it because Zoe was the world's most super moving baby and couldn't sleep for the first months of her life without it.

I wish them all the best. I remember how exciting and challenging the first couple of weeks were. I forgot to eat for those first few days!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Six Years Strong


Happy Anniversary to us! Today, Jody and I are celebrating six awesome years together. This past year has been the craziest and most wonderful yet. There have been so many changes and so much excitement, thanks to a certain little lady who has rocked our world! I couldn't have asked for a better partner to share it all with.

To celebrate, Jody and I went out last night for a delicious dinner at Takashi in Bucktown. We'd been searching all week for a place to go and Jody decided to make the call and surprise me with this one. It was a really cozy, romantic spot that served up French food with a Japanese influence. The food was out of this world! And believe me, we ate plenty of it. We couldn't decide on the appetizers so we got two--the scallops and the pork belly. Both outstanding. Then we enjoyed steak and salmon for our main entrees, and we cleaned both of our plates. So good. I guess the chef, Takashi Yagihashi, is somewhat of a celebrity chef too, and we learned from the diners next to us that he was recently featured on Top Chef. We ended the evening at Hot Chocolate. All and all, it was a great night. Thanks so much to Jody's mom and Mike for watching Zoe and letting us enjoy a rare date night out.

I love celebrating our anniversary. Our wedding is one of my top two days of all time. Jody, thank you for being such an amazing husband and father. I feel so lucky to be sharing a life with you and growing our family together. I love you loads!

Friday, October 9, 2009

Gummy Girl

All gums
With tooth (well, you have to look really closely!)


She's been a drooling fool since she was about 2 months. She chews everything from toys to fingers to Mommy's hair. We've been hearing from friends, family and strangers "Oh, she's teething" for months now. And finally it's here: Zoe's first tooth.

Over the past almost 8 months, there's nothing I have loved more than Z's gummy grin. It is pretty much the best thing in the world. I'm sure her toothy smile will be even better. For now, though, it's so-long to that gorgeous gummy grin.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Congrats!

Congratulations to Katie and Michael on their engagement! (I'm a little late in posting this since they got engaged over a month ago, but I've been way behind in blog postings lately.) Anyway, we finally got to to see Katie in all her engaged glory at brunch this past Sunday. The ring was gorgeous (way to go, Michael!) and Katie was so excited and happy. We're already looking forward to July 2010. Congrats you two!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Brrr...

Well, hello fall!

Get Up, Stand Up

Lately, we've been finding Zoe standing up in her crib banging on the top of the rails, screeching in delight, and looking way too mischievous. Let's hope that she doesn't follow in her dad's footsteps. Legend has it that Jody launched himself out of his crib at just 9 months and that was the end of cribs (and naps) for him. Anyway, whether it's in her crib, the pack-n-play, the couch, or using one of us as her anchor, Zoe's all about pulling herself up these days. And, my goodness, she gets excited once she's up. Check out her moves:

Bugs United

Last weekend when Jody headed to Charlotte, Courtney came to keep me and Zoe company. It was a great visit! Zoe loved Courtney immediately because she kept helping Zoe into standing position...a new favorite thing to do.
On Saturday, Connie and Nick hung out and then all of us went to dinner at Mod, a new West Loop pizza place. I'm so excited that the Spencers have officially moved back to Chicago from New York. With so many people moving away, it's rare when people move back. So I am thrilled Nick and Connie are here! Courtney and Jeremy, you're next, right?!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Get On Your Boots


Last weekend, Jody and I went to the U2 show at Soldier Field on Saturday night. It was the opening show of U2's U.S. tour, and it was awesome. Neither of us had ever seen U2 in concert and they were just as good as I had hoped. These guys have been around forever, but there was no hint that they were sick of playing these songs or tired out from years and years of touring and performing. Yes, they are getting up there in the years, but there was something about his whole presence that made Bono kinda hot (and that is one rock star crush I have never had)!

They kicked off the show with a bunch of their new stuff from the "No Line on the Horizon" album. Luckily, we'd been listening to this album for a couple weeks to "study up" for the show. While the crowd was pretty reved up, the entire mood of the stadium shifted once they started playing the classics. Sunday Blood Sunday, With or Without You, One, Streets Have No Name, Beautiful Day, Walk On, Elevation, and so on. They closed the show with my favorite song on the new album--Moment of Surrender. We were already heading out at that point, but we got to hear it as we beat the crowds out.

Seeing a show at Soldier Field was pretty awesome. It was actually my very first time inside Soldier Field. Pathetic, I know. But, this was a great first time there. The energy was amazing and crowd definitely added plenty to the show. One of these days maybe I'll go to a Bears game there. But, concerts are more my speed.

Thanks so much to Grandpa J for watching Zoe and giving us a great night out!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

She Likes to Move It Move It

Our little wiggleworm is on the move. She's been scooting and rolling all over for a while now. But yesterday she started figuring out the whole hand-knee coordination thing. She still has a ways to go until she's a full-blown crawler, but this is a good start. Thanks to Grandma for the sweet new tumbling mat...it's kinda huge, but Zoe loves it.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Family Ties

This past weekend my family came in for a visit. Aside from stopping through Chicago last winter for a quick lunch on his way to St. Louis, Josh hadn't been to Chicago since our wedding almost six years ago, and he hadn't met Zoe, yet. So it was a huge treat having him come in all the way from Montana. Now, on to convincing him to move here...Zoe needs more bonding time with cool Uncle Josh. Lisa, Avi, Edin and Adam all flew in from D.C., and it was Avi and kids' first time meeting little Z too. I can't believe how big Lisa's kids are. Edin is a total little person these days. She's totally in the "why?" stage, where she's asking a million questions and figuring it all out. The little chica is so freakin' smart too. Adam continues to be a total sweetheart and such a laid back little guy. He's starting to talk a little bit and is so full of energy. Watching all three kiddies was just the cutest. They are going to have so much fun together as they get bigger and bigger. Zoe was so interested in everything the "big" kids were doing, and she was definitely envious of their mobility. She's been dying to get moving lately and seeing Edin and Adam running all over just gave her more incentive to keep practicing that whole crawling thing.


My parents also came in from Ann Arbor, and as usual they were full of energy to spoil and entertain their grandbabies to the fullest.

With everyone back to their respective homes around the country, our house feels so quiet and I am missing everyone terribly. I wish we all lived near each other, but for now these long, action-packed weekends will do. So much fun. Love to you all!