This morning, Alex snapped a couple belly shots. It looks small in these photos, but I swear it's bigger in person!A few observations about this pregnancy: I'm hungry like the wolf. And I go from zero to sixty—not at all hungry to suddenly in a blind panic to shovel food into my mouth. I don't remember that from last time! It's getting harder to sleep now, and I'm thinking of ordering one of these hilarious body pillows. My boobs are bigger! I'm more anxious than usual. Sometimes I know I’m being neurotic, but I can’t stop. And I discovered these chewable prenatal vitamins, which are awesome since the regular ones are like horse pills. Most of all, we cannot wait to meet this little one in July.
(And my belly was a little bigger after our Indian dinner on my birthday...:)
P.S. My belly shot last month, and my growing belly during Toby's pregnancy.
What are you up to this weekend? I'm catching up with a long-lost friend tonight, and tomorrow we're hoping to take Toby to see children's book author Mo Willems read at the MoMA store! What about you? If you're in a blog-reading mood, here are a few fun posts from around the web...
Yesterday was my 34th birthday, and, I have to say, it was one of my favorites. We just celebrated in a low-key family way, and it was so nice. First, on Wednesday night, Alex took me to see the The Book of Mormon. Our friend (who actually happens to be Mormon) helped us get discounted house seats through her friend who works for the play. When we showed up, we realized we were sitting fifth row center! We were so close, we could see the sweat on the actors' faces; it was crazy.
Look how beautiful the boxes were on the sides of the theater...
The play was absolutely hilarious, and the acting was fantastic. Jon Stewart said the play was "so f**king good it makes me angry," which seemed about right. We had smiles plastered on our faces the whole time.
The next morning, my brother and his French girlfriend Audrey came over for breakfast. She recommended Bien Cuit, a new bakery in our neighborhood...
...so we headed over there for delicious pain au chocolat and carrot bread. (Toby preferred the former:)
That evening, Alex and I went to Junoon, a fancy Indian restaurant in the Flatiron district.
The food was exploding with flavor. We had crispy cauliflower, fried paneer cheese and duck meatballs just to start, and then shared lentil-encrusted mahi mahi and lamb shank braised for five hours.
During dinner, Alex surprised me with a handmade Mason Pearson brush. I've wanted one ever since Caroline explained that the boar bristles evenly distribute your hair's natural oils to make it extra shiny. Plus, every woman in my family had one growing up—my mom, my aunts, my grandmother—so in a funny way, it feels like I've finally grown up. :)
Valentine's Day is just two weeks away, so let's talk about love. What are you loving these days? A person, a moment, a food...One of my lifelong loves is French bread (here's me proving it, as a two-year-old), especially with stinky cheese or warm Nutella. Also, did you know you’re always supposed to tear French bread, since it's actually considered odd to slice it?
Just in time for Valentine's Day, Coach has launched a new fragrance called Coach Love, which is a sensual woody floral. I really like feminine fragrances that aren't overwhelming, but instead are warm, sexy and understated. (Plus, the bottle would look beautiful on a bathroom shelf.)
My twin sister Lucy and I are turning a whopping 34 today. We've officially reached our mid thirties. Whattup! Everyone says your twenties are the time of your life, but I actually prefer my thirties. (My twenties were all over the place:) What about you?
(Bottom photo by flower stylist Amy Merrick)
After seeing Argo last week, I was inspired to reread the fantastic graphic novel Persepolis, which tells the story of the author's childhood in Iran during the Islamic revolution. Her neighbors' homes are bombed, and her relatives are imprisoned. Her father considers fleeing to America, but then asks his wife, "I can become a taxi driver and you a cleaning lady?" As she grows up, the girl's rebellious streak endangers her life. Her personal story is gripping, heartbreaking and surprisingly funny. I devoured it in three days, and now I'm really looking forward to reading the authors' other two books, Persepolis 2 (the sequel) and Embroideries (about her female relatives' sex lives!).
When I was 10 years old, I went through a weird cheesecake stage. My mom had a big cheesecake cookbook, and I'd come home from school and whip up a marble or strawberry one, just for fun. It was so random! But while they were all good, today Yossy from Apt. 2B Baking Co. shares the most delicious recipe featuring a dollop of mascarpone (how perfect would this be for a dinner party?)...
This past weekend, we were lucky enough to visit our friends' cabin in Connecticut. Alex and I are usually huge wusses about winter, but, inspired by our friends, we decided to embrace it. We built roaring fires, ate French toast and bacon for breakfast, chopped wood, went cross-country skiing, threw the toddlers in the bath together, and later comforted crying kids on hikes because their hands were too cold and rushed them back to the warm car—all in all, a real country weekend:)
P.S. Love Alex's face while chopping wood!
New York Magazine recently featured high-school yearbook photos of celebrities, and they're awesome. Can you guess the four people above? And here are 12 more...
Last week, we tackled potty training. Toby was a champ, but it was intense. Here's my diary, if you're interested (and I'd LOVE to hear your experiences)...
Toby wears Honest training pants for naps and bedtime, and we're going to have him start wearing Thomas the Tank Engine underwear—instead of going commando—for the rest of the day. (I've heard that swim diapers also work well for those first few tricky weeks, since they feel like underwear but are absorbant.) 
...but I'll secretly miss these anchor diapers:)
The other day, I was browsing around the home shop John Derian, when I spotted this embroidered duck onesie. It was so intricate and beautiful in person, and I learned that it was hand-drawn and designed by Brooklyn designer Stephanie Housley of Coral & Tusk. She also makes embroidered pillows, aprons, tea towels and artwork. How gorgeous are they all?!
What are you up to this weekend? We're excited to drive up to our friends' cabin in Connecticut...and are just praying that Toby's potty training will stick. Their daughter is Toby's exact age, so it's going to be a noisy one! They're making mussels (yay), so maybe we'll bring these. Have a relaxing weekend, stay warm, and here are a few fun posts from around the web...
If you're in a relationship, how did you meet your significant other? Here's our story from six years ago...Read More >
Today's giveaway is from ShoeMint, a free, members-only website with an amazing selection of shoes, each for just $79.95. It's a collaboration between Rachel Bilson, Steve Madden and stylist Nicole Chavez, and they add new styles every month. Everything is made with real leather and suede, and they also have cute boots and bags. Bonus: They offer free shipping and returns. 
Have you seen the beautifully romantic films Before Sunrise and Before Sunset? Well, director Richard Linklater has now made a third film in the series, Before Midnight...Read More >
Do you like tacos? (Is the sky blue?) Well, our friends Laura and Ryan from Smith & Ratliff make a rich, hearty taco soup that they call "the ultimate soup recipe for the non-cook." Here's how to make it...
Are you planning any vacations this year? Travel is fun to daydream about during gray January, so I decided to ask a few friends to reveal the vacation spots they remember most fondly. First up, Liz Stanley from Say Yes to Hoboken raves about Stinson Beach, just thirty minutes from San Francisco...
Over the past year, I wore this sweatshirt dress ALL the time. It's one of those comfy dresses you can wear year-round, with self-tanner in the summer and wool tights in the winter. It's pretty for the beach, bike rides, romantic dinners and work meetings. I wanted to recommend it, if you're looking for an effortless everyday dress for this coming year.
What are you up to this weekend? After a day of potty training, Alex and I are hoping to sneak out for lasagna in the neighborhood. And will you be watching Girls on Sunday? Have a wonderful weekend, and here are a few fun links from around the web... 
Help! This weekend, we're attempting to potty train.
My friend Caroline recently posted a few instagram photos of herself wearing dark red lipstick. How gorgeous and sultry does that color look? It would look beautiful on a winter evening or a date to a cozy restaurant. 
Thoughts? Would you wear dark red lipstick?