The Prissy Mommy Chronicles

Vacationing in Negril

We're baaa-aack - a few shades darker, a pound or two heavier, and a whoooole lot more relaxed! :-) 

Our Jamaica vacay was awesome.  This was my first time in Negril and it was so much fun - the days were rich and lively and the night life exciting and sexy!

We had a suite in the Riu Palace Tropical Bay, which is an all-inclusive resort on the famous beach of Bloody Bay.  We were greeted warmly at the airport by our driver (and Derek's long-time buddy) Mark.  When Derek visited Negril several years back he stayed in a villa with friends - Mark was his driver and his girlfriend, Leeza, their cook.  He has since stayed in touch with them and hooks up with them with every visit.  They are the sweetest, most down-to-earth folks you will meet.

And Leeza's cooking - Oh.My.God.  *smh* That's all I can really say about that.

So each afternoon when we returned to the hotel for a siesta we found that the maid had created a different, cute towel design on our bed!  After I snapped a photo Chase had a good time demolishing it for us.

Pretty in pink - showing off my cute, new dress

Let me tell you how Chase was THE star of the resort.  By day 2 everyone knew Chase - the servers, the bartenders, the beach entertainment, housekeeping, the spa staff, and many of the guests of the resort.  Folks would greet him by name when we walked around the resort, and just couldn't keep their hands off him (literally).  They kept remarking how cute/smart/engaging/precocious he is! *beaming with pride*

Oh, and our little HAM was basking in all the attention... he was just as charming and gregarious as he wanted to be.  Half the relationships he struck up were initiated by him - he would get folks attention by calling out to them, then make eye contact and draw them in that way.  He is such a people person already!  It is funny and cute to see him in action.  The boy knows how to work a room like nobody's business.

Every day brought a different adventure.  We spent our mornings and afternoons on the beach or by the pool - eating and drinking and relaxing and languishing in the sun.  My favorite thing was cooling out in the pool with Chase, while Daddy kept our glasses fresh and filled via the pool bar.  What's not to love about that!!?? 

Of course, Chase is a natural in the water by now! Folks were astonished that he was so comfortable in the pool, effortlessly going under water and things! LOL!!!

Each time someone commented on how advanced he semed, I proudly told them how he'd been enrolled in swim lessons since 6 months.  People seemed to really get a kick out of that, lol.

Check out that tan!!!!

Taking a little break after swimming in the pool.

Derek working on his tan

Chase tentatively enjoying his first time in the ocean- initially, he was scared of the gentle waves that came toward him but slowly relaxed and began to have fun.  I think he still prefers the pool though.

 

"Hi mon!!!!"

Derek decided to indulge in a deep-tissue, full body massage at the Renova Spa, so we decided to let Chase get his hair done at the spa as well.  That was a funny experience - he was so antsy and fidgety, and it took me pulling out every trick in my bag to get him to sit still for the 15 minutes that it took (they are GOOD in there!)

He reminds me of Nabs' baby pictures with his hair braided now - so cute!

Now if you'll recall I mentioned just before leaving that we planned to renew our wedding vows while on vacation.  That was perhaps one of my favorite parts of the trip.  *smile*  We enjoyed a beautiful, intimate ceremony just outside the resort on Friday morning.  It was a dream come true for me, in many more ways than I can describe.

As this post has already gone on for far too long, you'll have to visit the Wedding Album to see all the pics!  I hope that you do! *smile*

So while it was a relatively short vacay (5 days), it was still pretty flipping awesome and felt full and complete! I've got many more pics (and video!) to share from our trip, and you can check out Our Vacation Album and my YouTube channel for that. 

Wordless Wednesday

The Playground.
6 months, 2 weeks, & 5 days old

Revlon Runway Collection Giveaway Winner

Hey Ladies,

Thank you for participating in my Revlon Runway Collection Giveaway!  I thought that was a fun one, didn't you?  So girly and froufrou-la! I love that. *smile*

Anyhoo, I'm actually in the middle of packing for our Jamaica vacay (more on  that later!!!!!) but did want to announce the winners of the giveaway before I turn in for the night.

And those winning ladies are:

♥ Nabs

♥ Soypea

♥ Hijabi Apprentice

Winners, please contact me ASAP with your mailing addys. We leave for our vacation Thursday morning and I'd love to get your goodies out to you before I skip town!  When you email me, do be sure to include which two nail sets you want (indicate #1, #2, #3, etc in picture below - click on picture to enlarge). The first to email me gets the first pick.  Congrats to the three of you and I sure hope you enjoy your nails as much as I did!

I really, really liked reading these entries - it's always so nice to learn where my readers come from and how you discovered The Prissy Mommy Chronicles.  Thanks so much for participating and be sure to look out for my next giveaway!

We're Getting Married (Again)!

image source: Getty Images

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." -- Matthew 19:5

I've been bursting with this new for the last few days but didn't want to reveal it because plans were only recently solidified this week.  On our vacation in Jamaica we plan to have a vow renewal ceremony on the beach.  So I will finally have my wedding - the one I didn't have!

Well let's back up a bit so I can explain.  It began April 2008...

...that's when Derek took me to my favorite restaurant for my 29th birthday (The View - a super romantic, rotating restaurant that overlooks Manhattan) and told me he couldn't imagine spending the rest of his life with anyone else.  We went ring shopping that weekend and I picked out a ring that I loved.  After seven years of doctoral studies I was finishing up in May and had just been offered a position at a good hospital.  I was also preparing to move off-campus for the first time since living in NY (I'd worked/lived in Res Life for the duration of my graduate studies).  Life was a whirlwind for me, with so many life changing events occurring simultaneously!  It all felt so magical. 

It was at that time that we discovered we were expecting a baby.

Naturally this put a strain on our carefree wedding planning (wedding "planning" that was actually more like wedding "speculation" at this early stage).  When we initially discussed marriage we had planned for an extended engagement of at least a year, culminating in an island destination wedding.  However, when we learned that Baby Chase was on his way, we decided to exchange nuptials earlier - like, right away!

The decision wasn't made lightly and, in fact, we weighed pros and cons back and forth for a while.   I was conflicted because I didn't want to forego having a traditional ceremony, but also fully aware that I didn't have the luxury of time to plan something nice if we were to be married before baby's arrival.  Derek's anxiety about marriage reached new heights when he realized that dates had to be set if we planned to be "official" before Chase's arrival.  While he didn't feel as strongly as I about the institute of marriage he realized how important it was to me.  You see, for some it may not matter... but I'm "old school." 

We ultimately agreed that we did want our union to be official before our baby came into this world.  We both grew up with parents who were married and essentially felt that our child deserved the same.  So we had a quiet civil ceremony with my best friend as witness, with a possibility that we would renew our vows at a future date. The ceremony was quick and impersonal.  I never had any frou-frou-la notions of a big, fairy tale wedding with 200+ guests - I'm way more low-key than that. But this was way far from any fantasies I'd ever entertained.  I was sad about that but tried hard to swallow my disappointment and celebrate the silver lining - our son was on the way!

With Chase's arrival and some time passed my feelings about a vow renewal ceremony became lukewarm.  A part of me still wanted to do it, so I could have special memories and also photographs from that day... but the lazier, cheap side of me said "Oh, what the heck, you're married now. Is it that serious to have a few pictures and some gosh-darned memories?"

I decided that it is!

So I've been corresponding with a wedding planner from the resort in Negril who has been beyond fantastic!  I described my vision of the "perfect" vow renewal ceremony to her, outlined our budget and, with Nabs and Nichole as my co-wedding planners, we've made it all happen. 

The past year has been an awesome one for Derek and me.  We laughed and cried, fought and made up, made mistakes and forgave, grew stronger as a team, and learned the true meaning of unconditional love and support.  Our union is solid, and there is much to celebrate - only this time it will be minus the pressure and plus the most precious "wedding gift" one could ever have received - our baby boy.  I'm so glad to be renewing vows with this wonderful guy who is my husband.

Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler

I've always thought that peach cobbler is a wonderful way to enjoy the sunny flavor of peaches anytime of the year.  Any cook can make peach cobbler, but it's down south that this comforting dessert approaches perfection.  Here is a recipe straight from my grandmother's kitchen (in Orangeburg, SC) that is guaranteed to produce a delicious, authentic result.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 3 pounds fresh peaches (peeled, pitted, and sliced) or canned/frozen peaches when off-season
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, and salt. Work in the shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and cold water. Sprinkle over flour mixture, and work with hands to form dough into a ball. Chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll out half of dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Place in a 9x13 inch baking dish, covering bottom and halfway up sides. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

In a large saucepan, mix the peaches, lemon juice, and orange juice. Add 1/2 cup butter, and cook over medium-low heat until butter is melted. In a mixing bowl, stir together 2 cups sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cornstarch; mix into peach mixture. Remove from heat, and pour into baked crust.

Roll remaining dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Cut into half-inch-wide strips. Weave strips into a lattice over peaches. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon melted butter.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is golden brown.  I love my pie warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Blogalicious 2009... I'm Going!

In case you hadn't heard Blogalicious 2009 is the first annual conference for women bloggers of color.  It will be held in Atlanta, GA from October 9-11 and is the social gathering for women bloggers!  And guess who was selected to go by the awesome ladies of MomSelect!!??

I checked my email after work today and was stunned to find an email congratulating me, and telling me I had been picked to go! Omg, yaaaayyy!!!!

In its inaugural year, Blogalicious 2009 will provide women bloggers of color an amazing opportunity to come together to celebrate their diversity and their love for blogging. Through conferences, plenary sessions, and workshops I'll get to meet a bunch of really exceptional women, while also learning how to take my blogging to the next level!  I'm also excited that I'll get to spend time with my ATL Zeta Sands and long-time girlfriend Tati.  She'll be coming with me to several of the events.   

If you're a woman blogger of color and you want to attend the deadline for applications is Tuesday, September 15, 2009.

I'm sooo looking forward to this! Thanks so much for this awesome opportunity, Maria Bailey and BSM Media!  I'm excited to see you there Maria!

Wordless Wednesday

Old School Chase
1.5 Months Old

Baby's First Play Date

Chase had his first official play date when we visited Lester, Bebe, and little LT this past weekend.  Derek and Lester went to law school together and I of course met his wife Bebe through him.  Bebe is a sweetheart - we've got tons in common and were actually pregnant at the very same time.  That was fun as we were able to share our pregnancy complaints as well as the joy of the births of our sons just three weeks apart.  Bebe's due-date was just a few days before mine, but she ended up being induced a couple weeks before me (due to preeclampsia) whereas my original due-date (12/28) came.... and went. *smh*  So LT's birthday is 12/19 while Chase's is 1/3.  It's really awesome though because they're only a few weeks apart and pretty much at the same stages developmentally.  They're also both tall guys, since their dads are each in the 6'3" range.

Derek and I are typically busy little bees over the weekend but didn't have anything planned for this past weekend.  So when the Taylors told us they were free as well we jumped at the chance to see them and also get our boys together!

I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of interaction between the boys because they are still so young, but Chase and LT were genuinely interested in each other, staring and smiling and communicating through babbling, hand, and face touching. 

I had packed a few of Chase's favorite toys to carry along, and of course LT had his own spread.... but naturally the boys weren't interested in playing with their own things.  They were excited by seeing fresh, new toys and eagerly went after those.  Aren't we all that way though?

There were a few little tug of wars when both boys wanted the same toy (this seemed to happen often!), but when I leaned over to intervene was told by the dads to let them enjoy the friendly competition and have it out (lol).  

LT holding himself up on the jumper like a big boy (go LT!!!!) and Chase thoroughly enjoying a cool new jumper. I think right now he's actually staring at Derek and Lester over on the couch watching the game and talking - he loves to see his dad in action.

 

"Mommy this is fun!  Can we come back again to play soon?"   

As cute as our little boys were, it was even cuter to see how our guys have come into their own as dads. *smile*

Now you know I've got lots of great video footage, so be sure to check my YouTube channel shortly!  I even got a good one of the boys duking it out over a teething ring, lol. Boy, I can't wait to watch this with these fellas in about 20 years!  Good times!

The Baby Show NYC

Hey folks!  So remember a couple months back when I was sooo amped about getting my cute lil' Mommy Cards and how I was looking forward to card-exchange opps to show them off? (LOL) Well there's another "card opp" coming up in a few weeks!  Yaaaaay!!!

I was invited to The Baby Show NYC by Mom Fuse, an online magazine for mothers where I'm a new contributing mom blogger.  I'm super excited about this opportunity as I know I'll not only meet other new moms in the area, but I'll also get to check out the top "must-have" baby products and services.  As Chase is becoming more mobile and curious by the day I'm constantly thinking about fun and creative ways to keep him stimulated (and safe!) in our home - and I'm quite sure The Baby Show will be showcasing many wonderful toys/activities that will be perfect for us as we transition into parents to a tot.  I just know the show is going to be a high-energy, family-friendly good time, so I'm bringing Chase along (he loves mingling with other babies!) and hopefully seeing some of my mom blogger friends I've met over the last few months. I'll also be inviting my best friend who is expecting her first babe in late March - she's just beginning to work on her baby registry, and I know she'll get all sorts of great ideas here.

The Baby Show NYC is essentially a celebration of all things baby!  It's a response to NYC parents in their search for the best products and practices for new born babies to young toddlers.  The showcase will feature free lectures and seminars from baby experts, doctors, and a variety of exhibitors.  I'm especially looking forward to the presentation by Sarah Merian Photography, since we're on the hunt now for a good studio to take Chase's one year portraits.  I'm also eager to check out the seminar by Inhabitots called Green Baby 101.

The Baby Show is taking place on Saturday, October 3 from 11 am - 7 pm and October 4 from 10 am - 6 pm.  If you're interested in attending you can still get tickets here.  If you think you might go, definitely shoot me an email - I'd love to meet you!  I'll of course be taking lots of pics as well as blogging about my experience there, and you can find that blog post over at Mom Fuse.  I can't wait!!!  

Chase At 8 Months

image source: Manelle Oliphant Illustrations

♥ Is sleeping completely through the night (read: 12 hours!!!) without waking up to eat.  On his own Chase suddenly decided that he no longer needed that 3 am feeding - so today marks the eighth consecutive day that he slept completely through. *beaming* I KNEW he would do it on his own, without our intervention!

♥ Wears 9-12 months clothes because he's going to be a big boy (thanks to daddy!)
♥ LOVES music.  He dances and claps when one of his songs come on (i.e., "If You're Happy And You Know It," anything by The Fresh Beat Band, "Papa Moco Jumbie," "Ni Hao Kai Lan" theme song, and songs from "Blues Clues")
♥ Leans toward me and gives me wet kisses when I pucker my lips and say "Kiss, kiss!"
♥ Can "wriggle" backward all the way across the room and in a 360 on the floor
♥ Can mimic words we say like "Daddy" and "Bye-bye"

♥ Tries to pull himself up to a standing position when we are leaned over dressing him

♥ Enjoys Level 2 baby food, especially green beans, squash, and sweet potatoes

♥ Has mastered drinking from the sippy cup

♥ Has a great sense of humor and we love to tease each other!

♥ Waves "bye-bye" when it's time to leave

I love my baby so much - my life is so complete with him in it.  I just came from the bedroom where I'd turned on the nightlight, leaned over the crib, and quietly looked in on him sleeping.  As I drank him in, it was all I could do not to pick him up and give him a hug and kiss.  Instead, I leaned over and breathed in his sweet, baby smell... then touched his cheek ever so gently - whoops, he stirred a bit. I quickly pulled away lest I wake him.  Before pushing my luck, I tiptoed over to flick off the nightlight and then came to post this.  I love him.

Happy Weekend everyone!!!