Browse Author: beakatude

Ready for the Sun

We’re leaving for Hawaii tomorrow morning and it’s going to be Kumquat’s first plane trip.  We’re staying at the Moana again (pictured above) for 4 nights and we get to see our favorite Yoon!

I’m pretty nervous about how Kumquat’s going to behave but there’s not much I can do at this point.  It’s out of my hands.  However, what I CAN control is what I bring and she’s got some pretty cute outfits for this trip.

Check out this ensemble!  The spf 50 watermelon bodysuit came from Jes’ cousins in Vancouver and it was perfect for this trip.  The bathing suit on the right is from H&M.  It was on the sale rack for $7, which I was pretty happy about but then when the lady rung it up, she said it was $1!!!  Sweet.  I bought the terry cloth cover-up from Old Navy.  They were having a big summer sale and I snagged this one from the sale rack.  I bought the hat from Target and it also has spf 50 protection.  The pediatrician recommended that we have Kumquat wear sunglasses so I pick up this nifty pair that will make her look really silly.  Lastly, I ordered sunblock through Amazon and hope that Kumquat will cooperate with the application process.  I hate sunscreen but hope she’s going to be ok with it.  I also got Kumquat a floaty thing for her to sit in while in the pool and got a pack of swimming diapers on sale at Amazon.  So I guess we’re set!  She might cry on the plane but once we get to our destination, she’ll be fully prepared for some fun in the sun!  Wish us luck!!

Afternoon with Reese

Little Reese is becoming such a big girl.  She’s been talking so much lately and knows me and Kumquat by name now.  It’s so sweet how she will hang around Kumquat and say “Baby Janie” over and over again.  Yesterday, we hung out together for a bit and Reese has now become our baby interpreter.  When Kumquat started to cry, she said “Baby Janie baba”, which means, “Kumquat needs her pacifier” and it worked!  Boy, I wish I could just keep her in my little pocket to help me figure out what my baby needs sometimes.

Food & Wine Sunday

On Friday afternoon, Jes and I had our own little HH at Paragon since the sun was out.  I had brought two issues of F&W magazine and Jes found a recipe that was paired with a wine from Howell Mountain.  In the past, he has enjoyed wines from that region of Napa County and was intrigued.  So, we looked up the winery and found that they had a tasting room in Downtown Napa.  Sweet.  I called and booked an appointment for Sunday afternoon.

On Saturday, I was trying to figure out where we could eat either before or after the tasting.  I happened to be flipping through the magazine that Jes was reading on Friday and there was a featured article on an Italian restaurant called Oenotri and the two chefs.  It looked familiar and remembered seeing it on Open Table.  Ha!  Reservation made!

So, on Sunday we packed up the kid and her stuff and headed up to Napa by noon.  We stopped at Genova Delicatessen and shared one of my favorite sandwiches – the #4 on a seeded roll.  Yum.

The Robert Craig Winery tasting room was found in an industrial park and it was just down the path from the Westin that we usual stay when we go overnight.  The host at the bar, Jeff, was really cool and we got some 1:1 time with him since it was by appointment only.  He gave seconds on anything we wanted and we spent extra time there getting a lesson on Downtown Napa, the ins and outs of the food/wine industry, and the winery itself.

Kumquat was pretty well-behaved and even spent some time at the bar with us.  By the end we got a good buzz while she also took a nap.

Afterward, we took a walk down to Oxbow Public Market where they have a bunch of shops and restaurants including Kara’s Cupcakes, Ritual Coffee Roasters, Three Twins Ice Cream and even a Hog Island!  We got some ice cream and coffee and sat outside reading while Kumquat finished her nap.

Dinner was nice.  We sat in their outdoor patio and they were very nice about making space for Kumquat.  We tried our best to keep her happy but at one point she was so antsy, hungry, and tired all at the same time that she did make a little noise.  Luckily, I was able to quickly feed her, change her, and rock her to sleep in between courses.  Fortunately for us, she wasn’t enough of a pest for the other patrons to give us dirty looks.  Phew.

Here are some of the dishes we enjoyed:

House-made Charcuterie Platter

Margherita Pizza

Stone Fruit Salad and Swordfish Crudo

Spaghetti with Tomato and Basil along with some Fried Kale Chips (reminded me of nori paper)

It was a good first mini-trip back to Napa but definitely a different experience now with Kumquat tagging along.  We also stayed in Downtown Napa the whole time and didn’t really get to see any sweeping views or grapes on the vine so we’ll definitely have to be back for more soon.

80 degrees

We had a warm and sunny day in SF today so we decided to take a walk around Union Square. I was actually in shorts, a tank, and slippers today and Kumquat was perfectly happy chewing on her blanket, giraffe, and hand all at the same time.

During her 3pm feeding, we were outside at a cafe when a group of French teenagers approached us.  They said they were on a scavenger hunt and one of the items on the list was to sing to a baby and take a photo.  I allowed it and they sang a cute French lullaby to her.  It was very sweet.  They all wanted to play with her too and she didn’t mind the attention from 10 teenagers hovering over her while she guzzled her milk. I should have taken a video of this moment but I had my hands full and all I could get was this quick snapshot with my phone before they had to scurry away to their next task.

After a few hours in the sun, we went over to the dome area in the Westfield Shopping Center where they just opened another La Boulange.  We had some pastries and cappuccinos and Kumquat sat on our laps to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells.  By the way, the macarons there are not bad!  Had the coconut, pistachio, and caramel – all were pretty tasty.

3 months with Kumquat

Today Kumquat turned 3 months old and I’m still amazed by this little human that we have living in our home.  I’m at a point now where it’s hard to imagine life without her.  Yes, life without a baby was a lot easier and more carefree but it’s been fun having her around.  She has really put more meaning to even the little things in my daily life too.  I have a new appreciation for the extra time I have to take a shower or eat a meal and it’s such a treat nowadays when I have a spare moment to go for a run. I also function in small increments of time and sometimes it takes me a whole day to finish one load of laundry since I get distracted every 10-15 minutes.

Navigating SF with a stroller has been an adventure that I’ve turned into somewhat of a video game in my head and it’s fun to catalog all the places that are accessible (i.e. ramps and elevators) and have a decent place to change a baby.  For example, it’s easier to enter Macy’s from Geary since there are no steps and the elevator is right at the entrance and Nordstrom has a pretty nice women’s lounge that also has a separate “mother’s room” with changing tables and a chair for nursing.  Taking her to dinner and Happy Hour has been manageable and most places have been nice about finding us a table that can accommodate a stroller.  I’ve also changed her in the bathroom of several nice restaurants using a chair, the floor, and even a window ledge.

Walking the dog is also a different experience now.  I usually take the baby in the front carrier so that the dog has more freedom to sniff and pee where he pleases.  However, when I do take the stroller, I’ve found that I can clip his leash to the stroller sometimes so I can steer a little easier and if we’re in an ideal situation (like on Embarcadero), he helps me pull the stroller too.  Heh heh.

Driving has also changed.  Luckily, Kumquat likes riding in the car and she’s learning to self-soothe when it’s just the two of us and she’s tired/hungry in traffic.  Loading and unloading the car takes a bit longer now but since our stroller collapses with just the press of a button, it’s been easier than I expected.  Looking for a parking spot is also a little trickier.  When I go to Target, I park farther out so that I can have extra space to open the back door all the way.  When I go to Oakland for lunch with the girls, I prefer to park at a curb instead of the lot for that same reason.

Overall, I gotta say that this experience has been fun so far.  We’ve survived life in the city and a road trip to LA with a baby so it’ll be interesting to see how our first plane trip goes.  Hawaii is only 5 days away!

Dolores Park

On Sunday, we spent the afternoon at Dolores Park and met up with James and his daughter and Kyle and his niece.

On our way to the park, we stopped at Ike’s Place and picked up some tasty sandwiches.  There was a line out the door but it was worth the wait.

Kumquat seemed to enjoy the outing and hanging out under the little tent we made with her blanket and my backpack.

The park has a brand-new playground that is HUGE and filled a variety of slides, climbing structures, and these huge chimes that you can hit with a mallet.  I took Ariel around and she liked climbing on everything and swinging.

Afterward, we walked across the street to Bi-Rite for some ice cream.  Yum.  It happened to be National Ice Cream Day too!  I shared the Salted Caramel and Coffee Toffee with Jes while we sat in the corner of the shop with the kids.