15 Months

Yes, it's been 15 months since Cohen was born and since I last posted... Apparently having a baby makes me even worse at blogging. However, we are still alive, and we are still living in NYC and we still love it. SO much has happened in the last year, I feel overwhelmed trying to catch the blog up, so I'm just going to ease back into it, plus I don't want to overwhelm you with a 10,000 word blog post either.

Cohen is now walking and talking (if you count saying uh-oh, daddy, tickle, and yogurt--"gogur") Don't worry, he still doesn't even attempt to say Mommy/Mama/Mom or anything else resembling it. When I ask him to say Mama, he smiles at me and says, "Daddy." Michael thinks he's a genius. He has so much energy and I feel like sometimes all I do is run around after him all day long, but honestly, what better job could there possibly be?

In March we moved into a two bedroom apartment, and oh my goodness what a difference! We're not quarantined to the kitchen and our bedroom after 5:15pm anymore! We live right next to a huge park, which is Cohen's absolute favorite place to go. He loves slides, climbing, and trying to steal all the other kids' scooters. He hates swings, absolutely hates them. But he's fascinated when other kids are swinging, so I'm surprised he hasn't been kicked in the head yet.  He LOVES bath time, after the park it's the best form of entertainment. He also loves to dance, mostly shoulder shrugging with an occasional body twist followed by a stomping foot out to the side. He's got great rhythm, and tries to sing with me around the house.


We threw a Circus Birthday party for Cohen when he turned 1. Chelsee made the invites, how darling are they?? I have one mega-talented sister!

Cohen's favorite part were the cupcakes. Yes. Multiple cupcakes, he crashed hard that night :)

Cohen riding his new Radio Flyer Bumper car, he loves this thing!

Birthday Boy!

Treat Table

Alemany's in the Photo Booth!

It's been an incredible 1+ year! We love this little buddy and we are so happy he's in our lives :) 

Hopefully it won't be another year before I update this again...

Michael Cohen Alemany - Welcome to the world!

It has been such an incredible week. I can't really explain it, but it feels like everything has changed completely, and then at the same time it's all still the same. I love being a Mom already. It's been really interesting, because I always knew that I wanted to be a Mother, and listening to society it sounds like your making this huge sacrifice to do the job of staying at home and raising kids. Even though I've only had Cohen a very short time, I feel so blessed and honestly a  little selfish that I have this incredible opportunity to stay at home and raise our beautiful baby. There is absolutely no where else I'd rather be. We are so excited Cohen has come to our family, here's the story...

Our little buddy joined us exactly on his due date 6/2/2012. I was rather impatient for him to arrive (So excited to be a MOM!!), and I really wanted him to come early (those of you who know me well, know that patience is definitely NOT my middle name)...I was definitely in the "terribly uncomfortable all the time" stage of pregnancy.

Just to give you an idea of how HUGE I was...

My mom came into town on May 28  to be sure she wouldn't miss Cohen's arrival. That whole week we went out walking, ate spicy food, ate tons of pineapple (also supposedly helps to induce labor...not sure if it worked), drove around on the crazy bumpy NYC streets all in the hopes of inducing labor. That whole week I'd been having contractions. They started an hour apart, then they'd get closer and closer until they were about 15 minutes apart and then they'd stop. I was becoming frustrated and finally decided that this kid had a mind of his own and would just us when he was ready. Friday night (6/1), I decided that he wasn't coming anytime soon so we should go about life as usual, mom and I went and bought movie tickets to see Snow White and the Huntsman, came home, made dinner and waited for Michael to get home from work. When he got home we ate and then left for the movie. While driving to the theater my contractions started getting more intense and closer together, but by this point I was so use to them coming and then just stopping, so I figured we had at least another couple of days. Well, when I say Cohen has a mind of his own... We sat down in the theater got through the previews and about 20 minutes of the movie, by this point my contractions were coming approx. every 3-4 minutes and were becoming increasingly intense. It finally hit me that I was actually going into REAL labor this time! We left the movie early (I still really want to see it!!) and headed to the hospital. When we got there they didn't even examine me they just checked me right into a labor and delivery room...apparently they could tell I was in a lot of pain and it was the real thing. We checked into the hospital at about 8:30pm with my contractions coming every 3 minutes. When they checked me I was 3-4 cm dilated. 3 hours later I was ready for the epidural...

Yay for epidurals, I was able to sleep that night! 

At 8:30am the next morning I was dilated to a 10 and ready to push! Apparently Cohen was a little apprehensive to come into this world, I pushed for 3 hours and he FINALLY made his appearance! Michael was and is the best support system I could ever ask for, he's already the best Dad to our little guy, it's so much fun to watch them interact!

At a whopping 8 lbs 9 ounces it's no wonder it took me 3 hours to get him here! He's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen, and I can't believe he's really our son. I've had so many overwhelming feelings of love, concern, worry, joy, peace and contentment over this past week. I've felt this immense love I have for our son, and have gotten a small glimpse of how much our Heavenly Father really loves us, and I really do stand all amazed. I feel like I would do anything for Cohen, and I truly can't imagine how God feels about all of His children. I know that He wants what is best for us, and would do anything and everything in His power to help us. I'm so grateful that Michael and I get to be parents to this beautiful baby boy! Welcome to the world Cohen. 

So tuckered out after the hard journey...

His favorite position to be burped

Wide awake! 

Proud Daddy

I don't think I've ever been this exhausted in my entire life!

Thrilled Grandma! 

Going home from the hospital...he loves being swaddled!

Sweet, sweet baby Cohen

Loving being a Mama!

Cohen's first stroller adventure!

Already the World's Best Dad!

Cohen's Houdini foot...he loves being swaddled but also loves his feet out and loves to have his hands by his face

Cohen found his fingers :) 

We love being parents already and can't wait for all the adventures to come!

Pronunciation

I serve in the Primary in our ward. I love my calling. Working with the kids is so much fun. I have come to realize however, that I have a very difficult name to pronounce. Most of the kids end up calling me Siri, instead of Sister Alemany. My friend sent me a video of her kids practicing saying my name, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!

I love these little kiddos!

In Defense of Motherhood

I was lucky. I grew up with a stay-at-home Mom who continuously supported me in everything I did. And when I say everything I do mean everything. She was there when I got home from school to listen about my day. She was there for me when I was being teased at school and needed a shoulder to cry on, when I did badly on a test, when I fell on my roller-blades, scraped my knees and needed a hug--and a few band-aids. She was there to break up the arguments that would naturally arise between my siblings and I. She was there when I forgot my homework and would get in the car and bring it to me at school. She was there at every choir concert, baseball game, spelling bee, school play, presentation, speech, science fair project, soccer game and orchestra performance that my siblings and I ever participated in, with a smile and the video camera. She was always there to help with homework, and often times would tutor my friends and I with our math. She was there when my biggest crush of middle school, told me he liked my best friend and I, like any middle school girl, was truly devastated. Not only did she listen as I complained and cried, but she never once minimized my feelings and told me that I probably wouldn't marry him anyway, or that my feelings didn't matter. She listened to me and tried to help me as best she could. My mother was and and still is my best friend.

Now I know I was extremely lucky, I truly feel that I won the lottery when it comes to mothers. But I also know that my experience is not unique. I know so many women who are incredibly educated, beautiful, talented, self-motivated, hard-working, patient, articulate, spiritual, funny, loving, sincere and truly kind that sacrifice a great deal to be mothers and raise kids.

Mothers work hard 24/7 often with no worldly recognition for their efforts.

They don't run on the "9-5" schedule. They don't get off of work, come home and have a break before heading back to the office. They are up before dawn constantly cleaning up spills, sticky fingers, trying to scrub pen/marker/pencil marks off couches, tables, walls, floors, electronics etc. Once that mess is cleaned another awaits. They make sure their children get their homework done, don't watch too much tv, have healthy meals, learn how to clean their rooms, make their beds, weed the garden, say please and thank you, match their clothes, tie their shoes, read, and become independent. They burn the midnight oil sewing costumes, helping with science projects, book reports, making lunches, and praying for their kids. My mom was always up before me, and always went to bed after me. Mothers work hard.

Motherhood has been under attack for years. The world tells mothers that they are not good enough, they don't measure up because they don't bring home a paycheck. Because they don't earn titles and accolades and letters behind their names for advanced degrees, they must not be as important as people who do, or they must not have as much influence as those advanced degree holders/accolade winners. As Dieter F. Uchtdorf so rightly stated,

"You [Mothers] are the real builders of nations wherever you live, because strong homes of love and peace will bring security to any nation."

Yesterday Hilary Rosen, a Democratic Strategist, made a comment toward Ann Romney, a stay at home mom who raised 5 boys, while battling MS, and breast cancer. She said,

 "She's never worked a day in her life."

Really? In my opinion mothers often work harder than most people in the work force. They are raising the future generations of our society, if that's not work, I don't know what is.

I want to be a Mother because I want to make a difference in the world, not in spite of it. I want to raise responsible, independent, smart, righteous and genuinely good kids who can contribute to society. I am currently 33 weeks pregnant with my first child. I'm nervous, a bit scared, and very excited. I was talking to a few friends recently who were posed with questions about childbirth, the pain, recovery, and motherhood in general. They summed up exactly why I want to be a mother,

"It's hard, but it's so worth it."

One friend said that it is the most rewarding thing she's ever done in her entire life, and the others quickly echoed this opinion. I know my own mother feels that way, she's told me on countless occasions that there is nothing else she would rather have done with her life than raise my brother, sister and I.

Now I know that everyone's circumstances are different, but that's why I agree with what Ann Romney said this morning in an interview with Fox News, "We need to respect the choices that women make." I couldn't agree more. When a woman chooses to stay home with her children rather than entering the workforce, she should be applauded for her efforts and respected for her choice, not dismissed and disrespected.

"There is [should be] gratitude for our mothers. Mother, who willingly made that personal journey into the valley of the shadow of death to give us birth, deserves our undying gratitude. One writer summed up our love for mother when he declared, 'God could not be everywhere, and so He gave us mothers.'" Thomas S. Monson

The Babymoon

This past weekend Michael and our took our last trip together as a couple with no kids, aka the "Babymoon." I can't believe that in just under 2 months our little guy will be joining us! We really are so excited to be parents, but we both agreed it would be a great idea to take one last trip together, just the two of us. This trip is something we've been wanting to do for awhile. We left Friday morning and drove to Gettysburg, PA.

Michael and I in front of the Gettysburg National Military Museum (me looking rather pregnant!)

Michael loves U.S. History, so naturally he was super excited to be at Gettysburg

Michael and an original canon

View from Little Round Top 

Michael standing in the middle of "Devil's Den"

 We toured the battlefield all day. (I had no idea that it was so huge, 25 square miles!) It was intensely sobering seeing the actual battlefields where so many soldiers lost their lives in the Civil War. The land has been beautifully preserved, and it was sometimes hard to picture the lay of the land with bodies strewn in every direction. Despite the events that occurred there, it felt quite peaceful. In the museum we read some personal accounts, one account in particular that really drove home the often quoted adage, "Brother fighting against Brother, and Father fighting against Son" told of a woman's Father who was a General in the Union Army, while her husband was a General in the Confederate Army. I can't even imagine what kind of personal turmoil she must have felt during the war, being completely torn in two, hoping on one hand the Confederates would win, and on the other that the Union would win. I'm sure she must have gotten to the point where she just wanted her family to be safe, regardless of the outcome of the war. It made me so grateful to live in a time when our country stands united, and my Father is not fighting against my husband. It also made me grateful to all of the people who sacrificed their lives, so that we can live in a free nation, and to those who are still making those sacrifices now.

The sunset at Gettysburg

After touring the battlefield all afternoon we went to dinner at The Springhouse Tavern. It's a building that stands very close to the battlefield, and was built in 1776. We ate by candlelight! The food was delicious, and we had a great experience dining in one of the oldest buildings still standing in Gettysburg. Oh if only walls could talk, the stories that tavern would tell!

 After dinner it was really late, so we drove to the Inn where we were staying for the weekend. It was a B&B called The Inn at Westwynd Farms, located just outside of Hershey, PA. It was absolutely gorgeous, and it was so refreshing to see trees, grass, horses etc after being in the city so long! It was really late when we arrived so we had no time to explore the farm etc, we literally were exhausted and went straight to bed.

Saturday dawned bright and early and Michael was SO excited because the Inn served  French Toast for breakfast, which is his absolute favorite. And it was delicious, as they made it with real French bread. After breakfast we drove into Hershey and went to Hershey's Chocolate World.

Welcome to Hershey's Chocolate World!

The whole small town of Hershey smells SO good! Definitely the perfect getaway for a chocolate lover like myself :) While at Chocolate world we took a little "ride" that explains how chocolate is made, I had no idea how labor intensive and what a process it really is! After the ride we went on a Trolley Ride around Hershey to learn the history of the town, which is technically not even called Hershey, it's called Derry Township.

We learned about Milton S. Hershey, the founder of the Hershey Chocolate Company. He was an incredible man. He failed dozens of times trying to establish a candy company, originally with taffy and caramels until he discovered chocolate and succeeded in building an empire. I was mostly amazed by Milton Hershey's philanthropic pursuits. He started an orphan boys' school, built houses for all of his factory workers and had them pay $1 for them. He believed everybody had a right to own their own home. And he was especially kind-hearted when it came to his wife, Catherine, or "Kitty" as he affectionately called her. After they moved into their newly constructed mansion (which cost him roughly $53,000)  Kitty mentioned that she wanted a garden. He then spent approximately $40,000 building her an exquisite rose garden complete with paths, waterways, trees and many other types of flowers. The garden was in their front yard, and they wanted everyone to be able to enjoy it, so it became a family park of sorts for the community. He and Kitty were never able to have children, so they created the "Hershey Trust" which still cares for the under-privileged children that attend their school. I was so impressed by this man and all of the wonderful things he did, and the legacy he has left behind.

The Hershey Kiss lamps on Chocolate Avenue

After our Trolley Tour of Hershey we drove to Lancaster, PA aka Amish country! We started out taking a "Buggy" ride and I was impressed with how smooth the ride was, even on dirt roads! We learned quite a bit about the Amish or "Plain" people as they prefer to be called. I think there is a lot we can learn from them and apply to ourselves, such as adhering more fully to the belief, "Be in the world, but not of the world."

The Amish Buggy

After our buggy ride we explored a farmer's market, where we tried the most delicious breads and apple cider. Yum! At the farmer's market I was walking around looking at all of the crafts and food made by the Amish. I looked around and I couldn't find Michael. I finally found him, in front of a man selling baseball cards. Some things never change...

Michael and the baseball cards

That afternoon we were driving around (somewhat lost....so I'm not very good with directions) and we came upon the Strasburg Railroad. Michael got so excited and kept saying, "This is where I used to come as a kid!!" Unfortunately we got there after everything had closed up for the night, but we were still able to walk around and look at the old train cars. Michael remembers many times going there with his dad as a kid, he loved looking at the trains and riding the "kiddie" train. He got so excited at the prospect of someday taking our little guy to see the trains cars and to take a ride on the "kiddie" train. Sidenote, it makes me so happy to see how excited Michael is to be a dad. He can't wait for baby to make his appearance. And he's going to be such a great dad too! I can just tell :)

Old Pennsylvania Railroad car on display at Strasburg Railroad

After our little mishap with directions (hehe) we eventually found our way to where we were having dinner, "Miller's" an authentic Amish Smorgasbord. Basically it was a fancy way of saying "expensive buffet" but the food was pretty good. We drove back to the Inn after dinner and I fell asleep while Michael had to send some emails...what can I say, I'm tired ALL the time.

Sunday morning we slept in (which was SO nice, because we literally never sleep in). We started for home and stopped at a church in Allentown to attend Sacrament Meeting. It was a great meeting.

We had a fantastic vacation. It was so fun to be able spend that much time together, just the two of us, it'll be awhile before that happens again! We're so excited for Baby to join us in June!

When I'm here...I'm home

We've been living in New York City for about a year and 1/2 now. And let me just tell you, I seriously love living here. I love the neighborhood we live in with the countless row-homes, family friendly vibe, great restaurants, people honking at all hours of the night, beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline, motorcycles that drag race right outside our house at 3AM, corner bodegas where you can buy a $5 gallon of milk-and pretty much anything else your heart desires, these same bodegas sporting names like "Exective Deli", yes you read that right not "Executive", but "Exective", oh and my very favorite two restuarant signs, "Meal is Deal" (who knows what kind of food exists in that place) and "New Chinese Good One" - things like this just make me smile. I love the pace of the city, there's always something going on, so if you're bored, or hungry, it's your own fault. I love how each neighborhood is so different, you can walk 3 blocks and suddenly everything that used to be in Chinese, is now written in Italian, or Greek, or Spanish. And I especially love the many, many, many old Greek people in Astoria, one whom we know named Hercules, I'm not kidding. (Side-note-Michael really wants to name baby Hercules, I told him no-haha) I love taking the train, and seeing so many different kinds of people crowded together in one place. And oh my goodness I love love LOVE the food in New York, regardless of what you're in the mood for you can find it, and it's always delicious--ok maybe not always, but generally. :) I LOVE the museums, theaters, broadway, shopping, Central Park, really the list could go on forever. I even love the crazy drivers and the traffic.

 What I love most though, is that when I'm here, I feel like I'm home. It's a great feeling when you finally start feeling at home in a new place. I think the biggest reason for this feeling comes from the fact that we have met so many wonderful people, and we've made so many great friends. It's been an incredible place for Michael and I to "grow up" and more importantly grow together. And I tend to agree with Dorothy,

 "There's no place like home."

Spring in the Air

And the flowers are blooming in NYC. It was gorgeous weather in the city today!