New Address for So Very Vienna!

Hello all! Thanks for your support for my So Very Vienna blog! Following the advice of friend and social media guru Lexi Grant, I have now moved my blog from blogger.com over to Wordpress. Please check out the new location of So Very Vienna at http://SoVeryVienna.com. I hope you'll continue following my adventures, and join in the fun.

~Melanie

Surviving One of THOSE Days

I'll admit it: I have a pretty good baby. She doesn't cry for no apparent reason, she smiles a lot and usually sleeps a consistent eight hours a night.

Yet, her sleeping mostly through the night doesn't mean I'm getting a lot of sleep. I stay up a little after I put her down for some "me" or "husband and me" time. And I'll wake up during the night as she kicks around in her crib (we call her the "Bucking Bronco").

Last night she got me good: by 7:30am I had gotten about five hours of interrupted sleep. I spent the next few hours trying to get a nap in. Not happening.

By this point in the morning, all of the feelings of grumpiness mixed with doubt about every facet of my life are in full force. I also haven't gone for a walk lately because it's been a muggy sauna outside for weeks. Choosing my best from limited options, I decide to try to pick myself up with a walk at Tysons Galleria, thinking it wouldn't be as crowded as the main mall. I'd also heard they had a nice food court.

Note to self: Tysons Galleria is not the place to go if you're feeling burdened by pregnancy weight and suffering from sleep deprivation. I arrived at lunch time and the place was bustling with women wearing stilettos in their 20s, no doubt from the nearby consulting firms. I was the only one wielding a stroller around the masses of people ordering food and waiting to pay. I felt out of place amidst the high end stores and well-dressed people.

I had just read an article about how to be happier with one's body after childbirth. It said to think about how you would talk positively about self image with your child, and talk to yourself that same way. I tried to keep that in mind as I heard the click-click of the high heels while I tried to savor and not wolf down my sandwich, waiting for the (finally!) sleeping baby in my stroller to wake up to feed on demand.

The score for today: Eleanor 1, Mom 0. But I will rise again! Serenity now!

Whine: Goes Great with Crackers

I am really good at whining. It's a skill, really. It takes a keen observer to notice the smallest things that are "wrong" and pick them apart methodically. On a more positive note, I can also recommend how to fix something that is "wrong".

Take today at Baby Gap: I needed to return or exchange a few gifts that had been given to my 0-3 month old while she was still 0-3 months old, which were unwanted/unneeded/the wrong size. Being that I had a 0-3 month old, I couldn't get to the store in the 30 day return window the store requires. I could not return anything today, although I had schlepped myself to the store - still an accomplishment although baby is almost 4 months old. Did anyone with a 0-3 month old write this silly rule at Baby Gap? If so, they'd know that new moms need at least three months to have going to Baby Gap be the priority of the hour. Sigh.

But let's not despair. Really. Let's have some fun. Like associating ourselves with wine that's served by the glass!

Last week I went to Church Street Cellars. There I met with my fellow co-chair for Social Events for Moms of the Vienna Moms group (more on Vienna Moms another time). This wine bar is one of the few places in town that you can sit outside and enjoy food and beverage. Inside, you can order wines by the glass using a convenient purchase card that you load up with money and then spend down as you drink the wine down. The menu has also grown sizeably since the place first opened a few years ago.

There is also Out of Site Wines which is, well, out of sight off of Church Street! Across from the caboose on the W & OD Trail, from what I've seen it's more wine store than wine bar. (Am I wrong? The Web site doesn't offer much, and I haven't been there in a while). However, I believe they are available for specialty events and tastings. Indeed, I'm going to see about hosting a Vienna Moms event there later this year. The staff is really friendly and knowledgeable. I felt good buying a bottle of wine here and supporting the local business.

I've also been meaning to check out Paradise Springs Winery in nearby Clifton, VA. A fellow new mom went to the Winery's weekly Friday Happy Hour (5 - 9 pm) with the kiddie. I wonder: Could I nurse Ellie while nursing a wine? :)

Seeking Balance Part 2

I headed over to East Meets West today again (this time with my neighbors!) to check out "Mom and Me" yoga. I expected it to be part play, part workout. I'm glad I had the right expectations for the hour-long session.

Ellie did great in the first half - smiling, cooing. And she was loud! I had THAT baby in the class - the one that makes all the noise. I tried not to get all worked up about her as a distraction. Hadn't the teacher said that motherhood is about managing distractions? That's true, but, um, I'd like to stretch a little, please.

Well, there was no soothing her so I quickly realized that my yoga practice was effectively over for the day, and began the ritual walking her around. Before the final relaxing pose for the last five minutes of class, the teacher offered to hold Ellie so I could lay like a lump on the floor, reflecting on my practice that wasn't. Gladly handing her off to so willing a watcher, I did manage to get in five minutes of peace while Ellie fell asleep in the teacher's arms.

Fast-forward: Ellie is still napping, and I've had a peaceful lunch! So I didn't stretch too much, but I did gain a little me time this morning. Lesson learned: yoga during the start of nap time = little yoga time.

Fresh in Vienna

I would be remiss if I didn't attribute one post to my favorite summertime activity in Vienna - going to the Farmers Market. Located by the Caboose on the W&OD Trail on Church Street, the Vienna Farmers Market is THE place to be on a Saturday morning between 8am - 12pm.

As spring creeps near, my mouth starts to water for the fresh fruit and veggies that have been lacking all winter long. Now it's a bonanza! Today we got fresh watermelon, cantaloupe, plums, peaches, nectarines, corn, tomatoes, squash, onions and cucumbers. We usually get these awesome pretzel roles and semolina bread, too, but I am trying to watch the carb intake these days - the constant reminder of pregnancy that is a larger pants size needs to go away.

For the holiday weekend, the vendors today wore red, white and blue beads. One shopper had an Uncle Sam type hat. When we went on Halloween last year, hubby and I dressed up and got lots of smiles and comments - we were the only ones in the whole market dressed up! Our costumes served as a starter for conversations that are sometimes lacking as we all rush from stand to stand, eager to get on with the day.

Do you go to the Farmers Market?

Independence for All!

As the nation prepares to celebrate yet another anniversary of sticking it to the Brits, I can't help but take stock in my own independence. As a mom I find I'm really not so independent any more. Well, I'm certainly almost never alone, with my constant cute little sidekick. But do moms need to be alone to be independent?

I suppose on the Fourth of July even moms can claim their independence, even if they do so with their families or in a throng watching fireworks. If that's what you're looking for, here are some things to do around town this coming weekend. Thanks to fellow-mom Amanda for the suggestion! Keep the suggestions coming, folks.

The Town of Vienna July 4th celebration. This is the big-ticket item in town. A day of events at the Community Center, including an antiques car show, arts and crafts, music (including a Jimmy Buffet tribute band) and a children's stage. Culminates with fireworks at 9:15pm at Southside Park on Ross Drive.

There seems to be no Town Green concert this weekend. Bummer! Nice weather for it, too (read: not 100 degrees).

There are also celebrations in Fairfax city and Great Falls. But consider staying local to support our little town! Got any other fun holiday weekend activities around town? Post 'em here!

And Happy Birthday, Mom!

Dancin' with my Baby

I like to boogie down with my baby. I want Ellie to appreciate all types of music.

We play lots of classical to her, especially when she's nursing. We often have public radio WETA 90.9 on as the background music to our shenanigans. And I recently picked up a 10 disc classical music CD at a yard sale in town for $5! The classics are so under-appreciated. I grew up playing piano and clarinet, so I want the little baby to like the good stuff. Recently we waltzed around her bedroom to the Blue Danube Waltz and the Waltz of the Sugarplum Fairies. Waltzes are hard! Very fast! I was pooped afterwards!

The Vienna Community Center and various Fairfax County Rec Centers have music classes that I think we'll bring Ellie to when she's a tad older.

But I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I've been known to play the occasional Lady Gaga song to her. I just downloaded the knew Michael Franti song, Sound of Sunshine, too - happy, pop, summertime music. I'm making what I call "Ellie's PLAYlist" on the iPod. Rock on!

Getting Pampered - and I Don't Mean Diapers!

Time for some pampering! No, not the kind with leakage protection. I mean a massage! A pedicure! A manicure! Nothing makes a weary mom feel energized like a little nail polish and body lotion.

I usually go to Cherry's Nail Salon next to Magruder's for the mani/pedi. The New Yorker in me knows that it's most comparable in cost to the competitive-priced service on Long Island. I think it's a pretty standard service at Cherry's.

But this weekend I went for the second time to Diamond Spa on Church Street for a pedicure with my mother-in-law (thanks again, Roz!). It's a little more relaxing - there's a nice foot and leg rub involved, finishing with a mini hot stone massage! The only downer, which may seem like a bonus for those with more time, is that it takes a long time to get a pedicure. The first time was almost two hours, this time an hour and 15 minutes. Sign you're a time-strapped mom: you get irked at a long pedicure. What kind of monster have I become?

Next week I head to Bellini Salon and MedSpa. I went once for a massage and loved it. I went once for a pedicure and wasn't too impressed. I am returning again for a massage.

Ooohh. Ahhhh.

Seeking Balance

I've been doing yoga for about eight years now - started right after the stress of grad school wore me out! Ha! Such "stress" pales in comparison to what I face now that I'm a mom. Yet, maybe it's not so much "stress" as it is imbalance. Or rather, the effort of seeking balance.

I went to prenatal yoga classes at East Meets West yoga on Church Street throughout the long winter. My previous yoga studio was in DC and when I worked downtown, I was always schlepping my clothes, mat, purse and laptop to the studio, arriving frenzied for the practice. So being just a few minutes drive from East Meets West is a nice change - I hop in the car and go. The studio is decorated with tributes to Eastern philosophies. I've had a good experience with the classes and instructors there.

Once I was given the all-clear to exercise again after the baby, I headed back to the studio for some sorely needed stretching. But I am out of shape and it's been difficult. On the one hand, I am proud of myself for picking it back up and trying to regain some semblance of my body's abilities. On the other, I am so sleep-weary that getting through the class is a real chore. It also doesn't help that I feel more out of shape and slower than anyone there. I struggle through the downward dog poses, and the plank positions that demand that my abs be harder, work better.

Ironically, the poses I can actually do the best are the balancing poses on one leg. Ironic because everything seems so out of balance these days as I adjust to this new life. My time versus family time, sleep versus awake, resting versus exercising. Where's the balance of trying to be healthy and actually being healthy? Do we give ourselves points just for trying, or do we need to reach a goal of a certain level of health or fitness before we can celebrate achievement?

Celebrating Parenthood

I like to throw parties. I’ll look for any excuse to get people together.

After having my daughter, I wanted to do something to honor the journey that I had made from pregnant lady to a mama. It’s so easy to forget what an accomplishment it is, as one is thrust into the round-the-clock caretaking that is parenthood. I also knew plenty of other new parents who were going through the same adjustment.

So I decided to host a New Parent Party for about 15 families we had met in the last few months in our community. I booked the picnic shelter at Glyndon Park (just $25!). We had a potluck lunch, and the sight of about a dozen car seats and strollers was a fun distraction from the sweltering heat.

The babies were really well behaved. I got to meet some babies of friends who I hadn’t seen since we’d all become parents. We all seemed happy to be out in the fresh air, as proud new families.

On Connecting ...

As with any major life transition, learning to raise a child is a multi-faceted endeavor. As I move through each day, I find myself thinking about “connecting.”

I try to connect with my daughter each day. At 11 weeks, she has really started to coo and be verbal. So I’m trying to connect with her through language and voice. This is an important skill for her develop, so I try really hard to connect through talking.

I try to connect to nature. My goal is to take a walk with Ellie each day. I hope that she’ll hear the birds singing and the rustle of leaves—natural sounds that I believe will provide comfort to her now and as she grows. Last night I already saw some fireflies around town, offering a sign that the seasons are moving along.

Being a stone’s throw from the capital, I realize that I have ample opportunity to connect Ellie to her national heritage. My mom and I took her for some pictures on the National Mall and the National Archives. I thought about how maybe someday she’ll be a senator or lobbyist, and how this was her first trip to see the Capitol! At the very least she will later bear witness to the history and present day governing of her country.

This next connection is a big one: as a mother, I see the connection with the whole human race. I brought one more life into this world. When I look around and see kids and parents, (anyone really), I realize that we all started out the same way. We share a common humanity. I was reminded of this in a restaurant yesterday when, as I was putting Ellie into her car seat, I caught a middle-aged woman looking at me. When our eyes met, her glance softened with this knowing look that said, “Isn’t she amazing? Isn’t it all amazing?” How wonderful to find a connection at a time in society when the term more often refers to computers or cell phone service.

Getting Out from Under the Weather

You know you’re a new mom when sitting in a dentist’s chair is the most relaxing part of your day.

Seriously, I was relaxed! My head was supported, my feet were up. If it wasn’t for having two people standing over me with metal implements, I’d of thought I was on vacation.

Since having little Ellie, my medical visits have slowed down. No more pregnancy check ups all the time. Yahoo! But now it’s time to take care of a few odds and ends ailments, and other upkeep. I’m also at her pediatrician quite a bit. Here is where I’m headed around town when it comes to treating medical maladies.

That dentist with the comfy chair? A new practice for me – Dr. Joong Seo Kim on Pleasant Street. I had a 5:30pm appointment for a routine cleaning. I braced myself to wait – surely the end of the day had backed up the schedule. Nice surprise: I was seated by 5:35 and done by 6:00. My pearly whites looked just that afterwards!

For my primary care, I see Dr. Micha Joffee. He’s super thorough. It’s nice to have been going to him for some time, as he remembers the details of my medical life.

Ellie goes to Capital Area Pediatrics (AKA Vienna Peds), on Maple right near the Wolf Trap Inn. We love Dr. Jennifer Lee. She answers all our questions in as much time as we need, and talks directly to Ellie like she’s an actual person. We had explored Advanced Pediatrics, where some of Ellies contemporaries go. Our deciding point was that Capital Area Peds was a touch closer to our house.

I’m also headed to a new dermatologist in a few days: Dermatology & Dermatologic Surgery Group of Northern Virginia. They’re on Church Street.

After all of these medical appointments, rushing around with an infant trying to be on time, I am really looking forward to a weekend of nowhere to be on time. People say infants are so portable at this age, but I find it tough to plan out when Ellie will need to eat and where I’ll be when it happens. I still have to get the hang of that.

Peace out!

Vienna’s Culinary United Nations

After yoga class at the East Meets West yoga studio on Church Street, a friend and I browsed through the recently-moved Yas Bakery. The store moved in early 2010 from it’s location on Main Street to a standalone building at 137 Church Street. I can’t remember what was there before, but now Yas boasts a bright, inviting grocery featuring Iranian imports and pastries. The pistachio baklava is delicious. You can find some novel items, like rock candy sticks with saffron – traditionally used to sweeten coffee. I also saw whole tamarind (I wouldn’t begin to know how to cook with it, though. Exotic!). There are about a dozen varieties of pickles, followed by a dozen more of olives. A fun place to browse.

I realized afterwards that for a small town, Vienna has an impressive variety and amount of stores and restaurants where you can find international foods. And many of them (perhaps all?) are locally owned shops. Here are some of my favorites around town – although by no means an exhaustive list.

Restaurants

For Indian food we love Amma Vegetarian Kitchen at 344 Maple Ave East (across from the Giant supermarket). It’s a local place where you’ll find folks getting traditional potato-filled dosas (crepes) and upppatams (pancakes). The dishes are served with a side of coconut chutney and spicy sambar soup. It’s a great place for casual, traditional Indian fare without waiter service. The only downer is that when ordering take out, there’s a lot of non-recyclable styrofoam.

For Thai in Vienna, we like Natta Thai on Glyndon Street SE in the Maple Shopping Center (where Jammin Java is). The dishes pack a spicy kick. The space is cozy, so we’ll often use Natta Thai as our standard for Thai take out.

Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant on Maple near Nutley Street holds a dear place in my heart. When my hubby and I were first dating I was a vegetarian (getting me to convert to carnivore is one of his proudest accomplishments). For one of our first dates, he took me to Sunflower, obviously pleased with having found the perfect restaurant for me. It’s a winner. Every time we go one of us orders General Tso’s surprise “chicken”—and whenever I look at other tables in the restaurant, almost every one has an order of the same. The edamame soybean pods are also crisp with a savory sesame dressing.

For sushi we like the sushi places that have cycled through 128 Maple Ave West (next to Sleepy’s and Tuesday Morning). I went today, and in the last two weeks it had changed hands yet again. The new place is Yirasai. For lunch I had a bento box with soup and salad. Pretty tasty. We also like Sushi Yoshi, housed on the corner of Church and Center Streets. Hubby and I sat at the sushi bar there once and I ordered a vegetarian sushi platter that was a work of art. It was Drew’s Blackberry wallpaper for several months. No joke.

Groceries and Other Take Out

While I’m not so ambitious as to try and cook Indian or Thai food from scratch, I do like to usemany of the spices in my cooking. And sometimes I have a hankering for international treats. Here’s where I go for the goods:

Aditi Spice Depot on the edge of Vienna at 409 Maple Ave East (across from Beulah Road), is a great place to get strong spices at a fraction of the cost of the traditional grocery store. I’ve stocked up on cinnamon and cumin, getting over double at Aditi for the price I would pay at large grocers.

Drew and I stumbled across the small Thai-Asian Food Market (350 Maple Ave West) when we returned from our honeymoon in Thailand. We had never noticed it before, and there it was! We bought curry simmer sauces and iced tea drink mixes, and whipped up a dinner that took us back to the sandy beaches of southern Thailand.

In my home of New York, bakeries abound that feature amazing cookies, cakes and pies for a fraction of what it costs to get a mass-produced dessert from our beloved mass retail stores. I am always on the lookout for bakeries where I can pick up cookies or a cake to bring to a friend’s home. So far, I’ve found two of note in Vienna.

The first is Yas, described above. The second is Silva’s Patisserie. My husband started spoiling me with treats from Silva’s when I was in my last month of pregnancy. If you are looking for decadent, carefully crafted desserts that look pretty, Silva’s is your place (at 167 Glydon Street, SE). A tiny storefront, this bakery can make you a large wedding cake or individual-sized fancy desserts. And they have tons of marzipan– an almond sugar rush in fruit shapes! Hubby actually had a box of the miniature marvels delivered to our doorstep for my birthday, after Ellie was born. An indulgence indeed.

Keeping and Making Memories on Memorial Day

Vienna is located 15 miles outside America’s capital city. Memorial Day weekend is a reminder of how Vienna can have its own traditions while rubbing up against the larger-than-life political statements about our nation that converge 15 miles away. I see an opportunity to teach my daughter about what it means to be part of a local community and part of America.

One of the highlights of the civic year is “Viva! Vienna!”, the town’s small-town-feel fair. Stretching along historic Church Street and the W & OD trail, it boasts food, crafts, rides, local businesses, music and political candidates. It’s such a staple that there is a mural with “Viva Vienna” painted on the side of the building near the Caboose on the W & OD trail.

This year, friend and fellow parent Greg and I rode a hang glider type of ride into the sunshine. Parents can have fun, too, right? Next year I figure I’ll be shelling out the $5 per carnival ride for little Ellie.

There were lots of vendors. I wanted to buy unique necklaces from several of them. We also chatted with our neighbor Adam Cook, who was promoting his home improvement business.

The rest of the weekend was spent at home, listening to the roars of motorcycles going by on nearby Nutley Street, which is the main avenue to Route 66 into DC.

It was Rolling Thunder– a group of people young and old, veterans and non-veterans who each year descends on Washington to show the government and the world that prisoners of war, those missing in action and military veterans will not be forgotten. All while riding kick-ass motorcycles.

Drew, Ellie and I were on Virginia Lane’s overpass of 66 by 8am. By 8:45 we watched police escort the seemingly thousands of motorcycles making their way to the Memorial Bridge for the annual procession. We waved our American flag. I ran down to the actual highway to get close up pictures.

The sight and sounds of the bikes chokes me up. It is humbling to think of the veterans who served our country. It is awe-inspiring to think of some 400,000 people organized around one idea.

Ellie may have been a bit young to soak in the weekend’s meaning. She’ll learn more one day.