Little E in the NYC (and the NJ)

What a crazy end to 2011(!) - poor Em came down with a viscious cold (24 hours of throwing up, followed by the "head cold from hell", which made her not want to drink or eat anything for 7 days, which led to us taking her to the pediatrician and then to the ER, where thankfully she did not have to get an IV but she WAS forced to eat a popsicle for like 8...long... hours. ugh.) Then just as Em was returning to her normal, cheerful and energetic self, her germies attacked Dada and put his body in a week-long vice grip. Poor Dada. Now everyone seems to be on the mend, (hallelujah) and I have promised Dada that the next time Emmy gets sick, I will try to catch whatever she has and hold her germies captive in my body.
I felt bad about leaving Dada all by himself when he was feeling "not so fresh", but I had promised my extended family a week-long visit over Christmas break. Emmy and I trekked down to Jersey for the better part of last week, so that we would have plenty of time to spend with all our relatives. We had lots of fun visiting with Sabi and Savtah (one set of grandparents), seeing Moma in the hospital (recovering from galbladder surgery), hanging out with Aunt Ellen and Grommit (the woof woof) and playing with Emmy's older second cousin, Ella.
Emmy REALLY has a thing for girls who are about two to three years her senior. She follows them around in what seems to be something akin to Bieber Fever, watching their every move and attempting to hug them at every opportune (and not so opportune) moment. Ella was wonderful at sharing her toys, and Emmy was thrilled to be in the company of a "big girl".
On Friday Sabi, Emmy and I took a trip into New York City to see the beautiful holiday windows at the big department stores. I carried Emmy in my Ergo carrier for most of our walking tour, and her head was tilted back at a 90 degree angle (a la "flip top head") for at least an hour of our walk. True, we don't spend much time around skyscrapers and neon-lit buildings, but I was suprised that Emmy was so taken with the architecture that she hardly glanced at the gazillions of people who were passing her by (she is usually a huge fan of people-watching). I would say of all the windows we saw, the Lord and Taylor windows were the best for Emmy because of all their moving parts and child-themed allure (I would also give them bonus points for showing children's artwork in some of their windows). Bergdorf Goodman was also spectacular, with its displays made entirely of paper, human hair, etc. I took lots of photos, but none of them came out very well because of the reflections in the glass.
Of course our trip had to include a stop at FAO Schwartz, which was crowded beyond belief. Luckily the floor with the toddler and baby gear was less congested, so we were able to play with some of the toys on that level and Emmy was able to work off some of her energy (it is hard for her to stay in her Ergo for really long periods of time without a break, as comfortable as it is.) We DID get to see the BIG PIANO which is really just a tourist trap now, and we got Sabi to take a photo of us with Indiana Jones, lego style.
All in all a fun day, and I realized that I actually kind of enjoy the city more when I am focused on doing kid-friendly stuff, because it limits the possibilities of what there is to do in such a big city. I think I will take Emmy back this summer, when the weather is warmer, so we can explore Central Park and maybe visit the Children's Museum too. It is nice to think that each time I return to NYC with Em, she will be a little bit older, and her interests will have shifted and developed, so that it can be a different experience with every visit.