Backlog: Emily's Wedding Part Deux

I already detailed Wednesday to Friday of our trip, but the main event, the wedding, happened on Saturday, in Manhattan. So on Saturday morning, we left Aunt Janet's house and set off for the city to get into hotel with enough time to prepare for the big evening ahead. Thanks to John's parents, we stayed in a suite at the Metropolitan Club, where the wedding reception would take place that evening. Thank goodness we did, because it made our lives a whole lot easier! We didn't have to worry about how to get to and from the hotel or where we should leave the car or if we should take or leave the diaper bag. It was really the best situation.

First, Grandma and Grandpa Durso took Johnny to a restaurant a few blocks down from the hotel and they brought back lunch for us.

The noodles were delicious. And all over the hotel room by the time the boys were done.

Then we got all dolled up for the wedding which included tuxedos and bow ties for the boys.

Hank was not thrilled with cuffs on the sleeves

Dark room + squirmy boys = not an excellent picture

The ceremony took place at St. Patrick's Cathedral (I KNOW), which was walkable, but not easily walkable with the boys. Luckily, Emily's parents had arranged for a shuttle from the hotel to the cathedral, which meant all we had to do was keep Johnny and Hank occupied while we waited for the bus to leave.

Keeping Johnny occupied = watching himself on my phone

We arrived at the cathedral, which was swarming with tourists and yet still grand and awe-inspiring. After a short wait, we went inside and watched Emily and Brian get married... well, John watched. Johnny was playing with my iPhone and I was running around the back of the cathedral with Hank trying to keep him occupied. But from what I saw, it was beautiful. Such a cool experience, not only for the bride and groom, but for the rest of us who got to witness it!

Emily, the bride was absolutely stunning. I know everyone says that brides are radiant, but seriously, she was radiant. So beautiful.

Hey look! A family portrait! Thanks for this one, Gail.

And then it was time for the reception... which was, in a word, incredible. The cocktail hour took place in the entire lobby, both the ground floor and upper floors, which meant you could wander around from room to room and explore the place. There were tons of food options to choose from as well as beverages. I spent the majority of the cocktail hour like this:

Tucked away in a corner while Hank napped.

Hank fell asleep on the shuttle ride over, so I just hung out with him on a bench, letting John's Uncle Bobby bring me food and beverages and keep me company for awhile. (Thanks again, Uncle Bobby!) John, on the other hand, was chasing Johnny all over the lobby and the courtyard, trying to keep him from falling in the fountain between quick conversations with family and friends.

Don't give me any sushi, Dad. Yuck.

How far can I stick my hands in before I fall over?

Then there was the actual reception. The food, the location, and the band were all exceptional. Especially the band. They were professional quality, that's for sure, covering everything from Frank Sinatra to Cee Lo Green. The only problem is they were loud. Really loud. For those of us who have a few decades' worth of wear on our ear drums, that was no problem. But Johnny was terrified of the reception room because of all of the noise. So John, John's parents, and myself took turns keeping Johnny entertained in a place other than the reception hall.

Johnny counting all of the posts in the banister. Whoo-hoo! This kid can party.

Hank, on the other hand, didn't seem to care one bit. He stayed at the dinner table and ate his children's meal and even did some dancing with me.

Then he crashed, hard. And that was the end of the night for us!

The next morning, the bride and groom hosted a fabulous brunch in Central Park and it was PERFECT for us. The boys ran around on the grass while John's cousins chased them around so we could stuff our faces with pastries, muffins and bagels. Delicious. I took a stupid amount of pictures, so I tried to pare them down and include only the good ones.

Hank the next morning, in last night's tux with Oliver in hand.

Nap time

JUMP!

Jump some more!

Aw, brothers!

Saying good bye to Johnny's favorite person.

Yes, that was pared down. Anyway. We bid everyone farewell and headed straight to the airport. Where karma bit us in the ass for having a delightfully easy first flight. The flight home was... difficult. Both of the boys were still tired from the wedding the night before, so they whined more than usual and Hank was WAY overtired and thus, did not want to sit in my lap, but he didn't want to nurse, nor did he want to walk up and down the aisles. I believe the word is inconsolable. But hey, we made it and no one punched me in the face for being THAT parent. Whew!

Altogether, we had a good time. I think I'd rather not travel with a one year old ever again though. Two? Sure. Younger than one? Not awesome, but I'll do it. 14 months? I'd rather stick a fork in my eye repeatedly.

Anyway! That was our East Coast trip! I wonder what kind of adventures this year will bring?