Trina Orlando

One of the hardest parts of living away from home is keeping in touch with friends. Trips are infrequent. And most trips are quick, which makes it impossible to see everyone you want to see. My trip home last week— for a full week— was a rare treat. One of the get togethers I was most excited about was the girl I spent years running around Westmoreland County with— Jen Miele. I interned for Jen at WTAE when I was in college and she literally made my resume tape. Then a few years later, I was the KDKA Westmoco Bureau Chief while she did the same at WTAE. We were supposed to be competitors— and we were— but even more so we were friends. She was by my side during some VERY formative years. And a night catching up with her is always good for the soul.

Back here in Chicago, I’m trying to make the most of my last couple weeks of freedom. Today Arabella and I had lunch with Natalie and Sailor at The Boundary. As I like to say, our current definition of “The Afternoon Meeting.” It was a beautiful day and we spent several hours eating steak salads, drinking IPA (for milk supply, of course) and talking about all things baby. We had planned to go to the restaurant at Restoration Hardware and were both very excited about it, but Sailor’s car seat was in her dad’s car and he wasn’t home. I wish I could say this never happened to Jarmon and I… but baby gear in the wrong car is a very common occurrence. So we’ll go next week instead. Hashtag- new parent problems!

Arabella had a few milestones today. She rolled to her left for the first time. She also ate oat cereal and ate from a spoon for the first time. On the first try, she was confused and kind of indifferent. The second time she was seeking out the spoon and swallowing the cereal. Amazing! I had no idea a four month old could do this. I’m generally not a fan of spoon feeding any thing to any one— but when it’s my kid… and it’s her first food… and she’s actually interested in the spoon… it’s pretty stinking adorable.

Also today I started the very fun task of finding childcare for Arabella. (I can only hope that came across as sarcastically as intended). The good news is that there are a lot of really great options out there. The bad news is that finding an option that works is akin to putting together a jigsaw puzzle where the pieces change shape every five minutes making it impossible to ever put said puzzle together. It’s a giant headache. If you have any tips or you know anyone in the Chicago area looking for a part-time childcare job— preferably a grad student— send them our way!

If you’ve ever met a Pittsburgher, you’ve likely noticed their distinct accent. Or at the very least, their use of some words that aren’t used by people who live elsewhere— yinz, slippy and dahntahn to name a few. I’ve tried hard over the years to stop speaking “Pittsburghese,” but you never really lose it. And even if you do, you most certainly always get a warm fuzzy feeling when you hear others speaking it. Perhaps that’s why a very Pittsburgh sign outside the home of Jarmon’s aunt brought a big smile to my face this morning.

Not only that, but after Aunt Patti Ann realized that I got a kick out of her sign she also gave me a magnet featuring some Pittsburghese that she bought in the Strip District. I plan to hang it in Chicago with pride. (Perhaps I can hang it in the kitchen so it’s nearby when Arabella wears her Pittsburghese bib purchased by another aunt?)

We had a lovely visit with Jarmon’s aunt and uncle this morning. It was my first time at their home— and their first time meeting Arabella. Arabella got a special treat when Aunt Patti Ann put You Tube— and consequently, Baby Shark— on her large TV. Arabella was glued to the screen. It was neat to see her so interested in something. Once we got tired of hearing Baby Shark-esque songs, we enjoyed some snacks and had a really nice and long overdue visit.

When we got back to Mt Pleasant, it was time to pack up for the trip home. We managed to get everything in our suitcases— including half of the formula supply I bought on sale. These were large cans so it was no small feat. I also had to fix our gate check bag for Arabella’s car seat which got destroyed on the trip out. I strung string through it then put buttons on either end so they wouldn’t slip back through. I got one more use out of it, so I’m happy. If I get another after this, even better. You can’t expect much more for the ten bucks I paid on Amazon.

Before we left there was one final introduction that had to be made— Arabella had to meet Obo. Obo is the stuffed clown I adored as a child that still resides at my parent’s home. Arabella wasn’t quite as taken by Obo as I was— honestly, she seemed a little scared of him— but she did give him a hug. I didn’t let the meet and greet go on too long because Obo is old and fragile from many years of love.

We all piled in the car and headed to the airport. Because the parkway was down to one lane, we detoured through Greenfield and it took a little longer than usual. When people joke that there are four seasons in PA— Fall, Winter, Spring and Construction— they aren’t kidding. An hour trip easily took us an hour and a half. DD and MJ dropped us off and we made our way to the gate. We grabbed some crappy overpriced burritos for dinner and said goodbye to Pittsburgh.

This was Arabella’s fourth flight— and while she and Baxter were both great on the plane, Arabella apparently wanted to make her presence back in Chicago known. As people were getting off the plane she threw her biggest tantrum to date. A screaming fit. Intense, blood curdling wails. She was yelling so hysterically there wasn’t even sound coming out at one point. People in the airport were turning to stare— likely a mix of annoyance, pity and wondering what we were doing (or not doing?) to our sweet child to make her so unhappy.  The admiration showered upon us in Pittsburgh when people saw us casually strolling through the airport with a baby and a dog was long gone. We were left with no choice but to laugh. And laugh we did. (Notice there are no photos from this point forward, ha!)

When we finally got to baggage claim, Arabella’s fit had ended but her bassinet wasn’t there. We finally found it, but the extra time added some trying minutes to our trip.

We walked outside to get a cab and— wow! When we left Pittsburgh it felt like fall. Chicago, however, is in the midst of a heat wave. It is also in the midst of a taxi shortage. After an SUV driver tried to con us into paying double to skip the very long line, we eventually got a cab and made our way home. A week in my parent’s very warm suburban home makes our city house– with its leather furniture and hardwood floors– feel especially cold tonight. But alas, we are home after a great week and our hearts are full.

(And for anyone left wondering– the Dock-A-Tot cover Arabella spit up on before we left 10 days ago was caked with formula and waiting for me as expected upon our arrival home.)

Today marked 4-months since Arabella came into our lives. In a way it seems like the time flew by, but it’s also hard to remember life without her.

Today also marked the last full day of this glorious week in Pennsylvania. I’d like to say we got an early start and made the most of it, but after a late night out we slept in— big time. When I finally got moving, I had the same breakfast I’ve had every day this week— coffee and a smiley cookie from Eat n Park (when in Rome, right?!). My body will no doubt thank me when I get out of vacation mode and back to eating avocado toast and oatmeal with apples and blueberries.

Another highlight of the morning was neighbor Ellie coming to meet Arabella and bringing her a cute new outfit with a tutu.

In the afternoon DD and I ran to Walmart for diapers and baby formula. I had some coupons that expired today and didn’t want them to go to waste. I’m not entirely sure how we’ll be getting the formula back to Chicago, but I saved $35 so I’ll figure it out.

When we got home, I took Baxter outside to play fetch and started chatting with Ellie and her mom, Lisa, who were in their new pool. They invited me over to take a dip— and after learning that it was Lisa’s birthday and there was wine involved I decided to take them up on it. One glass of wine turned into two… and so on. The weather, pool and company were excellent. Spontaneous days really are the best days.

DD and MJ had plans with friends tonight, so Jarmon and I were on our own. Unfortunately, we didn’t make any plans since we weren’t sure if Jarmon was coming back. We ended up having dinner at Denunzio’s at Latrobe Airport. It was where we had the rehearsal dinner for our wedding, so it was fun to go back with Arabella. A big charter plane took off during our dinner and it reminded me of how excited I used to get to watch planes take off as a child. When I was in high school and had braces I always made my orthodontist appointments at 11am so I could meet DD for lunch at the airport (then called the Blue Angel) after. Arabella is too young to enjoy the planes right now, but hopefully someday she’ll love them too. I’m not sure why watching planes is so fun, but it really is a thrill. As for dinner, it was excellent as usual. We had mussels to start. Jarmon got veal Marsala and I got chicken Parmesan. Arabella had three bottles. The people around us couldn’t get enough of her.

After dinner we took Arabella home to my parents then stopped by to have a drink with a high school friend and his wife. It was a perfect way to spend our last night in PA.

Fall is my favorite time of year in Western PA because it’s just so stinking beautiful. The only downside is that it comes so early. In Chicago, summer seems to persist through September. In Pittsburgh, not so much. Already, during this late August visit, there is an undeniable chill in the air. (It was going to be 48 at Seven Springs at night the day we visited).

Tonight, we soaked in the fall-like chill on the patio at Liz and Tony’s beautiful new home. I drove out to Oakmont with Arabella, a salad and a carrot cake— Jarmon took an Uber there after his flight from Chicago landed. We weren’t sure if he was going to make it back since we waited so long to book his flight. Given that the alternative was me flying alone with Arabella and Baxter, I was especially happy to see him.

Liz made a delicious pasta to go with flank steak and pesto shrimp. She also made one of her signature charcuterie boards and Julie brought buffalo chicken dip. Lots of champagne, rose and white wine was consumed. It was a great night surrounded by people I adore. They say you are lucky to make one good after your college years are over. Well I hit the jackpot because I found a whole crew.

I loved that Arabella got to meet the girls (and their guys!) and of course photographed it all.

Arabella’s photo with Julie’s daughter Hazel is my favorite– the next generation of our crew. They both look terrified in the photo, but it was good practice for Hazel who is getting a baby sister soon.

We admittedly kept Arabella out past her bedtime, but I’ve vowed not to be too strict. And honestly- it worked out great. Jacqui and Justin brought us an awesome new blanket and pillow made by Justin’s mom and Arabella slept happily on it for most of the evening.

My parents spent their evening at the Yellow Tie gala for the Great American Banana Split Festival in Latrobe. A few years ago, I happened to see a banana split dog Halloween costume at TJ Maxx the weekend of the festival and bought it for the sole purpose of sending my dad a photo of Baxter in it (when it comes to the perfect photo op, I spare no expense). It was very convenient that we were home this year and got to snap a photo of Baxter with my parents before the event. The costume has been worth every penny.

Earlier in the day I went to Walmart and was reminded why I love it so much. Not only did I get an amazing carrot cake and some salad mix for dinner, but I also scored an adorable velour track suit for Arabella. The cost? Less than $10. I may spend copious amounts of time at Target in Chicago, but Walmart will always be my true love.

As luck would have it, the Westmoreland County Fair just happened to be during my week at home. I know this not because we went, but because we drove past on the way to the mall. The site of the fair never fails to bring a smile to my face. You might think the smile is due to fond memories of the fair. The rides. The food. The demolition derby. The animals! Not so much. My fond memories are of avoiding the fair— and the money I made in doing so. No joke. You see, the county fair taught me the art of making a deal at a very young age. DD hates the county fair so much that he would offer me $20 to NOT ask to go. It was brilliant— and one of many money-fueled incentives he offered over the years (“I’ll give you $5 to pet the neighbor’s dog… $10 if you hold him.” “I’ll give you $5 if you are good at the funeral home… $10 if anyone compliments your good behavior.”) The bribery always worked for DD— and I made a lot of money. It was a win for both of us. I’d be lying if I said the idea of striking up a county fair avoidance deal with DD on Arabella’s behalf didn’t cross my mind.

Needless to say, we didn’t stop at the fair. But we did stop at Westmoreland Mall. We got Arabella a few outfits and took a walk around. The mall isn’t quite as happening as back when I worked at American Outfitters (remember that place??), but it’s always nice to see what’s there. Sadly, there isn’t much there these days.

After the mall, we went to Parkwood for dinner. We indulged in some deckers (freshly made potato chips) and I got my first Pittsburgh salad of the trip. Iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, eggs, olives, beets, cheese, grilled chicken and— most importantly— FRENCH FRIES. All topped off with Parkwood’s house made balsamic vinaigrette dressing, which is quite simply the best. We sat on the patio and enjoyed every minute of people stopping by to admire Arabella.

Arabella was pretty tolerant of our shopping trip and dinner, but earlier in the day she was a bit fussy. For some reason this drove me to introduce her to the Baby Shark song. She was MESMERIZED.

I’ve never seen her as captivated by anything as she was by this video. And when it ended? She screamed. Blood curdling, I haven’t eaten in two days screams (not that I know what those sound like, but you get the point). Curious if it was really the end of the video she was crying over, I played it three more times. Each time it ended? She screamed a little louder than the time before. If you know the Baby Shark song you understand a) how this could happen, and b) why this is a problem. If you don’t know the Baby Shark song, here’s the link:

https://youtu.be/XqZsoesa55w

Also, if you clicked the link, I’m sorry… doo doo doo doo doo doo…

Last night DD announced that he wanted to get Arabella out of the house today— to get her some fresh air. I decided there was no air better than mountain air, so we took my little city girl to Seven Springs.

We had a great lunch on the patio including a spicy cauliflower appetizer and pulled pork grilled cheese. I even caved and had a beer. Not going to lie, I felt like I was on vacation.

I’ve been to Seven Springs a few times over the years for work, but I haven’t gone for fun since my high school prom (yep, been a while). So we did some exploring. The indoor pool, arcade and mini golf course are largely the same, but now there is a beautiful outdoor pool, a coffee shop and more. If the weather was a little nicer, I would definitely be returning to the pool. Arabella seemed to enjoy the mountains. She spent most of her time there in a peaceful sleep.

When we got home, Uncle Larry and Aunt Marge came over to spend some time with Arabella. They brought her some fun toys, we ate (more) Village pizza and had a fun night.

Today started early— very early. Our alarms went off at 4am for Jarmon’s 7am flight back to Chicago. DD and I drove him to the airport, then stopped at Eat n Park in Monroeville for breakfast. DD had blueberry pancakes, I had a delicious sausage and pepper omelet.

When we got home, I took a quick nap before Pammy and Debbie stopped by to see Arabella. We drank some wine, had some snacks and had a really nice day.

It got me thinking about all of the kindness we’ve been shown since Arabella was born. We were pretty resistant to hand me downs at first because we wanted to figure it all out on our own. But lately we’ve been accepting the previously loved goods with open arms — and are so grateful to our friends and family who have shared their treasured baby gear with us.

For example, Jarmon’s cousin gave us his daughter’s old (and much-loved) easel, which we know Arabella is going to love too someday.

My cousin gave us her old (really awesome, jogging) stroller to use in PA. Traveling without a stroller makes travel SO much easier.

My friend from high school gave us his kids’ swing and jumper. Arabella had a blast trying them out today. (Baxter is a bit jealous).

And last but not least, my parents reassembled my crib for Arabella’s use. It’s been in storage in the garage for about three decades and is probably a legitimate antique at this point. It also looks great and I’m so happy to have it.

This trip home ended the longest stretch I’d ever been away. Even during college in California I made it home more often than I did during these first four months of parenthood and the month plus leading up to it. This trip also marks the first time in years that I’ve been home for more than a weekend— and that means long overdue visits with friends and family.

Today, we planned to do a pool day with my high school friends. My one friend’s parents have a pool and they graciously invited us over. His mom even cooked for us just like the good old days. I think it had literally been fifteen years since our crew did a pool day like this— and oh boy has our group grown! Today we had spouses and a total of six kids in tow. The fact that we are still friends all these years later is so special. And the fact that our spouses get along so well makes it even more special. (I have no doubt our kids will get along too, but their ages are across the board at the moment). Also, don’t mind the altered group photo– one of our crew has a no social media policy… this was me following orders. 😊

Speaking of spouses, I forgot to tell mine that we might be doing a pool day so he didn’t bring swim trunks. Oops. I figured picking some up at Walmart wouldn’t be a problem and waited to do so until about an hour before we were supposed to leave. (In my defense, Targets in Chicago still have fully stocked swimwear departments so this shouldn’t have been a problem). Walmart, however, only had two pairs of trunks— both a few sizes too big and a few inches too short for my husband. I decided to grab a pair of athletic shorts (for $7) in case I couldn’t find anything else. (I also scooped up a $5 workout shirt off the clearance rack for myself). The fact that Walmart did *not* have swim trunks was baffling. But what they *did* have was even more baffling. Racks (several of them) fully stocked with adult onesies. Some brightly colored, others neutral. Some furry, some not. I have absolutely no idea what one would wear these for- I’m reasonably certain they’re not Halloween costumes- but my hometown Walmart seems to have determined that there is a need.

My next (attempted) stop was the liquor store for a bottle of wine. As we approached, the parking lot seemed bizarrely empty. Why was no one else buying wine? Surely the store was open? Nope. The PA state store in Mt Pleasant is closed on Sundays. I started to go on about not being able to buy wine in Mt Pleasant on a Sunday when DD informed me that Get Go now sells beer and wine. Game changer!

Before heading to Get Go, I made a quick stop at Peebles— the only other place in town that could potentially have swim trunks. They had about ten pairs in the store— all on clearance and two in my husband’s size. The Nike pair was navy with kelly green trim. The other pair were blue board shorts with a subtle pattern. My initial reaction was to take the board shorts— until closer inspection revealed that the subtle pattern was actually a form of camo.

Nike it would be— for a grand total of $15. Not too shabby!

With my bargain swim trunks in hand, I headed to Get Go, where I was pleasantly surprised by the wine selection. A small but drinkable collection of wines, priced high by fair. Same with the beer. A huge stride forward for Mt Pleasant.

I selected a bottle of Darkhorse Sauvignon Blanc and a 12-pack of Yuengling and made my way to the register. That’s when the cashier asked if I wanted a bag. My immediate thought was this: Are you kidding me? Mt Pleasant charges for bags now too?? I declined. Then out of curiosity asked the cashier if they charged for bags. The way he laughed you would have thought I had asked for directions to Mars. He was dumbfounded that other places DO charge. And even more dumbfounded when I told him how much. Feeling pleasantly reassured that my hometown’s values were intact, I made my way back to the car where DD was filling the tank. And that’s when I saw it.

The General Tso’s Chicken Sandwich. A piece of chicken with General Tso’s sauce and not one but two egg rolls on top (all smushed between the two sides of a white sandwich roll). I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t the slightest bit curious, but I won’t be trying it. I think the General Tso’s sandwich might best be saved for the late night crowd… perhaps those who are now able to make beer runs at Get Go.

I went to bed with grand aspirations of getting a mani/pedi this morning— but when I rolled over and saw 10:38a on the clock, quickly resigned to the fact that wouldn’t be happening. People are usually up and moving early at my parents house, but the late night airport run left us all exhausted.

I eventually made my way to the kitchen where I made what my parents refer to as “your kind of coffee” (the stuff they drink could be more accurately classified as coffee-flavored water). Then MJ lavished us with nut roll and pecan danishes from Delallo’s. The nut roll was especially delightful.

After enjoying two large cups of coffee, DD enlisted my help with his charcuterie board for the Orlando Reunion. We wrapped asparagus in prosciutto, sliced Fontinella and arranged various breads, crackers and olives. Because I’m an Orlando (or just OCD?), I even sorted the multicolored wooden toothpicks and only used red and green ones on the tray. It looked spectacular next to MJ’s cookie tray.

The reunion was at Debbie and Howie’s house this year. I’ve always had fond memories of the reunion as a child, so I’m thrilled Arabella is getting to experience it. We drank lots of sangria, played bingo and of course did door prizes. Lucia and Greta cleaned house at bingo. Jarmon and Patrick slipped away to drink cognac— reappearing just in time for the family photo. The evening was capped off with a fireworks show by Patrick. The reporter in me is generally terrified of home fireworks displays because all the things that can go wrong run through my mind, but this show left us all asking, “Zambelli who?” We told Patrick we are expecting music choreography next year. I didn’t see Arabella for most of the day, but I know she was in many sets of good hands. I tried to photograph as much as I could. It was so fun to talk all things baby with Lexi— it’s so exciting to think her little one will be here by Our next family gathering. The next generation is growing!

The reunion has endured over the years and it’s pretty obvious why. It’s a great day we all look forward to throughout the year.