September...

James begins rehearsals for the Broadway run of BBAJ.  Tara and Dinah head to Maine for the long Labor Day weekend.
Dinah wears her Snuggie for the cold nights.
Enjoying some time outside the Big Apple
Getting prepped for an underwater adventure
The fruits of Dinah's deep-sea dive.

A few members of the BBAJ cast perform on Jimmy Fallon's late night talk show.  James gets awesome face time and some pretty miraculous AIR time.  See guitar jump below...


An anatomy scan reveals that, contrary to popular belief, Tara and James will be the proud parents of a boy.  Shock and disbelief give way to extreme pride and excitement as they check out their little man on the small screen.  
The Thinker?
Floating happily...




October

 A crazy month, indeed.  James's sister, Amanda, gets married in Connecticut over Columbus Day weekend.    With just a few days before opening night, James is not permitted to leave the show, so he drives up to help with tent set-up on his night off and Tara flies solo for the weekend and reports back via texts and pictures of the big day.  The entire weekend is wonderful, with gorgeous weather and lots of great partying.
Amanda and James
The sisters-in-law singing during the ceremony.
Good times at the reception...

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson opens at the Jacobs Theatre on October 13th.   Fun is had by all!!!

Jessi Blue, Tara, and Brian and Amy Sellermer before the show...

More airtime for James (far right in front)
Tara spends a week on a family vacation in St. Thomas, mostly floating since it seems to be the only activity that doesn't make her feel like a bowling ball.  


Tara and her brother, Dave, kayaking.

Dave and Jordan conquer the Shark Tank at Duffy's Love Shack





Havana Blue...






A final ultrasound gives Tara and James amazing images of their fast-growing bean...

Note the "hairline"  And that's definitely a Barry nose...



And Dinah you ask?  She spends the month inside on her own landline, working as a phone psychic.  She does quite well with the short-lived business, but then...she could have predicted that.  The whole thing goes sour, however, when she starts receiving calls from former flames who think it's funny to ring her up at all hours of the day and night, saying "Did you know it was me?"

November

Tara spends a lot of this month subconsciously nesting, organizing closets, sewing small elephants


and feeding an insatiable appetite.  James continues to run 8 shows a week, with some side projects keeping him extra busy.  A spread in Time Out New York's holiday issue features a few of the BBAJ cast members in full costume and attitude.  Here, James plays a card table in front of a green screen that will later be edited to look like a piano in a cool bar...



James and Tara realize that there have not been many outside shots of the Barry Bean, so James snaps a pre-walk photo of Tara in the soon-to-be nursery...



So lucky to have this beautiful park a block from the apartment...

Dinah, contemplating eating a nearby squirrel.
Chicago pals, Tabitha and Shawn, visit during the middle of the month.  Their time in New York is brief but chock-full.
Tab and James at a favorite brunch place...

Shawn and Dinah finally bond over a few afternoon beers.
As the first part of their Holiday Travel Extravaganza, Tara picks James up in Manhattan after his evening show on the eve of Thanksgiving and they drive to the Barry homestead in Connecticut.  The next day, they all drive to the Cape to celebrate with the extended family.  A fantastic day...

James and Nancy

The Wilde-Barry-Detmer-Nick-Owens Clan

Siblings

Christmas Carols around the baby grand...

Family shot...

James takes the train back to the city the next day for a marathon weekend of shows and Tara heads up to the Berkshires to celebrate Thanksgiving Part Deux with her family.  In an effort to get some of the grunt work out of the way, Tara and her mom buy and unwrap 650 candy canes for the upcoming Peppermint Bark Extravaganza.  Oh yes, folks.  It's on.

On the last night of November, the cast of BBAJ is told that the show will be closing in January, the last performance being a matinee on the 2nd of that month.  They would have preferred a longer run, perhaps into the first few months of their little one's existence, but Tara and James look at the bright side and realize that they will have optimal time to get things ready for the Barry Bean's arrival.    Everything happens for a reason, no?  They like to think that it does.






December

Tara plays hooky for the first day of the month and she and James sleep late, eat hearty and wait for their first New York Christmas tree to be delivered.  Because of terrible flooding, the tree arrives after 9pm, but it's beautiful and worth the wait. Over the next few days, the lights go up, the ornaments go on and the holiday season can officially begin.


In an effort to use the kitchen for savory items instead of sweet, Tara makes her very first batch of potato latkes and people (well, Anney and James) like them!    NOW the holiday season can begin.


December is a whirlwind of cookie-dough, holiday parties, online shopping and take-out dinners. James is horrified to find out that Tara has never watched "It's A Wonderful Life" from start to finish, so an evening is designated for that activity and that activity alone.  

Tara travels to Natick, MA with her dad and his team for the annual Natick Holly Fest, an enormous high school forensic league tournament.  The next day, Tara, her mom and mom's husband, John, make 100 lbs of peppermint bark that will be given as gifts to their hospital staff.  

Dinah lands a job as a replacement Macy's Santa.  She never gets to go on, but she looks great in the costume...


The week before the big day, James and Tara package over 50 boxes of cookies for friends and colleagues in New York.


Tara heads up to the Berkshires and helps her mom and John package 135 boxes of peppermint bark for their staff.

James takes the commuter train after his matinee on Christmas Eve and spends the next 36 hours in the Berkshires.  His mom, dad and brother come up and celebrate as well.  Gift opening takes approximately 6 days.

Michele (Mom) and John
Mark (Dad) and Lynne

Dave, Andy (Dad) and Nancy (Mom) Barry 
Ah, Mark.  You never cease to entertain us.
James shows off his "grown-up" coat.
Jordan models his "better late than never" robe.
And now Dave can finally hang Paul. 
Where is Tara you ask?  She's there, she just can't FIT into any pictures anymore.  Boo...
James heads back to the city for a double show day on the 26th and that night into the next day brings a huge snowfall that paralyzes New York and all its transit.   Tara never makes it back in with the car, since there is no where to park it.  She meets James in Connecticut a few days later to have second Christmas with the Barrys.
What Tara does best lately...

Bean outfits...
Dave singing us a tune
Chad and Amanda listening...
Finally, a Thin Lizzy T-Shirt.  James can die a happy man.


Happy Holidays to all, and to all a good night...




























May 2011 bring you much peace, love, health and happiness.  
Cheers!  
Love, James, Tara, Dinah and the Barry Bean 
(making his debut on or around February 28th)