Wishing everyone a happy 2012! For me, 2011 ended on a good note. I'm hoping that the future holds a lot more happiness.

We weren't going to get a Christmas tree this year, with all of the craziness with the new baby in our tiny apartment.

But when I saw this little tree for sale for $10 on the street, with this little handwritten sign attached, I couldn't resist!

Hoping everyone has had a wonderful holiday season!

The Husband called me this afternoon and said, "I'm stopping by the baby store; what do you need?

I responded, "I need some Playtex bottle nipples, and some Tucks medicated pads."

He quipped, "So you are saying we need nips and tucks?"

I said, "Hardy har har. I'm hanging up now."

Whew, what a rough couple of weeks it's been!

I love my baby, and he's cute and precious and awesome. But man oh, man, the first couple of weeks of parenthood are hard.

You can see from the time of this post that we've been up around the clock.

I got to thinking about things that I wish people had told me before I had my baby! Here they are, in no particular order.

1. When you give birth, there's a lot of extra stuff that happens that they don't show in movies and on tv. Yeah, like the part where you have the baby and you're all excited and happy...but then you lie there for an hour afterwards while the doctor: (a) delivers the placenta (which is like giving birth a second time but not as painful); and (b) sews you up down there. After a while, your legs get pretty tired.

2. After you give birth, your body will tend to be constipated for weeks afterward. Eat lots of salad and drink some Metamucil. I promise, your body will thank you. If your constipation ship has sailed, Rite Aid's laxative for women is awesome and really gets things going.

3. Breastfeeding is hard. It can be more painful than childbirth. Even though it's "natural" it doesn't come naturally. Use a lactation consultant. I wish I'd done that right away instead of trying to figure it out for myself for so many days. I'm still praying every day for my nipples not to fall off.

4. Recovery from childbirth takes a long time. I kept telling myself, "Well, my baby was small since he was so early. This will be a breeze! Maybe I'll go for a run next week!" WRONG. I can still barely walk down the hall. And that's ok - it's good to take it easy and let your body heal.

5. A lot of women get the baby blues after delivery. Over the course of a day, your body goes from having the most estrogen of your life (pregnant) to having the least estrogen (postpartum). It's nothing to be ashamed of, and chances are a bunch of your friends went through it but feel that there's a taboo about admitting it. If the baby blues morph into postpartum depression, Zoloft is really ideal, since it's only minimally passed into breast milk.

I will probably keep adding to this list. Yeah, these are all things I wish people had told me in advance. Especially the one about the constipation.

Hey, everyone!

Sorry I've been MIA for several weeks now.

But I have a good excuse!

Our little one decided to make his appearance five weeks early.

We were very surprised when my water broke in the middle of the night at only 35 weeks. It was just like in the movies!

So far, so good. He is cute and precious and little.

Life is a bit crazy these days. I am up around the clock. But everyone says this time will pass quickly.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We went to the ob/gyn this week for an ultrasound of our little one.

The doctor looked at the screen and said, "His hands are up in front of his face. See his fingers? He's giving us the peace sign!"

The Husband looked closer at the screen and said, "Actually, it looks more like he's giving us the finger...with both hands."

The doctor and I both took a second look. He was right! The kid was indeed giving us the double middle fingers.

Even the doctor agreed.

I guess this is what we have to look forward to...

I took a walk this afternoon, to take a break from work and get a snack.

I work in one of those large buildings in Manhattan with a basement concourse full of retail shops and restaurants.

As I walked through it, I noticed a line of people. It was a massively long line - it stretched through half the length of the concourse!

I saw that it was a line of people applying for minimum wage jobs at a new retail store that's about to open up.

I've seen people lining up to apply for jobs before, but never this many!

One man up front was talking earnestly to the employee who was controlling the line. All I heard him say was, "Come on, we're all here because we all have to eat!"

It really hit home, the impact of the recession. I can't stop thinking about it.

The Sister is visiting us for the weekend.

Brokeback Mountain was on tv tonight. The Husband has never seen it, but the Sister and I were watching it while eating dinner.

"I'm curious.." said the Husband. "When in the movie do we realize that Jake Gyllenhaal's character is gay?"

"Hard to say.." replied the Sister. "My guess is it might be sometime around the time he has sex with Heath Ledger's character..."

I laughed so hard I semi-swallowed (and almost choked on) a chicken bone.

I'm nothing if not persistent.

I hang onto this blog, even though everyone I know has migrated their daily thoughts onto Facebook.

I like Facebook as well, but sometimes you need the anonymity of your own personal blog. And a forum in which to write full postings that aren't limited to tiny little blurbs of material.

So I'm still posting away, even though I think about 5 people out there still read this. It's very 2003 of me, of course.

But I don't care! In a way, it's like getting back to basics.

Back when I first started this blog, nobody read it, but it was a way for me to get my thoughts out there. It was a simpler time. And it is again, in a way.

What am I up to these days? Well, mostly bouncing around on this ball that the Husband bought me:

This thing does wonders for pregnancy-induced sciatica.

I'm almost 8 months along now, counting down the weeks and days until our little bundle of joy joins us (God willing).

The only thing that alleviates the back pain is this ball.

Like the boulder that Sisyphus was condemned to roll up the hill forever.

The Husband is really into Justin Timberlake.

Last night he was watching videos of him performing on Youtube, and laughing. He especially likes this one.

I said to him, "Wow, I think you have a man crush on Justin Timberlake!"

He paused, shrugged, and then said, "Well, I do think he is REALLY talented."

A colleague from Africa came to visit us today. As a present, he gave me a piece of currency from Zimbabwe.

This bill is worth about $1. Pretty sad, huh?

Well, today is the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

It is also my birthday - ten years after that fateful day.

On that day, I was in my 20s, living with two roommates in Murray Hill. It was a horrible day.

Today, ten years later, I'm in my 30s, living with my Husband on the Upper West Side.

And with time and maturity, I realize how lucky I am, and was, that day.

My one roommate who worked in One World Trade Center was in the building when the first plane hit. She managed to walk down over 60 floors, exit the building and get away before it collapsed.

Nobody else close to me was hurt or killed. But I remember being so angry at the terrorists, for doing this to us, for killing all of those people. Heck, I was even angry that they had ruined my birthday!

Today I am happy and thankful for what we did as a city, and as a nation, in the aftermath of those attacks.

And I am happy to give my friends and loved ones at least one reason to be happy (and a reason to party) on a day like September 11.

So yeah, last week's vacation did NOT go as planned.

The Husband and I were in Vermont!

Yes, that Vermont. The state that was hardest hit by Hurricane Irene.

That was unexpected. Who would ever have thought that a hurricane would devastate landlocked Vermont, of all places?

We were safe, but our plans to stay at a charming bed and breakfast in southern Vermont were canceled, when the one road to town was cut off, rendering it completely inaccessible.

We had to stay with friends in Burlington for 3 extra days, and then it took us 6 hours to navigate the small roads through southern Vermont to get home.

Whew!

At least we are safe and sound.

Now I have to go and use this long Labor Day weekend to recover from the stress of last week's vacation.

It's that time of the year again!

The Husband and I are escaping New York City and spending 10 days up in New England.

This year, the timing couldn't be better. We are leaving in time to escape Hurricane Irene.

Seriously, it's kind of ridiculous how freaked out New Yorkers are getting about this hurricane that's coming toward us.

Mayor Bloomberg had a serious press conference today, my neighbors are clearing their balconies and taping up their windows.

Seriously, New Yorkers? First, it's only a Category 3, and second, by the time it hits the vicinity of New York, it is likely to have fizzled.

Having grown up in the Deep South, we had a hurricane every week. Yes, they are destructive and scary. But they rarely get this far north (where temperatures are less favorable. And once they hit the land, it really slows them down.

That said, I hope I don't come to regret these words.

I guess it's possible that a hurricane could lash Manhattan. Anything is possible.

But I'm not holding my breath.

I'll see y'all after Labor Day!

The Husband and I have discovered a major point of contention between us.

Honestly, I can't believe it's taken us this long to figure this out.

I like soft, cottony, pillowy toilet paper. It's so much more comfortable to use than the cheap stuff!

The Husband, on the other hand, likes the thin, cheap stuff. He says it has "better grip" and "leaves less residue."

I didn't want to go any farther, so I didn't ask for more detail!

Suffice it to say, it's been impossible for either of us to compromise on this hot-button marital issue.

As a result, we have agreed to keep two separate rolls of toilet paper in our bathroom - one for him, and one for me.

Our guests are pretty confused. But at least they have options.

Now that we're expecting, kind and well-meaning friends are coming out of the woodwork to offer us stuff.

They all say things like, "I'm going to give you my bumbo" or "boppy" or "exersaucer" or "jumpy pumpy lumpy" or "poopy loopy hoopy" or something or another.

Are these all real things? And why the silly names?

We just smile and nod and accept the stuff. They're all some variation of plastic tub looking thing or pillow or cushion. Usually covered in images of ducks or butterflies.

I'm a little scared about this new world we're entering.

The other day I went to visit some friends in Brooklyn.

They live pretty far from me - I had to get from the Upper West Side to just a couple of stops from Coney Island.

I got onto the train at Times Square, and a kind middle-aged gentleman very nicely offered me his seat.

I was touched, and gratefully accepted his offer, since my back was really hurting.

A few stops later, I glanced over and noticed that he was still on the train.

Several stops after that, he was still there.

An hour later, we arrived at my friend's stop. Seriously, it was the first time I realized what a trek it was for The Warriors to get from the Bronx to Coney Island without getting killed.

I got off the train at my friend's stop, I noticed that this gentleman also exited.

Wow, I thought. What are the chances that we were going from Midtown Manhattan to exactly the same stop in southern Brooklyn?

Quickly forgetting about him, I walked 6 blocks to my friend's house, then across and through a small, winding road to a quiet, tree-lined block of houses.

As I arrived at my friend's house, I saw, to my astonishment, this same gentleman dragging a trash can to the curb of the house next door!

It was clearly his house. Yes, he was my friend's next door neighbor! He waved at me in recognition.

The moral of the story: be nice to strangers. Because you never know when they'll turn out to be friends of your neighbors, or at the very least, know where you live!

Thanks, everyone, for the well wishes!

Yes, it's an exciting time for us. And luckily, things are going smoothly so far (knock on wood).

What else have I been up to, besides looking in horror as my stomach gets bigger and bigger and I start waddling around?

I've started a new Facebook fan page called "Save the U.S. Postal Service by Writing More Letters."

As some of you may know, I've always been a huge writer of snail-mail letters, and a huge collector of stationery.

In view of the recent severe cutbacks at the U.S. Postal Service, I've convinced myself that if we all make a concerted group effort to write more letters, we can make a difference!

I'm optimistic that we can!

If you're on Facebook, check out the page. Strength in numbers!

And write a letter to your grandmother today. Everyone loves getting letters in the mail!

Whew, it's been a season of changes.

My office moved. Talk about a massive undertaking. My whole career packed into 10 packing crates and hauled across town to a new building.

I'm still getting used to the new commute and spending 12+ hours a day in a new environment.

Also, after over a decade of saving and hoping, I bought a new flute. It was time!

It's a beautiful instrument, and it's really changed my life.

I drained my savings to buy it.

And of course, as soon as the ink was dry on the check for the flute, we got some more news.

Come wintertime, the Husband and I will be joined by a third family member.

Like I said, lots of changes.

The Husband had a skin rash last week, due to some sort of allergic reaction.

We had trouble finding a dermatologist who would see him on short notice. Apparently all dermatologists work 10-3 each day and spend Fridays in the Hamptons. And of those, more than half do only cosmetic derm - Botox, facelifts, etc.

A friend got a friend to see him. She's a dermatologist to the stars on Park Avenue.

10 minute consultation = $450 (payable immediately since she doesn't take insurance).

Man, I went into the wrong business.

The Husband bought me a nice Amazon Kindle a couple of months ago.

I was super excited about it. It's the latest one - it's sleek, light, small and has Wi-Fi.

It's an amazing device. I read it for about half an hour each night before going to bed. In addition, I've taken it on a couple of business trips and read it on the train.

Well, it's great..but I'm getting a little paranoid.

I haven't had to charge it a single time since I got it.

The instructions said it could last up to two months with the Wi-Fi disconnected. But I've left the Wi-Fi on, and read it almost every day.

I've heard of people being disappointed when the battery life on their electronic devices is shorter than expected.

But longer than expected?

I know I shouldn't complain. Maybe there's a little hamster in that sleek casing, running efficiently for me.

The other day I had lunch with a friend, and she put down this dollar bill as a tip.

She assured me that it is in fact legal tender, printed by the U.S. Treasury. And she directed me to the Bunny Bucks site, which explains it all.

Super cool!

As a fairly serious amateur musician, I often get asked to do gigs. I once played in group for the Archbishop. I've played a couple of memorial services. And I've done a bunch of weddings.

Over the weekend, a couple of friends and I had a wedding gig.

It was a beautiful wedding, held outdoors in a botanical garden by a babbling brook.

It was a Jewish wedding. The bride had explicit instructions for us: we were to play Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring specifically for the rabbi's entry into the ceremony.

This initiated a quandary for us, the musicians. We whispered among ourselves - did she know that the song is about, well, JESUS?

The cellist said, "We should ask her if she's sure that's what she wants."

The violinist said, "No, she must know. She asked for it by name. "Jesu" is the first word in the name of the piece. It's awkward if we second guess her. We should just give her what she wants. If the rabbi gives us an odd look, we'll just have to keep playing and hoping he blames us for the musical choice, not her."

So that's what we did. Nobody gave us any odd looks.

Has it just become standard repertoire for weddings? Or maybe it couldn't be heard over the sound of the babbling brook (which, incidentally, babbled very loudly and beautifully).

Today I ate a chocolate ice cream bar at work.

Mmmm...

Unbeknownst to me, a piece of the chocolate fell onto my chair. And I sat on it, and smushed it into my (light-colored) pants.

I walked around the office all afternoon with what looked like a huge poop stain on my butt.

Right before I left the office, I went to the bathroom and chanced to see the huge stain. Arghhh!!

I had to take my pants off in the ladies room and scrub off the stain with soap and water.

Then I put my pants back on, and left the office to take the subway home.

Yes, all afternoon I walked around looking like I'd pooped my pants. Then all night I walked around looking like I'd peed my pants.

Good times.

Story #1: Overheard on the subway during the evening commute:

Two well-suited young men, Wall Street types, speaking to each other.

Story #2: This morning, a homeless man on the C train stood up and shouted, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am tired and hungry, and would appreciate it if someone could give me a ham and cheese sandwich, please."

Apparently he thought he was ordering at a deli.

Since I had a bag of roast beef sandwiches with no cheese, I didn't offer because I hate rejection.

I feel like I should ask for my money back, or something.

I guess I'd better go and do laundry, do the dishes and get some work done - all things I'd been putting off in case it did happen.

There is nothing, I repeat, nothing, sketchier than Newark Penn Station after 11 p.m.

I was there last night, and here are some of the things I saw:

1. A homeless man in a shouting match with the proprietor of a bodega, after the proprietor caught the homeless man trying to stick some candy in the pocket of his old, ratty jeans.

2. Another homeless man lying on the floor on his side, asleep and with his buttocks entirely exposed.

3. 3 women who looked like Eastern European prostitutes, milling around near the turnstiles and eating bags of pretzels.

4. Another man crouched near the turnstiles, unzipping his pants and engaging in what looked like humping on the turnstiles.

5. A midget in a green leprechaun hat, yelling about how the end of the world is coming next week.

I guess we have President Obama to thank for knocking the unemployed woman who married into the welfare family off the front page of what seemed like every newspaper in the world.

Yes, almost 10 years after the 9/11 attacks, Osama bin Laden has been discovered and summarily eliminated.

I fall into the category of people who do not feel celebratory about this, and who were unsettled by the images of Americans rejoicing in the streets upon hearing the news.

So I can't rejoice in someone's death, even if that someone is my enemy. That just seems like it would be, well, un-Christian of me.

But I understand the pent-up emotions a lot of people are dealing with.

I just hope for a future of peace and better understanding in the world. And I hope, like the hydra of legend, we don't find that after cutting off one head, many more have grown in its place.

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter.

Now, in honor of the end of Lent, I can start cursing, being impatient, eating sweets and fatty foods and being rude to tourists again. Good times.

Since I'm not a native New Yorker, I don't know much about the other boroughs outside of Manhattan.

Yes, it's shameful, I know.

Over the weekend I went to a bridal shower in Brooklyn Heights.

The host lived in a brownstone right off Joralemon Street.

I'd never seen or heard that street name before. What did it mean? Was it a family's name? Was it the name of a founder of Brooklyn? Was it made up?

Why does it have the word "lemon" in it?

How is it pronounced - to emphasize the second syllable (so the first part rhymes with "corral"), or the third (to emphasize "lemon")?

All of these questions have remained unanswered for me.

I did, however, discover that the Urban Dictionary mentions it.

Apparently, "Joralemon" is slang for an attractive woman found in Brooklyn.

If anyone has any other information, please share!

Today was National Be Kind to Lawyers Day!

I wish someone had said that to the mean and nasty opposing counsel I had to negotiate with on the phone.

Then again, maybe this is only a directive for non-lawyers to be nice to lawyers. Perhaps lawyers can continue to be mean to each other today.

Hope everyone else had a good day, at least!