OUR FIRST TIME OUT ON THE TOWN (NYC MOMS BLOG)

As a new mama, there are many things I underestimated about going out on the town: 

* the size and weight of the necessary diaper bag (how do a few disposables weigh so much?)  * the complicated workings of the Snugli (we had to look up a video tutorial of how to wear it!)  * the difficulty of deciding how to dress our baby for the winter weather (layers, layers, layers)  * the challenge of what to do when you need to change a diaper and there's seemingly no where to do it  * the first real crying when she got hungry and mom didn't feel comfortable breastfeeding on the subway

And the most pressing thought of this new mother... "When it's cold outside and the Barnes & Noble isn't open yet and there are no seats in the Starbucks, what do we do for an hour on a Sunday morning in Greenwich Village while waiting for church to start?"

CLICK HERE to read my full post at NYC Moms Blog

A RARE "POST"

They're few and far between... the posts where I will recommend and actually quote something from The Post:  the New York Post, that is.  Normally it's a paper that turns my stomach - and the only time you'll catch me looking at it is if someone happened to leave their copy on the subway and the crossword puzzle page is still available for my handy pen. 

HOWEVER!  I find myself quite pleased by the recent positive buzz given to a new musical at one of my favorite off-Broadway theatres.  CLICK HERE to read the blurb.  Smile with me over the words, "Whatever its fate, THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS is Kander, Ebb and Stroman at their best. Which is to say, it's a major American musical."  And then try to remember, like I am trying to do, that this infamous columnist isn't always that bad.

"ON THE MAP"

It's a rare moment when you can actually watch someone slowly turning into a star.   From the first time I saw this amazing actor's portrayal of Haywood Patterson, during a staged reading of Kander and Ebb's THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS, it was like a 3-D visual of the phrase "that's the show that put him on the map". 

Get a glimpse of Brandon Victor Dixon's performance in this video on my good friend's blog.  And then run like the wind to Vineyard Theatre and buy a ticket... if there are any left!

LADIES NIGHT

While my beau stayed late at work one night this week, a good friend came over to hang out with us & we had a delightful ladies night.  She took these sweet pictures.  And - aside from the many hours of baby talk - we chatted about vegetarianism, veganism, theatre, work, family, relationships... 

After a few days of being alone at home all day with my baby girl, it was SO nice to have some grown-up girl conversations, too.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

LENT

Last year for Lent, I gave up alcohol.   Those 40 days morphed into 10 more months as I prepared for the coming of our baby girl... and as I'm the sole provider of our daughter's nutrition, it's still a rare occasion that I enjoy a full bodied shiraz.  (And I do enjoy it!)

As I wrote a year ago, I choose to give up something for Lent not because of the religious dogma but because I love the idea of setting aside something special during this time before Easter - giving something up, or doing more of something, or simply creating a daily act that allows me to remember that I'm part of something bigger.

But with all the new-ness in my life right now, and especially the new responsibilities revolving around my child, I can't seem to think of anything significant to do for Lent.  I guess what I mean is that I feel like I've already done something so significant (and I marvel at it every time I look at that baby girl) that deciding to "give up chocolate" or the like seems mundane in comparison.

And there are some things I'm giving up by having her.  And I am definitely doing more of something.  And every day she reminds me that I'm part of something bigger.   Perhaps my daughter is my Lent.

NEWBORN AGE OF TECHNOLOGY (NYC MOMS BLOG)

"My newborn daughter is growing up in an age of technology that is almost beyond my comprehension:  in the first seven days of her young life, we already acquired over 300 digital photos of her (and those are the good ones we didn’t automatically delete!) and around 50 short videos to capture her first “coos”.  She has her own website (created on the iMac by her gadget-loving father) and it boasts four mini-documentaries, like “My First Superbowl” (complete with NFL theme music and cool graphics), and the two short clips “My First Hiccups” and “Daddy’s First Poopie Diaper”.  All in just the first seven days... and there's surely more to come.  As new parents, it’s as if we’ve created the ultimate overindulgent wallet portfolio – so instead of going back to work and letting the multi-fold plastic photo album waterfall out of our pocket books, we can direct curious colleagues to her fully functional website so they can experience our daughter almost as intimately as if she were right in the same room."

CLICK HERE to read my full post at NYC Moms Blog