True Tests

There are many things that people say when its easy to say them, before you've been tested on your proclamations. Like parents who vow to only use cloth diapers (better for the environment) and make their own baby food (its so much healthier), or city-dwellers who condemn the suburbs (too many unsophisticated people), or fashionistas who scoff at a friend for wearing the same outfit 2 weeks in a row (so uncool).

When your baby wets through 10 diapers a day, cloth becomes a laundry disaster. You work 7:30am-8:00pm several days in a row and fishsticks are all you'd be able to 'cook' for the infant. When a studio apartment with no rooms and 1 closet costs $2100 a month, the suburbs become practical. And when those cloth diapers are clogging up the congested line for the washing machine, last week's unstained ensemble is the only feasible choice (when you spend your pre-baby life buying clothes, even last week's outfit is pretty well put together). And there's always organic detergent! My point: Never say never.

Small Prints

When it comes to buying clothes for an infant, practicality usually trumps lust. Baby Gap is a staple, where the impulsive purchase of a crisp white oxford (because it looks so cute on the tiny hanger) won't set me back more than $29. As excited as I once was to hear that Missoni was collaborating with H&M, the anticipation of the latest high-low team-up is even greater. DVF comes to Baby Gap!

My joy was curtailed significantly when I saw the print-queen only designed for little ladies, and offered nothing for pint-sized princes. But the collection will make for some fabulous gifts at prices that won't compete with furniture for the new house.

Buying Big

Though with a baby, there is no longer any such thing as a typical day, yesterday still tops the record charts. The culmination of a busy workday was me standing in the kitchen, crying, tired baby on hip, cell phone on ear, negotiating the purchase price of a home that, like my wedding dress, I knew was meant for me. The start of the day was a glimpse that it might end the way it did- baby slept an extra half hour, hit all green lights driving to work, first one in the office (and barista at Starbucks complimenting me on my outfit - navy gold button blazer, green and navy striped top, brown flats, medium rinse jeans, Marc Jacobs bag and necklace - and noting that everyday, she loves what I come in wearing).

After work, there was the final meeting with the sellers agent. And then a play date for Tucker with my mommy friend from growing up and her 7 month old. Then came a load of laundry, a homemade dinner, a bath for baby, and playing hardball to ultimately reach an accepted offer on a new house (I'll admit I had a cleaning service this week to take one thing off my super-mom workload). Had I know we'd be buying a house this week I may have put off the shopping spree in the Flat Iron district this weekend. O well, hindsight is 20/20. All this on the hubby's 2nd day at the new job. Its amazing what can be accomplished in a 24 hour period, with the right outfit.

City 'Sites'

Ah, the City. Last night, we took a rare trip in for a friend's surprise 30th birthday. And since like all young, child-free people's events, it started at 9:30, we had some time to kill before the festivities. Strolling around the old neighborhood, I'm always reminded of how much I once loved to people watch. Most passersby have effortless New York chic down pat- scarf wrapped just so, coordinating coat, perfectly un-coiffed bedhead, practical yet fabulous shoes. Walking down Park on our way to Flat Iron shopping (J.Crew, Anthropologie, Ann, Madewell, a new Sperry mega-store), we passed a well-clad woman with a particularly eye catching Prada tote (new from Spring '12). Like many city sights, her elegant facade was quickly pierced as she yelled at the passing homeless man to 'watch out for her Prada' (apparently he had bumped her with his bag of recyclables).

A calorie-rich meal at Dos Caminos Park, 2 cocktails at Flute Gramercy, daylight savings, and the usual Sunday morning swim class make for an exhausting Sunday morning (I struggle to remember how I used to down Champagne cocktails and pop out of bed for a 5 mile run the next day). Since I am a self proclaimed masochist of sorts, I've also decided that today is the day to put an offer on a cute 4 bedroom house we've been eyeing. In like a lion, out like lamb, right?