More Registry Fun, Puff the Magic Dragon, and our first trip on the subway (finally)!

Yesterday was a big day. My friend got us tickets to a benefit concert to see Paul Yarrow (of Peter, Paul & Mary, Puff the Magic Dragon, etc..) at the Housing Works bookstore in Soho yesterday morning. It was going to be my first big day out in the city alone with the babe and the Ergo, BUT it was 16 degrees, so DH agreed to drive me. The concert was totally crazy in that New Yorkers-with-kids way - jam packed with Bugaboos and McLarens, not enough space, pushy parents. Somehow I managed to squeeze my way in there and find seats - feeling and looking like a pack animal with the Ergo, the winter coat, the bag, hat and scarf getup, the baby (in his snowsuit and hat getup). Paul himself was a little strange, but Smoosh was mesmerized when he was actually singing. After berating the sound guy for awhile, he started with fox and hen song ( a favorite from my childhood) and did a few more kids songs- starting and stopping a lot, bringing kids on the stage, one of the microphone stands almost falling down onto the kids sitting in the front, caught at the last minute by a lunging parent from the back, more berating.. Apparently Mary passed away of bone marrow cancer so for him this was a tribute to her, and he sang "Leaving on a Jet Plane" with all the adults singing along. Smoosh passed out at this point. The finale was of course "Puff the Magic dragon" and he asked 10 kids to come up on the stage. Well, this is where it got very New Yorkish as every parent there pushed their child onto the stage and pulled out their camera, desperate to get a shot. Pretty much everyone was on the stage, or trying to be in the stage, at that point so we made our escape and skipped the meet-and-greet photo op. Next time maybe.
Peter, Paul and Mary in the glory days...

My girlfriend I was with is pregnant (yayy) and just found out the gender (girl!!) so I was asked to help with the registry, being such an experienced NYC parent all of a sudden and all. Since we were in Soho, we headed over to fancy pants Giggle. Giggle has the most adorable things ever, but I didn't register there because it seemed a little too pricey and didn't seem to have enough of the basics. However, they seem to have expanded their Giggle line and maybe adjusted to the economy a little, because we found pretty much everything. Their line Giggle basics is organic cotton things made by Under the Nile - adorable! We got the entire layette , towels and an adorable sheet set. They have the BEST toys - wooden, European, nothing flashy or plastic. We found the pump, stroller, bath products (they call it the "spa", not bathroom hehe- fabulous). Seriously, everything there is adorable and I was having total registry envy. I think I will bring MIL there when she visits this weekend to pick out that Valentine's present she said she wants to get Smoosh. ;) I did get him a little "lovie" bunny thing (The sleep books say to introduce something like this for them to sleep with. So far he doesn't seem to be getting too attached). My GF also got him a little sippy cup for being such a good sport.
New bunny friend..

After that we grabbed an organic lunch at this cute place Local on Sullivan Street. Then we descended into the ground for Smooshie's first subway ride. It went well, he was totally passed out thankfully.
Next, for her suburban friends (she is from Tulsa and will have a shower there too) we headed to Buy Buy Baby which seemed totally low-brow after the urban sanctuary of Giggle. Still, for a Sunday it wasn't too bad and we got an amazing breast pump expert to break down all the Medela models for us. I even ended up getting a hands free pumping bra to hook up to my Medela Swing! The husbands met us there (they are in the band together) and we all went out for some Mexican (yes, it was dinner time by then).
Day in the city with baby, check.