It was so much more fun to watch the marathon this year with friends and family. Last year it was just lone me running around to catch Stinky. This year we started with a breakfast marathon party at a friend's place in Brooklyn. His awesome apartment was right on the corner where the two different waves ran off the Verrazano Bridge and converged.





Here we are anxiously waiting on 4th Ave in Brooklyn. I rang my cow bell so much that day my finger was sore.



Finally we see Stinky run by.



To everyone's surprise, he breaks out of line and runs in for a quick picture and kisses me on the belly before dashing off.

My cousin Judith and I then drove to the city and had to bust our asses to get to the ING bleachers in time to see everyone finish.

Here's Stinky at the Mile 19 fuel station.


Here's Stinky a few feet from the finish line.


THE ELITE THREE - Danny, Judith's husband, her sister-in-law, the amazing Rosemarie and Stinky. Don't they look great for having just run a marathon?


I hope you can get a good idea of how big my bump is. I am 24 weeks now but I've been getting a lot of comments that I look bigger than 24 weeks. For all the mamas out there - how do I compare?

How did you mamas figure out what to register for? Did you use a guideline or website of some kind or just advice from friends? Thanks!

ADDENDUM: Ok xanga mamas - here are some of my questions (feel free to suggest other things!):

Stroller:

We went through a full demo at BuyBuyBaby and felt that the Uppababy had the most bang for its buck.  The Stokke was a contender but having to buy the bassinet at an additional cost (and only briefly using it) kinda killed the deal.  We also considered the Quinny but it is heavier, does not come with a bassinet and will not accommodate a second child (yes! thinking of that already).  I love that the Uppababy folds easily, has a large storage basket and comes with a fully loaded bassinet.  Any other thoughts to consider?

Car Seat:

Is it ok to buy an infant car seat now and buy another toddler one later or is it better to buy a convertible now?  We like the Graco SnugRide but mostly because of its color/print options.  Any favorites?

Swing/Bouncer:

We did not see a Swing/Bouncer combination that went forwards/backwards and side-to-side.  Maybe I'm asking for too much?  Did you buy a separate swing and bouncer?  Again, any favorites?

Breastpump:

Medela Freestyle Hands-free Double pump with the tote bag.  I was instantly sold.  Should I consider any others?

Cribs:

We would like a convertible but nothing too pricey or fancy.  Just solid looking is fine.  They all look the same.  What a headache haha.

Diaper bags:

Is this just personal preference?  Which ones are better - totes, messengers or those gigantic weekender types?

THANKS A MILLION!!!

Stinky and I have been talking about upgrading our bed.  We currently sleep on a full size.  That is right.  We are two married adults that sleep on a full size.  What can I say, Stinky likes to cuddle.

Recently his mom offered us a spare king-sized mattress they have.  The story is that Stinky's uncle bought a top-of-the-line king mattress two years ago and decided after a few weeks that it made his back feel horrible.  He bought a new one and when the delivery people came to get the old one, they realized that the original delivery men somehow fucked up the alignment of the "blinds" on the base of the bed which resulted in a big hole.  For weeks, his uncle's back had no support underneath the mattress.  Since there was nothing actually wrong with the mattress, he gave it to Stinky's parents.  Stinky's parents however, have a king-size tempur-pedic so they just stored the mattress under their bed (on the floor).  It has been there for two years.  Their house is very clean.

They recently pulled it out for some visiting relatives but I only caught a quick glimpse at its condition.  I have to say that I did spy 1 or 2 small (tear drop size) stains and an overall dingy color.  This may be due to the fact that I am used to seeing our bright sorta peach colored mattress and this one is a kind of dull gray color. 

So my question is - the thing is free, top quality and has not really been used - would you take it?