Some lessons I've learned in my first week as a New Yorker:
1. New Yorkers are friendly, helpful, honest and patient. As long as they're not driving. My car is living in New Jersey at my uncle's house and I'm really glad to not be a driving New Yorker.
2. People who have found a seat on the subway don't care if you're pregnant or handicapped. I've found that I am more capable of standing for the ride than many of the people sitting down. I'll start asking for a seat when I really need to.
3. Many people in the city are terrified of a dog on a leash. I've seen people create a 10-foot buffer between themselves and Bailey. Do they really think I'd walk my dog on Broadway if she spontaneously bit people or posed any threat to society? Come on.
4. You can be surrounded by thousands of people and still feel lonely.
5. I'm sending my dog to camp tomorrow. Ben and I are going to Paris and Rome for two weeks and Bailey (the dog) needs a place to visit. To avoid putting her in a kennel or having to make two trips for drop-off and pick-up to Annapolis (my parents) we've decided to try out
Glencadia Dog Camp. They do free pick-up in Manhattan on the sidewalk, take her to a farm in New York outside the city and let her romp and play on the property with the other boarders. They sleep in a barn. I'm hesitant because I've never left her with someone I didn't know and in a place I've never seen. Reviews of the place range from 'amazing, use it frequently' to 'horrible, never again'. I'm not sure who to believe, but there were enough good reviews and return users that I'll give them my furry child for two weeks. Supposedly they send video updates via email. Fingers crossed.
6. I'm slow. I'm seriously slow. I'm 6 months pregnant and my joints have relaxed, my hips hurt, my feet ache, my hands are swollen, my brain doesn't function correctly, my belly feels like there's a bowling ball pulling on the ligaments when I step, my thighs rub together, I get out of breath easily and I get lightheaded every time I stand up. I'm hungry all the time but can only eat a small amount at each sitting before I feel full and sick. I want to put salt on everything. I've gained 16 pounds (from 163 to 179) and have been told I should gain no more than 25 pounds, since I started out a few pounds over normal. The hardest thing to get used to has been limited movement. I'm an endurance athlete! I run marathons, I do triathlons, I'm flexible, I'm more active and capable than the average American! Walking up the steps from the New York subways I'm passed by people with canes and walkers. I will NOT take the elevator unless I have to, but it's a mental struggle. These are my complaints. I'm not a whiner, I just want it to be known that people should be more patient with pregnant ladies. This is a struggle.
7. Now for the good stuff: I love being pregnant! People smile at me more. People ask me questions all the time and want to know about what it feels like. This little boy lets his presence be known any time I sit down. He's constantly swimming and flipping around. He's as long as an ear of corn and I watch him kick and punch, beginning to feel the joy of movement. When he's quiet I can't tell whether he's sleeping or just observing. I know that he has working ears, so we talk to him frequently. I like to think that when Bailey waits for me on the stairs it's because she has some superpowers and understands that it's her job to protect not just me, but the growing boy inside me. I think she knows there is something magical happening in our lives right now. I imagine Ben holding this tiny person with his big strong hands and my heart melts a little.

8. Ben and I have been searching for the perfect first-floor Brownstone in the center of everything in Brooklyn for the past three weeks. We want the place everyone wants, and apparently when one finds a place like this they don't ever leave. We have seen only two places out of 20+ that we really liked and they were both a bit too pricey for right now (I don't have a full-time job yet). Our next move may be into a high rise in Downtown Brooklyn, which has attractive amenities and brand-new everything. It's not our first choice but it's looking more reasonable every day. There's a gym in the building, a spectacular view, washer/dryer in the unit, a speedy elevator and more closet space than a couple knows what to do with. Baby's room may be what the rental company calls a 'home office', which is a 6'X 8' open area next to the 'foyer' with a gigantic closet. It's not a room for a kid, but a year in this high rise will give us more options later, my job situation will be secure, we'll have a better network to help us look for our brownstone-with-backyard, and we won't be in a rush to get our stuff out of storage.