Sometimes I feel like a parent from the old country, making a match for my daughter for her future. In this case, though, it’s not her husband I’m matching; it’s her best friend.

It only seems natural that best friends should be generational, and it’s so special that my best friend, Stefanie, and I have baby girls 5 months apart. BBFF — Baby Best Friends Forever — should be easy for the two munchkins since they both have the same hobbies (putting things in their mouth), tastes in food (Earth’s Best food and Mum Mums), cry schedule (no naps means cranky attitude), fashion style (Baby Gap for the win!), sense of humor (their mamas talk to them in crazy voices and they think it’s hilarious), and — most importantly — types of parents (Stef and I have been friends since 5th grade and we are way too much alike). So, there it is, written in stone — or computer monitor — Brielle + Madelyn = BBFF.

Stefanie and I go way, way, way back to the summers of Camp Alonim where we bonded over hairy kosher chicken, cute (?) pubescent Jewish boys, and complaints about sweat and the nature. We went our separate ways to college and lost touch because it was a [gasp!] Facebook-less era.

But then, only last spring, Stefanie saw a post (because we are now very much in a Facebook-full era) about my pregnancy and reached out to say congrats and that she has a newborn herself. Well, there’s nothing like a mama and a mama-to-be that unites women in mysterious ways. We reconnected and it was just like old times. We missed out on some pretty exciting life events like college graduations, engagements and weddings, and, most importantly, the birth of Brielle, but we are so happy to be in each other’s lives, and, best of all, making new memories with our babies.

During my pregnancy, I learned a lot from Stefanie and Brielle as I watched them team up as the cutest mother-daughter duo I know. A lot of my equipment and tricks of the trade are ideas from Stefanie because she really is a mama who knows best. And Stef was there for me, too. She came to the hospital after Madelyn came into the world and she saw me at my worst during my horrible recovery. She made me feel better about what I was going through, assured me I wasn’t crazy, and supported me through irrational talk and radical feelings. A lot of people in my life did, too, but, until Stefanie, I never really had a girlfriend so present and nearby who was also my rock.

Now that Madelyn is older, she and Brielle interact and it’s pretty much the most adorable thing in the world. They stare at each other and Brielle waves (Madelyn is still working on that trick) and we mamas exchange babies to try to make them laugh. We always succeed. We have fun with our Mommy & Me group and like to go out on great adventures to the mall or lunches with the husbands, too. I know it’s just the start of many years of friendship as families and it’s special that even our parents — the grandparents — are friends. Lunch dates with Mimi and Grammy included are always filled with lots of laughs, and it’s nice to see that Madelyn and Brielle come from a great line of funny women. Stef and I fully believe that laughter is what keeps us going. Cracking up til your stomach hurts — that’s what motherhood is about.

And today is even more special! It’s Brielle’s birthday!! It blows my mind that Stefanie has a one-year-old. That means that Madelyn’s not far from that big birthday, herself! Each time I see Brielle, she has a new skill, facial expression, and sound. She’s been so fun to watch throughout this year and I’m so glad that she’s Madelyn’s BBFF. Happy birthday, Brielle!!

Valentine’s Day 2006: Sixty miles away from home, after a fun day at the aquarium, a romantic gondola ride with lots of kisses under bridges through the canals of Long Beach with a perfect Italian dinner in a cute little ristorante, dressed in our best date night threads.

Valentine’s Day 2012: Zero miles away from home, after a long day of work and parenting, a yummy dinner from the condo kitchen, followed by mediocre sugar cookies and “Chopped” on TV, dressed in our best couch couture.

Yeeeeeeeah, I’d say things have changed a lil bit. Yup. This                   much.

No complaints here! Yes, the era of extravagant outings and making a big deal of Hallmarkidays is over, but I kind of like the cozy concept of enjoying our home, doses of Madelyn, and snuggles with Princeton. Oh, and each other. So, it was only natural that our Valentine’s Day 2012 was low key, but special. All we planned to do was eat a delicious meal created by Bryan. It couldn’t be created by me or it would not have been a delicious meal. And our fire insurance would have to be validated.

Bryan whipped up a peppercorn filet mignon that made me want to fly higher than Bette Midler’s eagle. It was sosososososososo good. My man can cook. And bake. Then he had the audacity to present me with a chocolate souffle. Take that, Bette. And your eagle.

Meanwhile, back in Baking Land, {bee bee bee bee boo boo dooooo} I tried to find my inner Mrs. Fields. Or Sara Lee. Or Betty Crocker. I don’t discriminate against chicks who can bake; I’ll take any one. So, Keyword: Tried. I threw together some sugar cookies, cut them out with my new heart cookie cutters (thanks, Ma!), and then attempted to make royal icing. Confectioner’s sugar and regular sugar is the same thing, right? WRONG. Attempt to make royal icing #2 went better when I used the correct form of sugar and I even got crafty with the gel food coloring. I learned, though, that royal icing basically has PMS all the time and is a temperamental decoration, so I think it’ll take a few more trials and errors until I perfect the right consistency.

My icing didn’t come out as shiny as I would have liked, which was mean because it looked shiny as I was applying it. What a royal tease. Overall, the cookies tasted fine. They just weren’t as purty as I would have liked.

After we shoved dinner and dessert down our throats, we decided to shove ourselves down Madelyn’s throat. She’d been upstairs sleeping (a romantic dinner AND no babysitter?! Score! for having a date night at home!) and, really, what’s Valentine’s Day without our itty bitty Valentine? Our own baby Cupid? But, with no bows and arrows because we’re Jewish and don’t own weapons.

Madelyn joined us, took a visual — VISUAL! — liking to the sugar cookies, and we exchanged some presents. We said we weren’t doing gifts this year because Madelyn was our gift {cheesy “awwww”}, but my rebel husband decided it would be acceptable to surprise me with an a.dor.a.ble and so-Alison, petite heart necklace (thanks, Krystal!). I girl-squealed at that one.

A few weeks ago, Madelyn and I made a ceramic hand and foot print keepsake. It was ready for pick-up only last week, so I held onto it to show Bryan on Valentine’s Day and he adored the finished product of Madelyn’s little prints. We can’t wait to display it in her room to look back on as she grows.

Shortly after our mini gift exchange and before we settled onto the couch for a usual night of iPhones in our laps and eyes on the Food Network, we put Madelyn back to sleep and our little baby Valentine looked so peaceful and beautiful in her crib as she slept, probably dreaming of filet mignon and actually-good royal icing.

Every girl needs a loyal friend, and so far Madelyn’s bestie is her doggie, Princeton. Even from the beginning when we first brought Madelyn home, the two of them have been inseparable.

Everyone always asks how Princeton does with Madelyn joining the family, and I’m always so proud to say that he’s adjusted beautifully. At first, he didn’t really care either way about her, but then realized she was sticking around and wasn’t just a temporary house guest. After a couple weeks, he became curious, but timid, unsure of what her sounds meant or if her arm reflexes would hurt him. Then, finally, the magical move happened that every girl dreams about: during a quiet time, when the mood was just right, and the outside world seemed to stand still, he kissed her. It was delicate and sweet, but nothing ruins the moment like an overprotective grandmother (mine, not Madelyn’s) who shouts “Oh, no, no! Don’t let the doh-awg kiss the bay-bay!” (She’s a New Yorker). But you know what? We’re all family. And if he gives her a lick to say he’s cool with her, then I’m cool with it.

I’ve noticed over the past couple months that Princeton has done more than just tolerate the new baby in the house. He cares about her the way he cares about Bryan and me. The first time he showed signs of protection, he had such good intentions, but really, nothing to worry about. My cleaning crew — a brother and sister team — were over at my house. They are very nice and love babies. The brother went up to Madelyn who was sitting in her little chair, and he talked in his baby voice to her and said nice things in Spanish like, “Ay! Que linda!” or “Madelyn es muy bonita!” and Madelyn cooed and smiled back because, like her mother, she’s a sucker for men who pay her compliments. Well! Mr. Princeton did not like that this man was speaking to his sister like that and from afar, he growled and made Tony Soprano look like a wimp.

Princeton watches over her and protects her because that’s what his doggie instinct tells him to do, but I really believe he accepts her as a part of his pack. When Madelyn is in my arms as I feed her and rock her to sleep in her dim bedroom, Princeton guards her as he lays in front of her door and keeps watch. His ears twitch at every noise and his furry eyebrows hop around as he scans the room for the boogeyman with his eyes and nose. It’s not until Madelyn is safely tucked in her crib, armed with her pink poodle lovey, that he gets up to leave her room. But he doesn’t go past the door until he knows it’s closed and I say it’s okay to follow me away from the nursery. It’s these times that our 14-pound, goofy terrier mix suddenly embodies a Secret Service canine who takes his job very seriously.

And when Madelyn plays, he watches her. I know he’s a little nervous about her touching and grabbing him, but he still takes the risk and leap of faith to be by her side even with his ears or tail in jeopardy. Recently, her curious hands hooked onto a chunk of his fur on his rear thigh. I was in conversation and not watching very closely, but heard a soft, breathy whimper from Princeton, looked down, and saw that a good deal of his leg was in her tight grip. I quickly unwound her fingers from his fur, apologized profusely and praised him for handling it so well when he could have snapped or ferociously barked at her. And when he was free from her grasp and could have jumped away to a safe and baby-free zone, he licked her head and stayed between us for more cuddling. Loyalty like I’ve never known.

I knew life would change when we brought Madelyn home. I often heard from others that “Princeton had no idea what was coming!” or that “Princeton is your child now, but once your baby arrives, he becomes The Dog.” People told me all the time that Princeton was in for a rude awakening and that my priorities would change. I was so nervous that I wouldn’t be able to love another being the way I love Princeton. In fact, the morning we left to go to the hospital for the induction, I cried and cried and apologized to Princeton that his life was going to change when we walked back in that door with a baby in our arms. I told him that I was sorry that I was going to be cheating on him. I’m so glad to say now that I was wrong and so was everyone else. Madelyn did not replace Princeton. Princeton did not go down in rankings. I love both my babies immensely and love even more that they love each other. They can’t speak to each other or me, but they still know how to communicate and show loyalty that only a dog and an infant can know.

It was inevitable. It could not be stopped. I’d become another statistic. It was fine time that I … DUN DUN DUN

Get. A. Mom. Car.

Don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t exactly driving the Barbie Corvette for the past 28 years of my life. My first car was the original ’98 Honda CR-V which was followed by my college graduation present of a sweet lookin’ red Volvo S40. The poor Volvo got totaled a year-and-a-half after I got it thanks to a super fun hit-and-run by an unlicensed driver on my way to work one morning, so we quickly had to get a replacement which was a VW Jetta. LOVED that Jetta, but soon after, I was hired by a publishing company which GAVE me a car, so I rocked the Camry for about 18 months until I left that job to go back to school. My first leased car as a married woman brought me back to a Jetta and I enjoyed the ride for the past three years.

There. There’s my delicious smorgasbord of a car history. Comfortable and safe cars; the meatloaves and cheeseburgers of vehicles. No Batmobiles or DeLoreans with Flux Capacitors (I just scored points with the hubster for that one), but I did enjoy some sweet rides in my 12 years of licensed-hood. With the lease up on Jetta II, and my back breaking from schlepping an infant in and out of it, there was no doubt in our minds we had to get a mom car. An SUV. A small SUV.

We shopped around and Bryan did a thorough job comparing and charting rates on leases and gadgets in each vehicle. We checked out the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Nissan Murano. We fantasized about the Lexus and BMW models, and then slapped ourselves back to reality and set our eyes on the Honda CR-V.

That’s right. Back to my roots.

And thanks to some sweet talkin’ and the luck of timing called “The End of 2011,” we not only scored a reasonably priced CR-V but it came more loaded than a TGI Fridays potato skins platter (again with the food?!). I’m sorry, but can we discuss butt warmers? There is nothing more fantastic in the world than your tushie heating up as you drive on a cold winter’s day. Granted, our winter has been rocking 70s and 80s on the weather reports, but in January, I pretend it’s winter-winter instead of summer-winter and declare mandatory butt warmers!

Also, Bluetooth. Hi. It’s so good to finally meet you! I look like a crazy person when I use you because I appear to be talking to myself when other drivers check out my sah-weet ride, but still, I don’t care. I love that your buttons read my mind and my callers’ voices appear in the air, surrounding my ears like a hug from ear muffs. It’s beautiful.

Satellite radio has also been making my rides more fun. I have had satellite radios in the past, but they’ve all been portable devices with wires and cords and power outlets and… ugh… what a mess. Having an installed system and seeing the songs’ information on the screen? Oh, it’s a delight. And what kind of weirdo has Broadway showtunes programmed in the #1 spot and right next to it in the #2 spot is Howard Stern? Oh yes, that’s me. So? I’m eclectic.

And the storage! So much room for mommy-and-baby tchotchkes and the stroller and the bags! And I can so easily change Madelyn’s diaper in the cargo space because we have a shelf extender. I can’t stop gushing. Honda should pay me. Hello? Honda? Hi. I need money.

Really, though, there’s nothing more exciting than driving a new car, don’t you think? I imagine I drive the way Princeton walks on the sidewalk: proud, tail up, ears perked, with a little bit of a swagger. I just feel GOOD in my new car. It’s a three-year lease and I’m already certain we’ll just turn right around and get another CR-V.

I may not be a Hot Mom these days (more on that later), but I’m driving some Hot Wheels and it’s an honor to be driving Miss Madelyn.

Bryan signs our life away to lease the new car.

The new car in all her fluorescent-light-in-the-night beauty.

Driving at 10 and 2 is for photo moments.

It's never too early to teach a 4-month-old to drive to prepare her for her yellow and red Little Tikes car.

Don’t think for one second that as soon as we found out we were having a girl, I wasn’t already blueprinting the baby’s nursery in my head! We saw the lady bits on the monitor and BAM! My brain was already deciding what piece of furniture goes on which wall and which shade of paint should be painted on it. It was like wedding planning all over again, but the final product would last more than eight hours and I was making decisions for another person (okay, so the lats part is exactly like wedding planning! Womp womp…).

Bryan and I both agreed we wanted our baby girl’s room to be girly. Modern, unisex, and contemporary styles — although cool — just aren’t our taste. I also didn’t love the idea of a baby-ish themed nursery either. I know, a baby would be living in there, but little, cartoonish duckies or teddy bears or kitty cats around the room just wasn’t my idea of girly sophistication. I dabbled with the shabby chic theme because to me that speaks girly and delicate, but the stores that I’d already registered with didn’t carry any true shabby chic bedding which, to me, is the starting point for nursery decor. Plus, shabby chic patterns, while gorgeous, are usually soft and muted in color and my eye always goes to color (hello, pink and orange wedding colors!). So with shabby chic as a trampoline of inspiration, I began my nursery decor and ended up selecting a lot of pieces from Pottery Barn Kids and Baby, lending the room to become girly sophistication.

Before owning all the pieces, we first had to paint the walls. It took me forever to decide on the colors and Bryan was anxiously waiting for me to make a decision so he could purchase the paints and begin painting his daughter’s room. But I threw a wrench in the plans when I decided to take a personal design risk and choose three colors! Three walls would be painted a soft, buttery yellow and the wall that would house the crib would be accent wall with two shades of pink in stripes. Bryan heard me say stripes and he immediately dialed our inexpensive, but talented painter, Alvaro. A few days later, Alvaro and his team painted the baby’s room and executed the stripes perfectly!

My fabulous baby showers were so much fun and many of our generous friends and family also contributed pieces to the room to complete the nursery. It was fun to tie it all up and complete the finishing touches. I wanted the room to be a space that our daughter would love, but also be a haven for us, her parents. We knew we’d be spending a lot of time in there (hence the purchase of Apple TV next to the mini flat screen), so it was important that it was comfortable, relaxing, and beautiful.

The finished product was complete a couple weeks before Madelyn was born, but I didn’t have a chance to take and share photos until now. Oops. Here’s a little tour of the sweet baby suite!

It took me forever to fall in love with crib bedding. I may as well have made a JDate profile for sheets and gone on dates to be courted by dream bedding because I spent many sleepless nights crying over patterns and colors gone wrong. I did fall in love with an ensemble from Pottery Barn Baby that kept getting back ordered. I was promised a May arrival, then July, then August (cutting it close…) and then September. I was sick and tired of being led on and decided to break up with the bedding that couldn’t make a commitment. Broken hearted, I began the search all over again and found a set that would lift my spirits and help me believe in love again. (Sidenote: I was in PB Baby a few weeks ago, and saw that the original first love was back in stock and showcased in their crib room. I had pangs of nostalgia and for a second, thought about making contact again, but knew the right choice was to remain with my current and forever crib bedding because it treats my baby right, it’s beautiful, and it’s reliable.).

I’m not much of a DIY-er because I don’t have patience or the space to store arts and crafts. However, on rare occasion when I do get crafty and I haven’t drained my creativity in blogging, I really do enjoy being artsy fartsy. The one thing I absolutely wanted to make myself was the baby’s name wall hanging over her crib. I had specific criteria so it was just easier for me to make it instead of purchasing it. I wanted it to be safely hung over the crib so I knew I couldn’t use wooden letters. We live in earthquake country, and I didn’t trust myself to create anything that would be heavy and earthquake-safe, so I knew the letters from Michael’s would be out. I also wanted to be able to control the colors and patterns, and while I found some letters I liked in Anthropologie, my.favorite.store.ever., I also didn’t want to spend 20-something dollars a letter. Madelyn is a long name. ‘Nuff said.

So I went to Paper Source to brew some creativity and lo and behold, they had hollow cardboard letters in the most perfect font and beautiful papers with which to decoupage. I made my purchases and as soon as I got home, I got gluin’! I carefully cut and glued papers all around the letters, intertwining some of the patterns across all the letters to create a loose theme. After everything dried, I super glued the backs of the letters to a green polka-dot ribbon, tied bows at the end, and under the bows, I hid tacks to secure to the wall. It was actually a really easy project, super fun to make, and left my wallet in tact. Best part, I’m really proud of how it turned out and love that it’s a centerpiece of the wall.

I fell in love with a shelf at Pottery Barn Kids that I knew would house special trinkets, pictures, and, most importantly, shoes! This shelf would definitely be for more decorative than practical purposes, but I really felt like it helped complete this corner of the room.

On the shelf sits a trinket box that my best friend’s mom made for me when I was a teenager, a musical teddy bear that I loved as a baby (the wind-up is overwound. This makes me sad), beautiful booties that were a gift from one of Madelyn’s Auntie Phis, an owl that brings out the colors in the room and is the other half of a set of bookends, and one of my favorite photos of Madelyn taken by our cousin Sara, which is inside a frame from my mom that coincidentally mimics the striped wall! My own ballet shoes from when I was a toddler hang on the peg as well as other cute shoes and a ballerina outfit from Auntie Pattie.

Instead of buying a whole new wall unit, we decided to use an Ikea bookcase we had from our married-without-kids days. It used to be in the office/guest room, which was the room before it became the nursery (pour a little out for the office/guest room) and it held old college text books, wedding planning documents circa 2008, picture frames, and ashamedly, overall clutter. It was the perfect piece to hold the new baby’s books, stuffed animals, frames, and her our TV.

I thought the baby should also have her own little corner of her own little room (thanks, Rodgers and Hammerstein for the inspiration), so thanks to Auntie Harmony, she has a baby-sized chair that matches the rest of the decor. This chair may look familiar as the monthiversary photo chair! It’s tucked away between the crib and the bookcase and next to a basket of toys, so she has her own special place in the corner. Yes, somebody puts baby in the corner, and it’s me.

Opposite of her bookcase is a wall with another important piece of furniture, the dresser and changing table. I like that it’s placed under a bank of windows so we can enjoy natural light as we change diapers, get dressed, and play. Madelyn loves to play on the changing table and there’s no better time with my girl than nudey time: we sing songs, play with toys, and babble on about the day.

I have all the supplies right next to me on the top of the changing table, and all of the must-have clothes and diapers are in the drawers. On the wall, two shelves from my college days are home to some photos and keepsakes for Madelyn to look at while we change and play.

The changing table shares a wall with a toy chest and a basket of amazing blankets that were gifts, some of them handmade, like the yummy ones by Auntie Alison. I like that this space is light and uncluttered but is home to necessary items.

I spent almost as much time researching upholstered glider chairs as I did going on dates with crib bedding. We went to so many stores and sat in so many beat up floor samples. Starting a relationship with a chair was frustrating and seemed fruitless. No store had exactly what I wanted — the chair’s make and model and with an ottoman — so it was really hard to sample this combination. As a last straw attempt to test drive my dream chair ensemble, I stumbled across Joseph Wahl Arts in Woodland Hills and finally felt I could enter a marriage with my Little Castle Cottage chair and ottoman. I highly recommend this adorable store for babies and kids of all ages and the owner, Joseph, was extremely helpful and nice.

I placed my order and couldn’t wait for the chair to arrive so I could sink into it and pretend to read to my baby (thank you, Princeton, for helping me rehearse before the baby came). I wanted a neutral color so that it could be used in any room of the house when Bryan and I are old and gray and past the child-rearing years. I also didn’t want it to fight with the other colors in the room so as much as I love all the Little Castle swatches and colors, I decided that a neutral sandy color would mesh with the entire space. I also wanted a little table next to the chair so I could set a bottle down or put my own refreshments on a steady surface. I found this little green table at Home Goods and liked that it brought out the desired green for the accent color. Sometimes I just sit in the chair and look around and thank my baby for completing our home.

Bryan and I made a video for Madelyn just a few days before she was born that gave her a tour of her newly designed room. Prepare to see a whale-ish female figure also known as pregnant me. Also, we are overall dorks. Oh, and Bryan intends to pan down on my belly in the beginning, but instead it’s a boob shot. Awesomeness. My favorite part of the whole thing is the nanosecond before it ends where I say, “Please be nice.” Oh Pregnant Alison of August 2011, if only you knew. If only you knew.