What gift does a person who's just given birth want? She's my first friend to have a baby and thus I have no experience of this sort of thing. Any and all suggestions are very welcome as I don't want to look like a complete asshole when I visit.

Plei wanted sushi. most mom's need more sleep. If the baby is well supplied with stuff ( first babies often are) something nice for mom is good. DVD's are good for things to do while feeding.

I'm sure I have other ideas, but right now - I am still in early stages of gronk

Skipping thousands of posts, the ending of a thread and the beginning of a new one, and actually (behold my surprise) have something to say:

Jars, my experience is only with Israeli moms, so I'm not sure how much it may apply, but anyway: if I buy baby clothes/toys/etc. I make sure it's from a chain store, and with the possibility of returning them and having them replaced, in case the baby already has plenty of that stuff/the size isn't right/the color is annoying to somebody and the like. If it's a close enough friend, I usually ask what they (the parents) want, if there's something they need and didn't think of buying or only discovered that they need. I try to include something for the mother as well - something to watch while feeding, for example (not books, though, unless specifically asked). Another thing is food - healthy nutritious food. If you're a good cook, something home-made is the best, IMHO, but of course anything will do. Usually I try to avoid the flowers/baloons/chocolates more obvious stuff, because I assume a million of people will be giving those, but that may be just me.

Hey Nilly! how's school been? what else is up?

Ooh, dvds are a good idea, thanks.

Also the homemade food thing sounds good. I'll make a cheesecake or shortbread or something.

I already bought the baby some babygrows and socks and things, though I'll probably have to change them as it's a BIG baby, apparently. Which I really should have seen coming, seeing as no one in her family is under six feet. Oh well, live and learn.

Nilly! Hi!

I second the homemade food suggestion from Nilly...something that could possibly freeze well... Also, maybe a fun/nice shirt/top for the mom in an inbetween size...since she won't want to wear maternity clothes, but won't fit into her pre-pregnancy clothes either.

NILLY!

Also the homemade food thing sounds good. I'll make a cheesecake or shortbread or something.

Even better would be an entree, like a lasagne, or a casserole -- like vw said, something that would freeze well.

what else is up?

Hi, beth (whose birthday I missed!). I'm just back today from Passover, which has been a whole week. In which I didn't have any computer access, let alone internet access (my parents have both, but I was at their place only at the beginning and end of the holiday).

I don't think I'll be able to go this long without Google ever again. I couldn't even pretend that I know stuff! And dictionaries and encyclopedias expect you to know the exact word you're looking for, not what's related to it, and how can my sieve deal with that, fed only by matzot and still dizzy from cleaning-materials since the former week? I'm so computer-addicted. Sigh.

But I went on a picnic with family and friends, went to an amusement park (and managed to mention Disneyland only around twice an hour, so everybody else forgave me), borrowed a 9000-pieces jigsaw puzzle from a friend, some books from another, another got her "Wonderfalls" DVDs (um, I didn't take them from her, but I got a promise that we'll watch later on), and I didn't get to catch up on all the work I missed while cleaning for Passover. The weather was perfect - in fact, I don't remember such a gorgeous weather during any Passover before. All in all, quite a good holiday.

How's everybody?

[Edited to wave at Hil and vw]

Oh, Nilly, that sounds like a wonderful holiday. I think I'd go nuts without Google for that long too, though.

I had a question for you last week, but I can no longer remember it. Oh, well. So good to "see" you.