My friend "Charlotte"

Dear Emi,
Niesha - my friend from work who generously loaned me her maternity clothes, baby gear and gave us some lovely outfits that her daughter, Elle, had outgrown - came by yesterday to drop off some gifts. You should've seen her walking up the porch steps with a pile of packages and this amazing diaper cake straight out of Sex and the City.

You wouldn't know this of course, but SATC was a hit television show in the early 2000s that chronicled the love lives of four single, women friends living in New York City. It was smart, fresh, racy, hilarious and heartbreaking. At the time, your daddy and I were newly married. I was in my late 20s and, like many women my age, I quickly became fascinated with the wild escapades of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte - not to mention their amazing wardrobes!

My friends and I loved this show. It aired Sunday nights on HBO, and the next day we'd pick apart the latest episode. Will Carrie and Big ever get together? Can you believe what Samantha did? Will Charlotte ever find true love? Did you see what Carrie was wearing? When the final episode aired in February 2004, we all gathered at my house to watch it.

Charlotte, the eternal optimist whose faith in the power of love was unwavering, was my favorite character. Preppy, prissy, her style was always classic and elegant. In one episode, she threw a baby shower for Miranda that featured a four-tier diaper cake - layers of disposable diapers festooned with other necessities like rattles, teething rings, etc.

I was tickled pink to receive my own diaper cake, which was decorated with a cheerful bunny toy, girlie purple pacifiers and a pink bottle brush. Inside, a baby bottle served as an anchor for the layers of newborn-size diapers. It was adorable.

I loved it.

It was the perfect gift. So very Charlotte, so very Niesha.