Slowing down but still with moments of super-human strength

In an entirely unplanned excursion yesterday afternoon, just as the sun was setting and all responsible parents were at home cooking delicious vegetable-filled dinners, I took the fusspot to one of the busiest streets in NYC. To go shopping. The week before Christmas. And it was a total success.

We were on a craigslist-sponsored adventure to pick up some practically new newborn cloth diapers when I realized both that we were near Harold Square and that I had an item to return in my bag. Fine, one return 5 days before Christmas shouldn't be all that crazy. But then we walked by GAP and they were having a huge sale and I really had to pee and the fusspot had announced that she was poopies and ... obviously we had to go shop. And while I certainly didn't get much time to try things on or browse casually, I picked up a number of delightful clearance items for her and the bargain baby and 3 much-needed shirts for me also from the clearance rack (more on that later) and we both stood and danced in the 2nd floor windows overlooking Harold Square and took time to watch for buses and sing the wheels on the bus and even to dismember an ill-fated mannequin, and it was all fine.

Twenty minute check-out lines, 9 flights of stairs to get in and out of the subway, running out of snacks, poopie diapers ... we can still handle it, and have a good time. But oh my, I have no idea how I am going to make it out of our neighborhood with the bargain baby in tow. Even if I just commit to carrying the bargain baby for the entire day, I cannot both carry a newborn in a sling and carry the fusspot up and down the 3 flights of stairs at our subway stop. And no, she cannot walk those stairs because they are gross and she puts her hands on every step, sits down, licks her hands ... I just can't handle it at this point (seriously folks, one of our favorite games while waiting for the train is to point out the rats in our subway stop. No way I am going to let the fusspot play all over that floor). So I figure we might as well take advantage of our relative freedom, huge bump and all, this holiday season.

As for clothes, we seem to have a rather large and prominent problem. See, I'm carrying straight out this time. Meaning that at 6.5 months pregnant I still have no ass, my rings are loose, etc. but there is a good 12 inches of basketball-style bump sticking straight out. And the result is that my pants keep falling off. Especially when the fusspot gives them a good tug. I have both under the belly elastic and over-the-belly spandex and neither stays on. At the moment my only defense is granny panties. I took 2 pairs of pants to the tailor yesterday to see if he could tighten the elastic, but any advice? I really feel like I need under-my-clothes suspenders at this point. The only pants which comfortably stay on are my yoga pants which sit entirely under my belly (they're not even maternity pants) but they are certainly not work-appropriate. And while I remember wearing a lot of dresses last time around, it's been rather cold in the big city this winter and tights just aren't cutting it. And I would love to go for long walks, but I inevitably end up using one hand to hold up my pants while I push the stroller with the other hand. There must be a better solution, right?