What To Expect When You’re Expecting, the movie, opens today! So says the poster at the end of my block…

…As well as the poster in the subway station, and the movie theater marquee in my neighborhood…

…And even the poster in the Workman lobby!

It’s based only loosely on the book (as in, it’s the movie inspired by the title) — hey, what were you expecting, a documentary? Although a Q&A-with-Heidi-Murkoff plot line might be more in keeping with the tone of the pages of “America’s Pregnancy Bible,” it wouldn’t take full advantage of the impressively assembled ensemble cast: Chris Rock, Anna Kendrick, Cameron Diaz, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Dennis Quaid, Jennifer Lopez….

And though the movie is a work of fiction (as opposed to the nonfiction book), some elements in the movie are startlingly accurate. See below, true story: The Park Slope Papa Brigade!

And that’s all for the premiere edition of Reel-Things-that-Happen-in-Real-Life.

What do these three books have in common? (Besides being published by Workman…)

They were all spotted (by moi) over a period of 2 days last week on the New York City subway system!

Leaving work, riding the F train from West 4th street, the young lady sitting next to me was reading Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?* by Ellen Gordon Reeves (*hard to spot since the “vintage” copy below has since been re-jacketed — check out that smashing the new green cover above!). Ooh, and all those post-it notes on the pages! Good luck, subway-riding-lady — we hope you get the job!

Many of you have sent in reports from all over the city after seeing Missed Connections artist Sophie Blackall‘s poster art on several train lines. This shot was also on the F train, when it came above ground at the closed-for-renovations Smith & 9th Street stop.

And on the Manhattan-bound D train the next morning, the doors opened to let passengers on and off at Grand Street, and this was the view! The What to Expect When You’re Expecting movie (inspired by Heidi Murkoff’s pregnancy bible) is “due” May 18.

And what else mama-related is just around the corner? Oh, right: Happy Mother’s Day to all you mamas out there!

Have you spotted any Workman books in your recent travels? In window displays at your favorite neighborhood bookstore, at an airport kiosk, in a contented reader’s hands on a morning commute? Post your photos to our Facebook page!

Call us biased, but we think the best presents come in book form. Since we’ve recently welcomed the newest little Workman-ites into our extended office family, that got us thinking about our favorite gifts for new parents. Here are just a few of our picks for the new mom, new dad, and mama-to-be:

• Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton – What could be better than a great big hug in book form? It’s the perfect love letter from parent to child.

• Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg – A sweet book with a powerful message: When you make a mistake, think of it as an opportunity to make something beautiful!

• Gallop by Rufus Butler Seder – Every turn of the page brings a new animal to life: a horse in full gallop, a turtle swimming, an eagle soaring. It’s impossible not to flip the pages again and again!

• Indestructibles - Beautifully illustrated books that babies can really sink their teeth into! They’re waterproof, tear-proof–baby-proof!–and truly impossible to destroy. (Trust us, we’ve tried.)

• What to Expect the First Year by Heidi Murkoff – Why not get something for the new mama, too? This book has absolutely everything parents needs to know about their baby’s first year from one of the most trusted names in pregnancy.

An exciting development in the gestation of the What to Expect When You’re Expecting movie: Last night the movie trailer premiered on Entertainment Tonight! In case you missed it, here’s an exclusive Workman Blog First Look:

Starring an honor roll of A-listers, including Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Matthew Morrison, Chace Crawford, Chris Rock, and a host of others, the film will be a Love Actually-esque compilation of intersecting stories about moms- and dads-to-be. With an all-star cast and perpetually compelling subject matter, we know this film will really…deliver. Look for it in theaters Mother’s Day 2012!

What do Stephen King and Gossip Girl have in common, you ask? Perhaps more than we know, but today we’d like to say thank you to both of these cultural icons for their recent public displays of support!

Stephen King gives a shout out to A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick on page 342 of his new novel, 11/23/63. The passage reads: “I’d read a book called ‘A Reliable Wife’ not too long before leaving on the world’s strangest trip, and as I climbed into bed, a line from the novel crossed my mind: ‘He had lost the habit of romance.’ That’s me, I thought as I turned out the light.”

And Gossip Girl teased out a pregnancy plot with the mysterious appearance of a little-known book by Heidi Murkoff, called What to Expect When You’re Expecting.

Where, oh, where will we spot a Workman book next?

We love Mindy Kaling (writer for The Office, among other things) for many reasons, but one particular mention in her recent, revelatory essay on chick flicks in The New Yorker made her particularly endearing as of late. Here’s the relevant excerpt from her piece, but click here for the full scoop! The scene involves Mindy, cast as a TV writer who dreams of hitting the big time and writing for the movies, pitching ideas to a roomful of execs.

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After I finished pitching one of my ideas for a low-budget romantic comedy, I was met with silence. One of the execs sheepishly looked at the other execs. He finally said, “Yeah, but we’re really trying to focus on movies about board games. People really seem to respond to those.”

For the rest of the meeting, we talked about whether there was any potential in a movie called “Yahtzee!” I made some polite suggestions and left.

I am always surprised at what movie studios think people will want to see. I’m even more surprised at how often they are correct. Based on what I’ve learned from my time in Hollywood, the following titles are my best guess as to what may soon be coming to a theatre near you:

“Bananagrams 3D”

As many of you know, we recently celebrated an exciting and important milestone–10 years on the New York Times bestseller list for What to Expect When You’re Expecting. And what better way to celebrate than with our dear author, Heidi Murkoff, plus babies (okay, baby pictures), balloons, and ice cream (with all the toppings)!

The poster below represents just a handful of Workman babies that have been born under the wisdom of What to Expect over the last 25 years, more than 200 reprints, and 4 editions of the book! (Oh, after you get over those sweet faces and chubby cheeks, there is of course, the sweet spread of ice cream toppings–I detect a theme.)

The tubs of deliciousness didn’t last long once Workman party-goers started digging in! Strawberry, cookies and cream,  chocolate, coffee, vanilla ….Mmmm.

There were enough champagne flutes for plenty of toasting (I estimate at least one for each reprint of the book!). Below, Workman group publisher Bob Miller clinks glasses with author Heidi Murkoff and her longtime editor Suzanne Rafer. (Fun fact: Heidi delivered the original proposal for the book to Workman the same day she delivered her daughter!)

And the next generation of What to Expect babies are already on the way! There are three pregnant ladies in this photo — all of whom received a lucky belly pat from Heidi — can you spot them? (Trick question — without insider knowledge, it’s likely you’ll only be able to identify one, we think.)

What do you suppose the people below have in common…besides the fact that they’re attractive actors and actresses?

If you guessed, “THEY’RE GOING TO BE IN THE FORTHCOMING MOVIE WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING!!!” …you are exactly right!

Last week Heidi Murkoff herself came into the office for the official celebration—10 years of What to Expect When You’re Expecting on the New York Times best-seller list! That’s 520 weeks (13 gestation periods!) for all you math geniuses. We had ice cream, champagne, and toasted the success (past, present, and future) of the ever popular bible for parents-to-be. Heidi has helped over fourteen million women get through the unknown, sometimes scary, but always exciting, territory of pregnancy. 

While she was here, Heidi regaled us with tales from the set. Much like Love Actually and Valentine’s Day (you saw that, right?), the movie will be a compilation of intersecting stories about… well, you can probably guess. Though Heidi couldn’t reveal who will be pregnant with whose baby, she was excited about the film’s star-studded cast.  We anticipate that the stork will deliver What to Expect just in time for Mother’s Day 2012!

I remember when the little munchkins we’re catching up with below were just peas in a pod. Now they’re all grown up and turning 1. So today we’re checking in with a few of the Workman babies of 2010 (and their moms) to see what they’re looking forward to in that magical second year:

• Mama Andrea reports that Lorca, who turns 1 in July, just took her first steps last week, but is looking forward to zipping around the apartment and the park without holding onto Mom or Dad. Mom and Dad are looking forward to the day when Lorca is more excited about reading her bedtime books than eating them!

• Mama Barbie, whose son turns 1 in May, shares that Vallen’s favorite thing to do is climb stairs. She is sure that the jungle gym at the park will be his favorite thing in the world in the coming months–he already pumps his legs to get moving down slides. She’s also looking forward to Vallen talking more and asking questions. So far he uses four words regularly. He is very inquisitive and has to see how things work–like doors, containers with tops, latches and knobs–over and over again. Mom and Dad’s task will be avoiding any major injury to their little adventurer!

• Mama Peggy is looking forward to so much… Evie, who turned 1 in February, is already walking and talking up a storm, so Mom’s  most looking forward to the day she can use a spoon and fork to eat–and, most importantly, to the day Evie finally says “Mommy”!

• Mama Michele’s son Trey turned 1 in April, and is already such a Chatty Cathy, but only speaks baby-talk. She’s looking forward to hearing real words (other than mama and dada) to help get some insight into his conversations with his stuffed animals. Although Trey’s palate is quite varied (he loves cod with a side of lentils), his 1^st birthday cake tasting didn’t go over as well–Mom can’t wait for Trey to say “cookie” and devour one!  Trey also loves a good tune to groove to. The minute the radio is turned on, he sits down and shakes his booty to the beat. Mom and Dad can’t wait for him to be more secure on his feet to show off his dancing moves!

And so begins “the wonder year”—12 jam-packed and jam-smeared months of memorable milestones, from first steps to first words, first scribbles to first friends, lightning-speed learning, and endless explorations driven by insatiable curiosity. Here’s to our four young whippersnappers–and their parents–as they navigate the always exciting second year!

No, thankfully no one’s been pregnant for 500 weeks… it’s just that we still have that special glow over the success of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. The book has spent more than 500 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list!

Speaking of pregnancy, remember when we mentioned to you that there’s something in the water here at Workman? As it turns out, the office water cooler is still living up to its reputation–check out this new crop of positively radiant mamas-to-be! That’s one bump for every 100 weeks of What to Expect best-sellerdom. (Yeah, we totally planned it that way.)