Image from Goores.com
My sisters-in-law (I have 4 of them!) are throwing me a baby shower at the end of the month. And because of the holiday season, I haven’t had a chance to register for baby gifts. So on January 2, one of my sisters-in-law, Christine, urged me to register because she will be mailing the shower invitations soon, and she wants to make sure all invitation information is correct. (I love this about her! She’s just like me… a perfectionist!) So on January 3, when I miraculously found time between family functions (and Christine was skiing the day away!), I made it to the baby stores and got registered!
With my first pregnancy, my husband and I registered for an exorbitant amount of baby gear. The experience was overwhelming! We didn’t know what we would need, what we should have, what the best products are. We would argue about styles, colors, and name brands. I liked a certain stroller because it was pretty and colorful, and it’s what Gwyneth Paltrow pushed around. My husband preferred another stroller because it was rugged and tough, and can be put away with one swift move. Although we bickered and fought in the store, in the end, we both agreed that safety was the number one issue. We walked around the store with our “zapper” and zapped everything we thought would be mandatory to the success of our baby’s development (typical first time parent behavior). Luckily, because we came from big families and had many friends, we managed to get almost everything from our registry list. We are blessed!
With this pregnancy, I registered alone. It was best, and quickest, that way. My husband stayed home with our 4-year old, while I looked up items that I think we would need. And I mean REALLY NEED. No froo-froo fancy stuff! It will be five years between my two children, and since we still have the big items in storage (crib, bouncer, swing, high chair), I figured it would be easy to walk up and down the aisles and zap a few items. Guess what? It wasn’t. The bottles that I used with my first are now trumped by some other brand. Do I register for the new and improved ones, or do I stick with my trusted brand? The packaging for the refill liners of our diaper pail is shaped differently. Is this the same one, or is this for the second generation model? Do I need a new diaper pail? I felt confused and needed some spousal support. But the more I thought about how it was at our first time registering, the more I didn’t really want my husband’s help. I can do this.
Four hours later, I did it! Ahhh…feeling such a sense of accomplishment!
I hear ya, Jamee! My kids were born within less than 2 1/2 years of each other and each time I registered there were new and improved things. Naturally, I stuck with some of the same things I already had but when we were “done” at baby number two and got rid of some things…along came surprise baby number 3, or as my husband calls her, “The Miracle.” Registering for her consisted of replacing things I no longer had if they were necessary…but also getting things I hadn’t used before because with a 2 year old and 4 year old at home, I had to do so much with them, that new baby HAD to learn to love a swing, bassinet, doorway jumper, etc.! Poor neglected child…maybe that is why we still let her sleep with us…to make up for that! But THAT is a whole ‘nother blog…