Planning and Partying: A Diaper Shower and Other Useful Gifts

This is my third child. We also have not found out ahead of time the gender. This makes many people who are very kind and want to give us something for the baby scratch their heads: "What the heck do you get?"

Audra, Brooks' wife, was really thoughtful and threw me a diaper shower.  It was a lot of fun, and what mom wouldn't be excited to gain a six-month supply of diapers?!  Boy or girl, everyone poops. 

As I've been going through things and trying to prepare for this new child, there are some items that have come to mind as being useful for any pregnant mother. Please don't take this as a wish list for me: it's really meant for anyone who is stumped and needs some baby gift ideas that will be helpful to any mom. 

1. Diapers and wipes as I mentioned above. I'm still buying diapers for Paul and he's two. Need I say more?

2. Stain remover and laundry detergent. Okay this seems like a boring gift, but seriously, there are not many items more practical. I run through Shout like it's no body's business.  You could give the mom a splurge with some Dreft (which I never buy because I'm too cheap), or any fragrance-free detergent.  While I'm on the subject, you could make it a cleaning-themed basket with magic erasers, dry cleaning fluid, or other cleaning supplies that are practically essential with children.  (Excuse me while I pause to go "erase" crayon off my wall courtesy of Paul.)

image via slightly crunchy mom

 3. Frozen meals. You pretty much need to be a local friend for this one, but adding a new baby to the dinner routine makes meal prep frenzied, especially when everyone's trying to get adjusted to  a new routine.  Something homemade that can be microwaved or baked straight out of the freezer is WONDERFUL!  I hope to get a few extra things cooked ahead of time.  We're out in no-delivery land, but for those moms in town, you could also get them gift cards to the chinese or pizza delivery place nearby.

4. Teething necklaces. I don't own any of these, but they look cool and don't depend on whether baby is a he or she. Mom can be stylish while pacifying the baby. I'm thinking perfect for church or other "please be quiet" times.  The brand pictured above is called "Chew Beads," although I believe there are others.

5. Child or baby-sized clothing hangers. Especially ones for bottoms. Many outfits come with plastic hangers, but if this this a mom with other children, she's using those for her other kids' clothes. Buying some nice hangers is something she probably won't buy herself, although she wishes she did. As an additional item, you could make or purchase dividers that separate baby clothes by size.   There are a ton of tutorials on Pinterest that are really cute.

6. Baby Wash.  I still use baby wash on Clara and she's (almost) four.  Why not?  I often stock up on multiple bottles of the really expensive 'natural' baby wash that has been marked down at the grocery store to half-price (or less).  The fancy stuff really is a treat over the Johnson & Johnson.  You could always throw in a nice wash cloth, bath towel, or tub toy to complete the gift.

What have I left off the list?  Any moms out there have any other practical gift ideas for preggos?

Let the Preparations Begin

Last Wednesday, we began work on the nursery. How exciting! Actually, let me clarify. We hired someone to begin work on the nursery. :-D My mother-in-law came up with the idea to transform a small hallway and walk-in-closet into a nursery. While I am VERY sad to lose my walk-in-closet, this idea puts the baby’s room right next to the master bedroom, instead of being at the other end of the house. I know that in the middle of the night, I’ll be glad it’s just a few steps away.
So, this idea involved a small amount of demolition and a small amount of construction. We’ve hired a man whose done a lot of work for friends of ours, and he’s moving right along.

I’ve been waiting to make decisions on colors and patterns until I could see the room and the amount of space we’re talking about. From our floor plan, the room was to be approximately 8’x10’, but I think it is smaller than that in reality. No big deal – less to paint and the less stuff it takes to make the room look ‘finished.’ This weekend, Pat and I bought some touch-up paint for the trim and ceiling, as well as some light fixtures for the room.

I’ve looked at baby cribs online, and I must say, most of them all look the same. I mean, how is one to choose? Honestly! I take that back – I’ve seem some very “hip” ones that are oval-shaped, but I’ve decided that’s not for me. So that brings me back to the rectangular, familiar, baby crib. Yes, there are differences in wood colors, there are probably differences in safety features (I guess), and there are the obvious price differences. One thing that is cool is that a lot of these cribs convert from a crib to a toddler’s bed to a twin-size bed. I suppose that justifies the investment (or that’s the retailers’ logic, anyway).

Oh, let me just state that it is DIFFICULT to go gender-neutral for a nursery. Not in theory, but in practice. It’s not only the color issue, but the pattern issue. So far, I’m leaning toward a chocolate brown, a tan, and a soft green accent for the colors. Now, if I could only find some crib bedding that would match. I’ve seen some, but they always throw a dot of pink in there or a stripe of blue. Come on, Babies-R-Us, Baby Gap, et al. – some people don’t know if their baby’s a boy or a girl! Let us have a surprise!