Registered Tact Offender
One more day of work-from-homedom and then it's back to the office for me. (If you're counting, that makes it a twelve-day vacation!) Oh, except I just remembered that I have to call for blasted jury duty tonight, which might mean yet another day away from my desk and my computer and my army of tchotckes, all for the love of country and civic pride and non-reimbursed courthouse parking. Bah.
And yet, silver lining: it'll at least be nice to get out of the house. I think I've overstayed my welcome here in my own home, and between the barfing cat and the drooling cat and the weekend's major and recurrent ant invasion in the dining room and kitchen, I'm really looking forward to spending the day somewhere that does not require me to get on my hands and knees to wipe up after or poison any living creatures. (That also helps solidify which side of this debate makes more sense for me.) Even if something horrific and messy were to happen while I wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait in the prospective-juror holding tank, I'm fairly certain it would not fall to me to clean it up, unlike at home, where I can't even feign ignorance and wait for Simon to clean things up because (and you might want to look away during this part) the cats have started doing this adorable thing where they EAT EACH OTHER'S VOMIT. Okay, not so adorable. Lucky for me, I've just entered the stage of this pregnancy where it's really hard for me to bend over, and I actually woke Simon up on Sunday morning to deal with the cat horkings because I just couldn't do it. I only hope pregnancy will be as effective an excuse to skirt jury duty. (I'm not so sure what it is that I hate so much about jury duty, but even as I'm watching and really, truly getting the inspirational video about what a proud public servant I'm about to become, my mind is teeming with all the ways I can get out of it. I think it has something to do with my inherent aversion to authority and non-negotiable schedules, and also a little bit to do with the last time I was called, which ended up being a process stretched out over two weeks, involved my missing three days of work, paying around $20 for parking, and getting reimbursed an insulting fifteen bucks for my time and hardship. I eventually got out of it by crying, which I am not proud of.)
When I said earlier that jury duty is at least preferable to working from home, which, given how I loathe jury duty, might have sounded as if I've been imprisoned here, which, aside from those few days of miserable sciatic pain when I was indeed a prisoner of the couch, is not exactly true. Lately I've been out and about quite a bit (which, incidentally, only seems to exacerbate the sciatic pain), including this morning's early, starved trip to the lab for my glucose test. (Short version: The Glucola wasn't just "tolerable" or "not bad"--it was delicious! Like Linda said: flat Orange Crush, and not "reminiscent of" but "exactly like." On the way home from the test, I seriously thought about stopping at the store to buy a six-pack of the stuff, no lie. Yummy! Makes me wonder if some of us are getting a different brand than others...)
In other adventures, on Saturday we met some friends in the city for one last brunch before they move to New York (no more access to Skywalker Ranch, boo hoo!), and then in preparation of an upcoming baby shower (ours!) we went on a marathon baby registry mission, which commenced with Simon bogarting the scanner at the first store and then exclaiming loud enough for everyone to hear, "Let's get one of everything!" followed by a maniacal bwahaha. He did most of the scanning (and lamenting that the scanner didn't have a trigger guard that would enable him to spin it on his finger like a six-shooter), and although we didn't register for one of everything, that didn't mean someone didn't want (and try) to.
We have different feelings about gift lists, he and I. My philosophy is that the wider range of things you select, especially when some of those items are things you only kinda sorta want, the more likely you are to get a bunch of semi-desired, semi-useful items instead of what you actually need. I mean, who wants to purchase a nasal aspirator and a bottle brush off of a registry that also includes things like monkey foot rattles and musical mobiles? I say make the whole list boring and necessary so that people are forced to buy the essentials. Don't get me wrong, it would be nice if people had fun while selecting gifts for us, but creating a pleasant shopping experience for others isn't really my priority right now considering how much I would rather have some nursing pads and a spare waterproof crib mattress liner than an all-white infant tuxedo meant, I'm sure, for some sort of church ceremony but that Simon thinks would outfit the world's smallest pimp, my son.
So Simon's philosophy, clearly, is that The People want choices, lots and lots and lots of choices, and therefore it's not out of line to register for not one but two infant bathrobes (WTF?) because he can't decide which he likes better, Tigger or Pooh. (Um, Pooh. OBVIOUSLY.) He's also the one who ignores my directive that we stay out of the infant clothing section altogether because the kid already has a wardrobe of very little restraint and what do you think people are going to give us at baby showers anyway? Not nasal aspirators off the registry or even monkey foot rattles but CLOTHES. It would be even worse with a girl, I'm sure, but still...Today's lesson is this: If you are buying a gift for someone who has a registry, be it baby or bridal, for the love of Pooh (or Tigger, if you prefer), USE IT. The newlyweds need that jumbo pack of white dishtowels more than they need the silver candlesticks, and we need a nasal aspirator more than a footed sleeper that says something gross like "Flirt" across the chest. And by the way, thank you ever so much for your generosity and thoughtfulness and may I say that is a lovely hat you're wearing! (The shower is going to be a tea party, so I'm practicing my tea party manners.)
All that said, it's kind of blowing my mind to think that I'm going to be the guest of honor at a baby shower(!), and considering that this one is hosted by Simon's mom and her friends--many of whom I've never met--I may also be a tad concerned that their first impression of me will be an outrageously long registry that includes things like a basketball hoop that suctions onto the edge of the tub for splishy-splashy sporty bathtime fun. For Pete's sake, I don't even like basketball! What about MY needs?! Isn't this supposed to be all about MEEEEE?
Yeah, exactly. Reality sinks in more and more every day, and it's not always pretty. Holy hell, I'm having a baby. I think I need to go lie down.
It doesn't matter how much you register for- everyone buys you 0-3 months adorable clothes. They are just too tempting! Luckily, they almost always come with gift receipts.
I think a few adorable newborn outfits are necessary because you want to parade your new baby. But with baby gear, everything is an experiment so keep the receipts.
Well, we already have no lack of adorable newborn outfits, and most of our gear is borrowed, which is especially excellent. Part of me just wishes everyone would buy us books, but then where's the fun in that?
I will buy you books. Books ARE fun. Titles/authors please. =)
But you will get the nasal aspirator at the hospital AND the nurses will show you how to use it. My husband loved that thing! I finally took it away from him when our son was old enough to scream and run away when he saw it.
Register at REI, its much more fun!
Beck--That's a really good question. I haven't been in the market for children's books for some time now, so aside from compiling a library made up entirely of things I loved when I was little, I'm not even sure where to start. As with books for grown-ups, I suspect the best-sellers aren't always the best books out there, if you know what I mean...
So, everyone, what are the babies digging these days aside from Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny? I LOVE stuff like Kitten's First Full Moon, and silly poetry (Shel Silverstein) is always good, but for babies and toddlers? I don't even know where to start!
My mom was a pediatric nurse when I was small, so I already have firsthand knowledge of the joys of the "snot sucker." It is, for instance, way more fun in the bathtub than any stupid basketball hoop.
Oh, a tea party! How fun!
Ooooh, Leah! A tea party! How fun and British of you!
Tigger.
:)
I'm bringing Emily down if there is a tea party happening.
Pat the Bunny and good dog carl have been a favorites for the wee-est ones.
I actually registered for a ton of books at Amazon and had a lot of fun picking out classic favorites like "Ferdinand the Bull" and all the Little Golden Books!
We love books! Good Dog Carl is always a hit. We have so many at our house because I can't resist. One I really love is The Apple Pie That Papa Baked. I'll compile a big list and send it your way if you'd like.
Clothing -- yes, people buy a lot of the 0-3 month items and often they are for the wrong season. We also received a lot of sweaters in a size when our daughter was going to need warm weather clothes.
Best of luck to you!
Come lie down by me. I'm already down here, FREAKING OUT.
My friend's husband put a Playstation 3 on their baby registry when she was in the bathroom. She had no idea for a long time, and was PISSED when she found out. I was tempted to find an empty Playstation 3 box, fill it with baby stuff & wrap it up just to see her reaction (and his).
My go-to purchased baby gift is always books and I have a good list.
Which I will not share so I can buy them for you myself.
If we were doing it again, we'd just register for diapers. Lots and lots of them. Probably the only item we'd be guaranteed to use, and then you won't have a bunch of crap to donate/pass on/sell at a yard sale.
If Simon wants variety, go for Huggies, Pampers, Luvs, Gucci and whatever for your soggy bottom boy. It won't matter. Your wee one will wee and soil them all. A good diaper pail wouldn't be bad, but you'll only use it for about six months before the diapers have to be immediately jettisoned from the premises. Go for the Diaper Champ, because it uses grocery-store plastic bags rather than expensive refills. It's a way to use the bags and still be sort of green.
Well, the air will be green.
Oh, I love, LOVE kiddie lit. I have been collecting since my Single Girl days and had quite a collection of modern and vintage books now. Being pregnant, then giving birth only gave rise to actual justification of my borderline obsession. *gulp*
Since this is one of my favorite topics, I am going to just take over your comment section - hope you do not mind.
The baby board books that we have worn out with Kid #1, yet still have to live through Kid #2, lest we be forced to buy TWO copies????
Little Green by Keith Baker
My Colors, My Animals, and My Shapes - all by Rebecca Emberley
The Hungry Little Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Brown Bear, Brown and Polar Bear, Polar - all by Eric Carle.
Both kids LOVE the Curious George set of board books - Are You Curious? and the Opposites one.
Sandra Boynton has some fun ones, too - the Going to Bed Book, Dinosaur's Binket, Pajama Time and Fuzzy, Fuzzy, Fuzzy.
Also, the publisher DK has excellent books - we have worn out My First Pets Board Book and My First Animals Board Book. They have have a great series of "touch and feel" - my kids love the Garden One (that smells) and all of the animal themed ones.
My 3 year old is now into the "older" books with actual stories, like you mentioned "Kittens First Full Moon" (which I bought while pregnant, not realizing that a baby would not be ready for that one yet). He now likes Mo Willems' Knufflebunny and Pigeon series. He also loves Keith Baker's Quack and Count.
I have also been collecting a fun series that begins with Urban Babies Wear Black by Michelle Sinclair Coleman. And we also have all the Coco books by Sloane Tanen. It is nice to have something a little different to read than your normal kiddie lit. Something that is fun for YOU. Imagine that!
Anyway, these are the books that my kids love to read and truthfully, me too. I never get tired of them. I did NOT include some books that I could care less if I ever read again.
*Sheepishly*
Me again, I should point out that the DK books are not story books per se, but rather are photo books. They are excellent for working on language and vocabulary skills. I mean, how often are you going to see a panda or an elephant while walking around your neighborhood?
JT--Simon already suggested we register for a Playstation, but thank god he was mostly kidding. (He wasn't kidding so much about the Millennium Falcon model, though...)
Hi there, I enjoy reading your blog and am excited for your family. Have you ever considered enlarging the type?
Sometimes I do opt out of the registry but it's usually accompanied by enough cash for the recipients to buy themselves whatever they want off of their own registry that's outstanding, or put it towards something they didn't think of at the time they started the registry (I know all those misplaced modifiers in that sentence are killing you Leah). For me, this is a good compromise between not being excited about buying someone flannel socks but not getting them something they don't need/want.