Week 30: Shower, sprinkle, or skip?

By Published On: January 27th, 2014

I found out this week that my poor mom has […]

Dr. Brown Bottle WarmerI found out this week that my poor mom has been feeling tortured. She’s torn between wanting to throw me a baby shower and wondering if it’s appropriate to do so since this is my second child. When I found out she was considering another bash in our honor, I told her it’s not something that is usually done.
I know, she said. But you’re having a boy this time and you don’t have anything for him.
That isn’t true. I have a lot of things from Kiera. And it just isn’t done. We can’t. You can’t. Please don’t. Please?
You’re right, I know. Okay … but you’re having a boy … 
I didn’t make her pinky swear, so there’s still a possibility she’ll go against her word, but I sincerely hope not. I’m also praying she doesn’t do a little Googling or chat with some of her savvy friends and figure out there’s something called a “Sprinkle,” which is a cute word for a much smaller and less formal baby shower.
Truth is – after I purchased everything for my first baby, I began to figure out that I really needed only about 20 percent of what I bought. Don’t get me wrong, I love sparkly new stuff and there’s nothing cuter than receiving a slew of sweet newborn sailor outfits, but my little girl saw, maybe, two frills in her first year of life. The rest of the time it was pajamas, onesies, and pajamas again.
So this time around, I am going to be extremely conservative in my purchases. Since I saved most of Kiera’s clothing, I was able to sort through her pile of pajamas, onesies, and even some shirts and pants and, believe it or not, more items than you would think could be considered “unisex.” I’m also not opposed to dressing my little boy in a floral onesie if he is going to be hanging around the house all day – and let’s face it — he probably isn’t going to see the inside of a four-star restaurant for a while.
Other items that I’ve deemed absolutely necessary and will replace with my next child include new bottles and nipples. I was a Dr. Brown fan the first time around. I loved the bottles, but there were so many parts to wash and I’m kind of dreading all that work since I’ll have two little children to care for this time around. Just in case breastfeeding doesn’t work this time around – or if I get cold feet about it – a bottle warmer was a lifesaver, especially for that 3 a.m. feeding (and Dr. Brown makes one I love). I will invest in a really comfortable baby carrier since my plan is to wear my newborn for as long as I can possibly can and let Kiera either walk or sit in her umbrella stroller. And I figure I’ll need a wearable blanket or two since I am really, really bad at swaddling babies with receiving blankets – how do nurses do it?
Some items I could kick myself for purchasing the first time around: fancy clothing, a special mini blender that makes baby food (just use a regular blender and freeze all that extra food), tiny little bibs that cover one-eighth of baby’s chest, and baby bathrobes – they’re super-cute, but Kiera didn’t wear hers once.
I realize the point of a baby shower or “sprinkle” isn’t simply to spoil the mom-to-be with gifts – it’s also to celebrate the fact that an amazing little person is about to enter the world. My ultimate wish would be to spend a quiet night sharing a nice dinner with a few relatives and close friends and just toast, with a tall glass of lemonade, this brand new life. It will probably also be the last time I get out to a restaurant in a very, very long time.