Baby Showers

Baby showers are on my mind because I just paid for a breastfeeding class for a friend of mine who is due in June as part of her shower gift.  I'm excited to be able to do that for her. I started reminiscing about my own baby showers, which gifts I loved the most, which ones suprised me, etc.  I also remembered the baby showers I went to last year. 

I remember thinking that it was frustrating to get so many clothes as shower gifts when I was convinced the things I really "needed" were those big ticket items.  I don't know if someone forgot to tell me, or I just didn't pay attention, but babies go through anywhere from 2-4 outfits or so a day depending on how much their diapers leak or they spit up.  That's a lot of clothes.  Thank God for all the people that bought Anne clothes and all the consigment items that were given to me!   My frustration is especially funny to me because some of those "big ticket items" have gotten barely any use.  Yes, the clothes are easier to purchase a few at a time because they're less expensive, but it was still definitely worth getting all of those little outfits. 

Also, looking back, I realized that I don't think I bought the best things to give for shower gifts either.  I wanted to get stuff that was on my friends' registries, and I did, but now that I'm 5 months into this mom thing there were definitely more useful items I could have gotten them.  Oh well, you live and you learn, right?

My very favorite things were the hand-made items or the personalized gifts.  Someone bought me a necklace that says "Anne" on it and I wear it nearly every single day.  Unfortunately there were several ladies at that particular shower that I didn't know, and I can't remember who gave it to me.  But I love it.  I'm a sucker for the sentimental things.  My favorite practical gift was nursing pads and breastmilk bags.  Those particularly came in handy when Anne arrived 3 weeks early, leaving me really unprepared for a few things.  I was so grateful my friend had thought to give me those as a shower gift so I didn't have to run out and get them my first week home from the hospital.