Accolades & Baby Showers

Yesterday, a receptionist was making polite talk with me about my pregnancy and of course it is the usual of when are you due and do you know what you are having types of questions.  When I told her I had no idea what we were having, she said, "good for you!"  It is interesting that I receive so many compliments about NOT knowing what we are going to pop out in a couple of months.  People express great surprise I can wait so long to know.  So have we become a society of instant gratification?  I rather lean towards more of a yes verdict on that one.  Anyway, we have nicknamed this baby "mystery baby" and I can hear in my head already the song "Secret Agent Man."  You can thank me later for sticking that song into your head too by the way.

My husband's aunt this week told me she really wished she knew what I was having so she could get a blanket for the baby and I need blankets as much as I need more toys in this household.  I actually think its a silly reason to want to know.  A blanket...thats not a good reason to know!!!  My sister found out years ago she was having a boy because her mother-in-law wanted to know since she was crafting the perfect blanket for the baby.  I remember thinking back then that was soooo stupid.

We tried to find out with our daughter and she wasn't being cooperative.  I was pretty sure I was having a girl and just like this one I think we are having a boy.  The tech who had been doing ultrasounds for years and years told us that she was in the 80 percent range that we were going to have a girl.  Well it wasn't good enough for me and we primarily bought all neutral clothing which in this day and age is trying to find a needle in a haystack.  I kept all the receipts for any girl or boy clothing we purchased and yes I bought more girl clothes than little boy outfits.  We now have enough small neutral baby items to clothe this next baby and that is rather nice.

copyrighted, by David Farley, d-farley@ibiblio.org

Maybe that is why people feel the need to have second baby showers these days.  I believe it is becoming more the norm to have more than one baby shower, but what possibly could you need is my question.  If the children are so close in age what else could you possibly get them.  I received the most adorable neutral gifts for our daughter and I plan to use them for this next one too.  I kind of feel that my friends contributed to one gift already that especially in this economy, I don't need to put my hand out and ask for more.  Everyone has received that invitation where it states 'Please No Gifts' BUT how often do people follow this rule?  A person feels obligated and if you go to an event without a gift and everyone else has then you literally feel like pond scum.  A few months ago, I did receive some very nice gifts unexpectedly from my husband's co-workers for the new baby and I was so surprised since I was not expecting such generosity and I felt very fortunate that they would think of me.  It was pretty amazing in fact.

So I will reuse the girly cloth diapers if the next one is a boy.  Our daughter did not seem to mind the blue ones I put onto her.  In fact, in her first walking expedition she wore a blue cloth diaper.  I know my mother had me in baby boy clothes and someone mentioned it to her one evening, but apparently it did not impact me at all.  Yes, if I have a boy I will buy boy appropriate clothing, but I can wait to see if I need to.  In fact, all the praises that we are having a mystery baby is rather nice and I will continue to enjoy them.  It is better than the "oh how old is your daughter and when are you due questions."  Yes, the two of them will be 18 months apart when all is said and done.  Now THOSE people I would love to yell at them that yes I do know how the birds and the bees work.  However, I try to be polite when answering them although I'm not sure how much longer with all these pregnancy hormones running through my system.  That though is ANOTHER post I'll have to do!!!