My mom and SIL are hosting a shower for me on 10/20 and my grade level is throwing me one on 11/8! I’m really excited! The family one is story book themed with all the food and decorations inspired by books. My mom included some game cards in the invitations so that out of town guests who can’t make it for the actual shower can still play. My work shower is a “thankful” theme with gold and pink pumpkins. I’m insanely grateful for all the love we have gotten from the people around us.
As far as what I’ll wear, I found this dress on amazon that I thought was cute. It’s still in the upper 80s here so I likely won’t want or need tights or a sweater. I’ll probably wear this for both unless it gets really cold.
married 7.11.09
Me: 31 DH: 36
DD (14) and DS (11) adopted from US Foster care December 2016 BFP April 24, 2018 | EDD December 29, 2018
Thank you for all posting your dresses! We are having two showers, back to back weekends, 11/10 and 11/17. It is going to be a lot all in a row but my husband is running in a local election so we couldn't really do anything before election day and then we run into the Holidays. The first will be a traditional all female shower and the second is an adults only couples shower that I requested to be more of a party and less of a shower.
Back to outfits, there are 5 events between now and my due date that I need dresses for. 2 campaign events, 2 showers, and 1 work Christmas party. I'm fine with repeating dresses for some events but I'm thinking I need at least 3. I'll keep you all updated with whatever I find.
I just borrowed some dresses from my neighbor that I may be able to use for the shower, but none of them are really what I was picturing. I may go shopping still just in case. I was just hoping to save a little money! Trying to decide if it’s really that important what I wear or not...
My SIL and a few friends are throwing a sprinkle for me on 12/8. I was super hesitant because DD is only 2 but they really want to do it and said they want to celebrate baby James as well. I had a huge first shower, like 75 people. So this one will be mainly geared towards friends and immediate family only,.
I know how selfish and greedy this sounds, but... I'm noticing that no one is buying off our registry, and I really really wish they would. I'm worried I'm going to get stuck with piles of outfits or "creative" gifts that while nice, are not very useful. We have a pretty small house and no room for stuff we don't need, so I'm really hoping people will go for items on the registry.
@leighbrek I am with you 100%. We specifically chose space saving and small footprint things for the registry because space is limited. Plus it’s first baby so we need the practical stuff!
My parents are being awesome and getting us an Amazon giftcard so we can use our completion discount to get the big items like a stroller.
@leighbrek I'm worried for similar reasons. There are lots of things I don't need or brands/types of items I didn't like with DS so I didn't register for a ton but it was specific. I also have an over abundance of clothes from DS so I'm staying hopeful that maybe the lack of registered items means more diapers (which would be amazing) and not necessarily outfits or items we won't use. I feel like it sounds ungrateful to say but I actually just hate seeing people waste money!
@leighbrek I'm with you! I already have sooo many hand-me-downs so my registry doesn't have a lot of those bigger "essential" items (bath tub, rock n play, swing, etc) and I'm worried some people will just assume I don't know what I'm doing and give them anyways. I also am really picky about clothing and have a pretty specific vision about how I'm going to dress this little one. I put a few outfits on the registry to try to give an example of the style I'm going for but I have a feeling I'm gonna get a lot of clothes for the donate pile.. Here's to hoping all the random stuff comes with receipts!
@kaf1788 Same with the hand-me-downs! I removed all that stuff from the registry, but I have a feeling duplicates are in my future!
Well, here's hoping, I guess. I know it seems ungrateful, but like @bradleysmommy28 I don't want people to waste their money. It's so common to hear about people giving duplicate gifts, too, which is totally avoidable. I love registries, lol. I'll add something unique as a small supplement sometimes, but I love being given a list of what the person actually wants/needs.
I feel like baby clothes on registries are kind of a waste of time (unless it's like onesies to wear under clothes) because people LOVE to pick out baby clothes. Some stuff I got for my daughter was cute, some stuff I didn't like as much. I got a TON of clothes tho. I had four showers for my daughter and honestly, I couldn't keep up with the registry stuff so by the last shower people were just buying stuff. We got some useful stuff we wouldn't otherwise think of. Most people included gift receipts-- which was nice since I did get duplicates.
@ladystout08 that invite is so cute! I love disney!
We weren't planning a shower or sprinkle for this LO, we have so many clothes from DS and 2 sets of friends planning on giving us their girl hand me downs if this one is a girl. But both mine and my husbands coworkers are throwing us diaper parties so I'm excited for those. I loved seeing the diapers stacked in the closet when DS was born. I dont think I bought any diapers until after he was 6 months old.
DH told me I'm crazy the other night when I informed him how ecstatic I was that the only 4 "big" items we needed for this baby have been bought (new travel system, new swing, lillebaby carrier and video monitor). He told me I'm worse than a kid and now I won't be surprised when I open presents. I told him he's insane and I'll still be completely grateful and surprised, I'm just less stressed knowing I don't have to worry about any of those things. And besides, he's still like a kid @ Christmas time himself. Silly men!!
@bradleysmommy28 i'm really excited about the big stuff we are getting, - our car seat, corner changing table, crib mattress. I had one splurge item that I thought for sure no one would get us and they did!! Its the hatch baby sleep sound machine. I'm ridiculously excited about it.
I didn’t expect to have a sprinkle for baby boy but my friend told me last night that she talked to DH about throwing me one and it was originally going to be a surprise but wanted my input on things. I was so touched and grateful! It’ll be a mix of tropical/jungle theme since baby was conceived in Hawaii. She’s on the hunt for some giant monsterra leaves. I’m providing her with a guest list but honestly, I want to keep it really small (less than 20 of my closest friends in the area). We have most of the baby gear (car seat, stroller, jumperoo, rock n play, etc.) so we only really need the essentials like diapers and long sleeve onesies!
I know a lot of you are having it this month or November but since it’s a small gathering, I told her I didn’t mind the first weekend in December. That’s not too late, right?!
So I have already started getting gifts mailed to my house from people who (I assume) will not be attending the baby shower (out of state relatives). Do I send thank you cards now? Or do I wait until after the shower (just in case they do make a surprise appearance)?
We had our shower today. It was great, very laid back and we got a good mix of stuff without toooo much to return. I took almost no pictures so I'm limited what I have to share until my mom posts hers on fb lol
thanks @bradleysmommy28 and thanks for asking @DLpanda08! It was seriously amazing. I feel like I spent the whole day crying happy tears. So many people brought hand made gifts that were incredible. My step sister made him a quilt that is so soft One of my best friends the one who painted my nursery.. did all my decorations as well as - hand made 3 stuffed animals, a diaper cake, and 2 blankets. One of which was inspired by a set of sheets I loved but she replaced the bears with our 2 dogs. I started sobbing.
She made the photo back drop and cupcake toppers (which also included Buster and Lucy)
My mom and me
My best friend from az flew in with her mom and my other best friend from Colorado surprised me and showed up at my door 2 hours before the party started. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
We got so many beautiful gifts, the decorations were gorgeous. I just need people to send me the pictures. Food was amazing, company was even better. It was a really really fun and wonderful night.
I don't have pictures of my dining table, the fireplace mantel or outside but it was gorgeous. I'l update when pictures get sent.
Oh my goodness! What an amazing group of friends and family! I would have cried too seeing my dogs included like that. The decorations and homemade gifts you posted are gorgeous!
I’m so glad you had such a wonderful time!
married 7.11.09
Me: 31 DH: 36
DD (14) and DS (11) adopted from US Foster care December 2016 BFP April 24, 2018 | EDD December 29, 2018
Rachel2066 I had the exact same question. I ended up texting or fb messaging to say thank you immediately cause they were all wondering if it was received. I will do thank you notes all at once right after the shower (which is on Saturday).
My SIL and close friend (like a sister who is the baby's godmother) are hosting a shower for me. I informed them it wasn't necessary as this is our second, but they are insistent to celebrate our little girl! I am due January 31st and the shower is December 30th. I know right around the holidays but my other (like a) sister is in boot camp and will be home that weekend to attend. Should I be concerned it is so close to the due date? I also feel they are going over the top and spending too much money on us, but refuse to change it or take some money from me. Any thoughts on thank you gifts for them? Haven't even thought of an outfit cause it's so far away, but hoping I find something that fits 🤣 Hope everyone has a blast at their showers and embraces being celebrated 😁
So my biggest advice about the baby shower is do not throw it in your own house. Everyone wanted to use my house because we have the space, I had 5 hostesses! And even so i couldn't really relax. If they needed something i had to stop conversations i was having to get it, and I had to run up and down the stairs so many times. Plus we had out of town guests so I had to feed and clean for all of them throughout the whole weekend. It was really fun and beautiful, but it was exhausting. It almost would have been easier if I had just thrown it myself.
beccalee21 That sounds fun to be spoiled by them though! I hope you can relax and enjoy it even though it is so close to your due date.
For my sister's thank you gift for being my bridesmaid, I found super discounted small emerald studs online at Macy's that I figured she could keep forever. Department stores can have some amazing sales on fine jewelry they need to clear out. I liked the idea she could pass them down or even pawn them one day if she wants/needs to
I also like Uncommon Goods and Red Envelope for gifts.
@Rachel2066 I’ve had the same thing happen and I’ve already sent thank you notes. Mostly so I don’t forget to send one later.
for some reason it just now occurred to me that I will be needing to write thank you notes for my shower....I mean I'm thankful and totally realize it's the polite thing to do but uuuuuuuuugh do I hate doing it.
Let me just add that to the 120156 things on my "to-do" list
So I realized we have second child syndrome to the max with this one and we are slacking on all the things including photos of the shower (even my mom didn't take many) but here are a few others... my absolute favorite gift my best friend had made, my SILs cupcakes and DS stealing the show while we unwrapped presents.
cait32 I'm a stickler for thank you's and I think this is a great idea! How nice and thoughtful to personalize.
This should probably go in some other thread and comes with a dysfunctional family warning.....
but I just found out on Sunday my sister isn't coming up to my baby shower this weekend and I'm really disappointed. She's very sick with a chronic disease and lives near my parents and can't work and its been hard on my family for quite a few years. She had been feeling better but then took a bad turn again. So it is just my mom and dad visiting on Friday and then my mom hosting the shower at a restaurant.
I was talking to my therapist yesterday and saying I assume she will come up for the birth but she said she wouldn't 100% assume that. I think she's right. My sister is physically sick but also has some mental health issues that don't seem resolved and she has not asked me a single time during this pregnancy how it is going or how I feel, even by text. In fact, she has said one or two insensitive/hurtful things. In my mind, once she was born things would turn around but of course it's not that simple.
Any advice on letting go of my sister not being there (hasn't ever seen our apartment we bought or met our pets since she's too sick to visit for 3 years) and also letting go of the role I had wished my sister would play?
@greenhillgirl I'm sorry you're dealing with the hurt and disappointment of your sister not being the sister you would like her to be. I don't have much advice but can just offer commiseration. I've posted on here before about how one of my sisters was really hurtful regarding my losses and banned me from her house because I wasn't excited enough about her son born the same time as one of my EDDs. I haven't seen or spoken to her since Easter. It's unfortunate that sibling issues also have a ripple effect on the rest of the family, which you may also be experiencing if your parents have to prioritize her needs. It's a tough thing to deal with because you want to be a good sister yourself but there comes a time when you just need to let go and put up some boundaries/lower expectations in order to get yourself off the emotional rollercoaster. The way you described your sister's situation it doesn't sound like bringing your feelings up with her would be productive..? Have you tried to talk to your mom about your sister's distance?
Oct 16: Spontaneous BFP | m/c @ 9w1d (massive SCH) | D&C Apr 17: IUI #1 = BFN May 17: IUI #2 = BFN Jun 17: IUI #3 = Late BFP (18 DPO) | NMC 17Jul17 @ ~6w Aug 17: IUI #4 = Cancelled due to premature ovulation | TI = BFN Sep 17: IUI #5 = Cancelled due to overstimulation (10+ follies) Nov 17: IVF #1 = Cancelled due to non-IF related health issue | TI = BFN Dec 17: IVF #1 = Puregon 200, Menopur 75, Orgalutran, Suprefact trigger due to OHSS risk | 22R, 18M, 16F, 10B frozen Feb 18: FET #1 (medicated) = BFN Mar 18: FET #2 (natural cycle) = CP (beta 1: 54; beta 2: 0)
Apr 18: FET #3 (natural cycle) = cancelled due to missed ovulation
Apr 18: FET #3 (natural cycle) = BFP! Beta 1: 201 Beta 2: 585 Beta 3: 3254 Beta 4: 9715
U/S 19May - one bean measuring on track with a HB of 125! EDD: 07Jan2019 Team Green My Rainbow Baby Boy born 03Jan2019
@greenhillgirl I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. I don’t have any advice, but I think it’s really good that you’re talking it through with your therapist. Family can be so hurtful and difficult to let go of, but sometimes it really is for the best.
married 7.11.09
Me: 31 DH: 36
DD (14) and DS (11) adopted from US Foster care December 2016 BFP April 24, 2018 | EDD December 29, 2018
@kls123 and anyone else stressed about thank yous — if you’re a stickler for etiquette this may not work for you, but my shower was when I was 36 weeks and I waited until baby was born and did her announcements as thank yous. So I had the announcements printed and wrote short thank yous for the gifts and signed them from the baby — so they’d say things like “I love the pajamas and books you got me! AB” written on the back of the classic “announcement.” I am SO glad I did this because I really wanted to send announcements but trying to send stuff out twice felt impossible. Obviously I sent more announcements than thank yous so some folks just got plain announcements. I think I mailed them when she was about a month old, so it was a couple months since the shower but I had multiple problem say the loved it.
love that idea! I was going to likely combo the baby announcement with a Christmas/New Years card as well and just knock it all out in one fail swoop
Re: All things Baby Shower!
As far as what I’ll wear, I found this dress on amazon that I thought was cute. It’s still in the upper 80s here so I likely won’t want or need tights or a sweater. I’ll probably wear this for both unless it gets really cold.
BFP April 24, 2018 | EDD December 29, 2018
Back to outfits, there are 5 events between now and my due date that I need dresses for. 2 campaign events, 2 showers, and 1 work Christmas party. I'm fine with repeating dresses for some events but I'm thinking I need at least 3. I'll keep you all updated with whatever I find.
EDD for #2 1/28/2021
Dating: 10/3/08 | Married: 12/27/14
TTC #1: August 2015 | BFP: 2/3/16 | EDD: 10/7/16
DD: 10/5/16
TTC #2: September 2017 | BFP: 4/28/18 | EDD: 1/7/19
DS: 1/9/19
My parents are being awesome and getting us an Amazon giftcard so we can use our completion discount to get the big items like a stroller.
Well, here's hoping, I guess. I know it seems ungrateful, but like @bradleysmommy28 I don't want people to waste their money. It's so common to hear about people giving duplicate gifts, too, which is totally avoidable. I love registries, lol. I'll add something unique as a small supplement sometimes, but I love being given a list of what the person actually wants/needs.
I feel like baby clothes on registries are kind of a waste of time (unless it's like onesies to wear under clothes) because people LOVE to pick out baby clothes. Some stuff I got for my daughter was cute, some stuff I didn't like as much. I got a TON of clothes tho. I had four showers for my daughter and honestly, I couldn't keep up with the registry stuff so by the last shower people were just buying stuff. We got some useful stuff we wouldn't otherwise think of. Most people included gift receipts-- which was nice since I did get duplicates.
DS 05/29/2013
M/C 02/14/2017
M/C 06/05/2017
C/P 03/01/2018
BFP 05/17/2018 EDD 01/27/2019
We weren't planning a shower or sprinkle for this LO, we have so many clothes from DS and 2 sets of friends planning on giving us their girl hand me downs if this one is a girl. But both mine and my husbands coworkers are throwing us diaper parties so I'm excited for those. I loved seeing the diapers stacked in the closet when DS was born. I dont think I bought any diapers until after he was 6 months old.
@galactickates we registered for the same sound machine! So many of my friends with kids recommended it and It just looks so cool!
BFP April 24, 2018 | EDD December 29, 2018
I know a lot of you are having it this month or November but since it’s a small gathering, I told her I didn’t mind the first weekend in December. That’s not too late, right?!
BFP April 24, 2018 | EDD December 29, 2018
BFP April 24, 2018 | EDD December 29, 2018
One of my best friends the one who painted my nursery.. did all my decorations as well as - hand made 3 stuffed animals, a diaper cake, and 2 blankets. One of which was inspired by a set of sheets I loved but she replaced the bears with our 2 dogs. I started sobbing.
She made the photo back drop and cupcake toppers (which also included Buster and Lucy)
My mom and me
My best friend from az flew in with her mom and my other best friend from Colorado surprised me and showed up at my door 2 hours before the party started. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
We got so many beautiful gifts, the decorations were gorgeous. I just need people to send me the pictures. Food was amazing, company was even better. It was a really really fun and wonderful night.
I don't have pictures of my dining table, the fireplace mantel or outside but it was gorgeous. I'l update when pictures get sent.
I’m so glad you had such a wonderful time!
BFP April 24, 2018 | EDD December 29, 2018
I am due January 31st and the shower is December 30th. I know right around the holidays but my other (like a) sister is in boot camp and will be home that weekend to attend. Should I be concerned it is so close to the due date?
I also feel they are going over the top and spending too much money on us, but refuse to change it or take some money from me. Any thoughts on thank you gifts for them?
Haven't even thought of an outfit cause it's so far away, but hoping I find something that fits 🤣
Hope everyone has a blast at their showers and embraces being celebrated
😁
For my sister's thank you gift for being my bridesmaid, I found super discounted small emerald studs online at Macy's that I figured she could keep forever. Department stores can have some amazing sales on fine jewelry they need to clear out. I liked the idea she could pass them down or even pawn them one day if she wants/needs to
I also like Uncommon Goods and Red Envelope for gifts.
Let me just add that to the 120156 things on my "to-do" list
This should probably go in some other thread and comes with a dysfunctional family warning.....
but I just found out on Sunday my sister isn't coming up to my baby shower this weekend and I'm really disappointed. She's very sick with a chronic disease and lives near my parents and can't work and its been hard on my family for quite a few years. She had been feeling better but then took a bad turn again. So it is just my mom and dad visiting on Friday and then my mom hosting the shower at a restaurant.
I was talking to my therapist yesterday and saying I assume she will come up for the birth but she said she wouldn't 100% assume that. I think she's right. My sister is physically sick but also has some mental health issues that don't seem resolved and she has not asked me a single time during this pregnancy how it is going or how I feel, even by text. In fact, she has said one or two insensitive/hurtful things. In my mind, once she was born things would turn around but of course it's not that simple.
Any advice on letting go of my sister not being there (hasn't ever seen our apartment we bought or met our pets since she's too sick to visit for 3 years) and also letting go of the role I had wished my sister would play?
*TW loss and children mentioned*
Apr 17: IUI #1 = BFN
May 17: IUI #2 = BFN
Jun 17: IUI #3 = Late BFP (18 DPO) | NMC 17Jul17 @ ~6w
Aug 17: IUI #4 = Cancelled due to premature ovulation | TI = BFN
Sep 17: IUI #5 = Cancelled due to overstimulation (10+ follies)
Nov 17: IVF #1 = Cancelled due to non-IF related health issue | TI = BFN
Dec 17: IVF #1 = Puregon 200, Menopur 75, Orgalutran, Suprefact trigger due to OHSS risk | 22R, 18M, 16F, 10B frozen
Feb 18: FET #1 (medicated) = BFN
Mar 18: FET #2 (natural cycle) = CP (beta 1: 54; beta 2: 0)
EDD: 07Jan2019 Team Green
My Rainbow Baby Boy born 03Jan2019
BFP April 24, 2018 | EDD December 29, 2018