@mom2adoodle - With that number of guests (& kids) I would suggest a layer cake where the filling is blue or pink. You can do a full sheet size or have a smaller layer cake and a separate sheet cake, depending on costs and number of servings. Then you and your husband will cut the cake for a reveal then you go ahead and serve dessert. A friend of mine did this and it worked really well.
The other option would be homemade cupcakes. With my son, my husband and I found out at the ultrasound but announced to family by making homemade cupcakes with blue cream filling at a family bbq a few weeks later. It wasn't a specific gender reveal party, but it got the message across.
@mom2adoodleAn idea I saw cute idea where people vote with their own Hershey bar (see pic below!) Then, you can reveal by showing your and DH's bars all colored in. That way, everyone gets their own treat and can feel involved as you tally the votes.
@mom2adoodle I had the same thought. I recognize many from this thread on there so that's cool to put a face to the name but the others who only post on HDBD, I don't get it.
I always cut my head off when I post bump pictures.. No one needs to see my messy hair/no makeup look haha That's what I get for being a SAHM. Most days the only outfit I wear is my morning workout clothes! I guess for me you can put a "bump to a name"
On the HDBD thread, there was only one poster I didn't recognize. But I've been posting on HDBD for a couple months so maybe I'm recognizing some of them from that thread alone.
@Jabreen I love that idea! I printed voting cards and was planning on doing a raffle from the "correct" box for a giftcard after the reveal. I'm trying to think how to incorporate the chocolate thing now...
@mom2adoodle boy I'm sure glad I didn't invite 70+ people to our reveal!! If I were to do it all over again, I would've given the envelope to a friend to make the cupcakes/cake with the correct icing color inside. Although what happened in our case is rare and was a huge error on the baker's part, I would have a third party that you know in on the situation for extra confirmation that the color is correct.
@RedMar Haha well with cupcakes I could just eat one at the bakery to make sure LOL. And I'm actually excited about the amount of people, that's not the issue. We rarely go back home so it's a celebration since we haven't seen close friends and family for a while. I just want to make sure I make the reveal to ensure everyone feels included and has fun.
@mom2adoodle Hmm...maybe have them place the card in the box for the raffle, but the let them do the chocolate, too? If you use the mini-size ones then they could tape them to their shirts, like name tags!
You know what makes a pregnant woman blubber? Your office/company hosting the Make-A-Wish Foundation so that they can grant a wish to a sweet little girl with leukemia who just wants to go to Disney World with her family! And then her mom telling you the little girl's background story. OMG!! I was fine just standing up on the 2nd floor looking over the balcony. And then they asked us to all come downstairs to fill up the chairs and I ended up toward the front. Ugh! But really, it was the sweetest thing. "Elsa" was there to present the little girl with an Elsa costume (complete with pretty blonde wig), a certificate stating where they were going and even presents for the little girl's big sister. I seriously hope that the family has the best time!!
@mom2adoodle regard possible lurkers, I think that it is just that in the 2nd tri, not a whole lot going on. They may only post in the weekly update and HDBD.
Me: 32 DH: 31
TTC #2 since January 2018
Baby #1 DD Born 8/25/2016 BFP: 8/11/18 Due: 4/26/18
My MIL sent out the invitations for my baby shower and I received mine in the mail yesterday. I am SOO excited to start watching my registry items get purchased! I keep checking the websites already! I'm imagining people getting the invite and sprinting to the store to buy the baby stuff right away!
@Sbrown721 ME TOO! Except, I doubt much will change until like 2 days prior to the shower. My friend has hers next week and only two things have been purchased off her registry. Guess who purchased them for her. (it was this gal).
@Sbrown721 when is your shower? When should we start sending out invites? (I'm not sending out my own invites but I need to decide on a guest list and give it to my host)
and I love looking at my registry now lol I can't wait until things start being marked as purchased!
@Megan324 I have one shower on June 4th (those are the invites that were just sent out) and the other one is July 23rd. MIL waited until a month ahead to send out invites which I'm a little bummed about because some ladies that I was really hoping would be there can't make it due to prior commitments. I wish she sent them a little sooner, but oh well. My mom is throwing the other shower and I'm not sure when she'll do invites. She doesn't seem to be concerned about it at all yet.
I'd get your guest list together asap and just leave it up to the host as to when invites should be sent out. I'm just so grateful for them for hosting I don't want to get in the way at all!
@Sbrown721 Thank you! I've never had a shower thrown for me before, so I have no idea how to do anything haha I really feel like a lost duck in a lot of this mother stuff.
My shower isn't until July 31st and my other 2 don't have dates yet....but those are the family ones so I am a little less worried about those. I'm so grateful to my hosts as well!
Today, every time people walk into my boss' office for a meeting, my dog gets up and follows them in there. Like he acts like it can't be an important meeting unless it involves him. It's both cute and annoying.
Did any of you STMs have your significant other at the shower? Without a doubt, I want him there for the gift-opening portion of both showers, but especially for the one on his side of the family! He is going to rally together a group of guys to join him in the bar area of the restaurant while we're doing the girl thing.
Since we're kinda talking about showers...I'm curious, do people still make registries even if they're not having a shower? Mostly FTM's, I guess. My mom has mentioned a shower in passing, but I haven't heard anything about date, etc , and she's moving to Africa next month, so I'm not sure if it's actually going to be a thing. Should DH and I still register if people want to give us gifts, or just let people do whatever they want?
@Sbrown721 - not a second time mom but we're having like 10 showers (not really, but possibly) and some will be co-ed, and three will be all ladies. Some are really more for him than for me, but I invited myself along because I'm a jerk like that (really, I just like to see his co-workers! I'm better friends with his co-workers and their SOs than I am my own).
@Sbrown721 So im not a STM but he will DEF be there at his family shower but only because I have only met them once, a year ago... I feel awkward that I'm having a shower at all with them but its really more for him than me. I expect he will make an appearance at my other ones just to say hi, thank you and to load my gifts in the car. He can be kind of socially awkward around people he doesn't know so he doesn't want to be there
@kristinUM12 you get a completion discount on every registry you make, and its a good way to stay organized even if you buy everything yourself
My MIL sent out the invitations for my baby shower and I received mine in the mail yesterday. I am SOO excited to start watching my registry items get purchased! I keep checking the websites already! I'm imagining people getting the invite and sprinting to the store to buy the baby stuff right away!
Most people waited till the week of my shower to buy anything. A lot was bought that morning
@KristinUM12 This is my third rodeo and I've never had a shower (they're not my thing, the thought of it stresses me out) but with #1 I did make a registry. We may not have had an event, but people still wanted to help out so the registry link came in really handy. It's nice thing to have because it's a free-for-all and you skip any kind of awkward presumptions about what people are willing to spend.
I'd still make a registry and toss it out there if people request it IMO. If nothing else comes of it, it could be a nice checklist of what you need pre-baby.
September '16 - May Signature Challenge Awkward Family Fun
I finally brought myself to open the HDBD thread and uhm, who are a lot of the ladies posting on there? Lurkers who just want to post their bumps and not contribute in any other way? No shade, no harm, just legitimately perplexed at how some people choose to internet.
There may also be a lot, like me, who read every day but mostly miss the active conversations and don't end up posting a ton.
But I also don't post bump pics because I know no one probably recognizes me, so... Who knows.
The only reason that I am on The Bump so much is because my workload ebbs and flows. I'm either completely overloaded or I have nothing to do, but sit at a desk. This is the first desk job I've ever had and it's reallllly tough to just sit all day. The Bump helps pass the time and offers such awesome advice and entertainment. If I was still teaching there is no way I'd be on here even half as much. I think everyone should just jump in when they feel like a conversation is relevant!
New pregnancy update: when I get frustrated I now cry. This is a great thing for my job....
This is me now too. I had a problem I had to deal with someone this week and I couldn't get the words out without crying. So I said a few things and left it at that and went to the bathroom to cry. Felt like a schoolgirl.
Dinner went great alone again tonight, no tantrums. Had septic pumped today so we have a small patch of upturned dirt in backyard... dog just came in covered head to toe in mud (thank God not anything else). Guess I have 2 tubs to give tonight... always something around here!!
@Sbrown721 My husband didn't come to my shower at all, but my dad did. He was the only man there, but it didn't feel weird or awkward. Co-ed showers are super common, too, if you want to go thay route.
@kristinum12 I'm a STM not having a shower or sprinkle, and I'm still doing a registery. I doubt anyone will ask for the info but I'm doing it for the reasons already mentioned... to have a list, get a goodie bag, and the completion discount.
@beachmama14 I cut my head off in mine, too. I guess I'm another "put the bump to the name" poster.
I live in pajamas with messy hair right now. No one needs to see that.
@sbrown721 I'm a FTM, but DH is definitely going to be at the shower. I wouldn't have it any other way. Not only do I not do well in social situations and need my support person, but they're his babies, too! He deserves to be included.
Did any of you STMs have your significant other at the shower? Without a doubt, I want him there for the gift-opening portion of both showers, but especially for the one on his side of the family! He is going to rally together a group of guys to join him in the bar area of the restaurant while we're doing the girl thing.
Re: May Randoms Thread
The other option would be homemade cupcakes. With my son, my husband and I found out at the ultrasound but announced to family by making homemade cupcakes with blue cream filling at a family bbq a few weeks later. It wasn't a specific gender reveal party, but it got the message across.
DS1 -- 9/30/2016
its a GIRL!!!!!!!!!
regard possible lurkers, I think that it is just that in the 2nd tri, not a whole lot going on. They may only post in the weekly update and HDBD.
BFP: 8/11/18 Due: 4/26/18
and I love looking at my registry now lol I can't wait until things start being marked as purchased!
I'd get your guest list together asap and just leave it up to the host as to when invites should be sent out. I'm just so grateful for them for hosting I don't want to get in the way at all!
My shower isn't until July 31st and my other 2 don't have dates yet....but those are the family ones so I am a little less worried about those.
I'm so grateful to my hosts as well!
I expect he will make an appearance at my other ones just to say hi, thank you and to load my gifts in the car. He can be kind of socially awkward around people he doesn't know so he doesn't want to be there
@kristinUM12 you get a completion discount on every registry you make, and its a good way to stay organized even if you buy everything yourself
I'd still make a registry and toss it out there if people request it IMO. If nothing else comes of it, it could be a nice checklist of what you need pre-baby.
Awkward Family Fun
But I also don't post bump pics because I know no one probably recognizes me, so... Who knows.
@kristinum12 I'm a STM not having a shower or sprinkle, and I'm still doing a registery. I doubt anyone will ask for the info but I'm doing it for the reasons already mentioned... to have a list, get a goodie bag, and the completion discount.
I live in pajamas with messy hair right now. No one needs to see that.
@sbrown721 I'm a FTM, but DH is definitely going to be at the shower. I wouldn't have it any other way. Not only do I not do well in social situations and need my support person, but they're his babies, too! He deserves to be included.
● IUI #2: BFP - early M/C
● IUI #3: BFN
● IUI #4: BFN
● IVF/FET #1 (2 transferred): BFP! TWINS!
● FET #2 (1 transferred): BFP! BOY #3!
● Natural #1: BFP - M/C @ 8 weeks
● Natural #2: BFP - M/C @ 5w5d
I'm vegging on the couch while he does bath and bed tonight. And many more nights.
Scene: he finishes a huge plate of whole wheat pasta with meat sauce.
DH: "wow! That was really good! I liked it a lot better than what you usually do!"
me: "that *was* what I usually do." (Face. Palm.)