Holiday Randoms!

yellingbanana · December 2016

With the holiday season in full swing, either super pregnant or with super little babies, it should be an exciting year!

yellingbanana · December 2016

Here's mine...
DH and I got stocking stuffers, 1 present from us, and 1 from Santa for our DDs today. Yes! Feeling so ready! Until I realized that we got nothing for our new addition. Binkies? A blanket? What does santa bring a newborn baby?

slartybartfast · December 2016

yellingbanana said:

Here's mine...
DH and I got stocking stuffers, 1 present from us, and 1 from Santa for our DDs today. Yes! Feeling so ready! Until I realized that we got nothing for our new addition. Binkies? A blanket? What does santa bring a newborn baby?

A wonderful warm loving mama. Sorry to be corny but I tried to think - what does a newborn want? That's all.

ajstevenson · December 2016

@yellingbanana we've had the same dilemma. We're going with something baby needs (be it a binky, nipple shield, wet bag, that kind of thing) and something she'll like a little later on... right now its either a lovey, teething toy or little bath toy.

yellingbanana · December 2016

I guess my main concern is that my other kids will be like WTF santa? Where's the present for our new little brother? I feel like there has to be something, and then the stocking! Maybe I should just fill it with diapers, lol!

zubenescamali · December 2016

@yellingbanana this is exactly my worry too. I don't even have a stocking for baby yet.

karmba · December 2016

@yellingbanana my mom had a 12/11 baby and she said she just grabbed old baby toys of everyone else's and wrapped them up lol. The rest of us were little enough that we didn't question the no packaging aspect.

dmontgo · December 2016

@yellingbanana Here's a picture of a couple of things we put in Ashton's stocking:

We also put a small bunny lovey in there and a play gym, a car seat ring toy, and some Christmas books and stuffed animals under the tree. Besides the Batman and necklace teether, these were all things we had already bought or were gifted to us. Yay!

yellingbanana · December 2016

Great ideas ladies! And I love the banana toothbrush! Oooh, I'm thinking about splurging and getting that giraffe that is all the rage. Why do babies love that giraffe so much? Do you guys know what I'm talking about?

dmontgo · December 2016

@yellingbanana I think it's Sofia the giraffe? It's a natural rubber teether. Infantino makes a lion and elephant one, but I don't know if they are as nice as the giraffe one...but they are half the price!

ajstevenson · December 2016

We got a Sofia! there are all sorts of cute animals and they sell different types of toys and baby items in each animals theme. I found the best price on Amazon, though that may have changed with the holiday sales.

sourlemon · December 2016

My first kid hated that giraffe. My dogs loved it. We found it post destruction.

paulpaw · December 2016

I feel like the giraffe is a marketing ploy they push on us all. If I remember right he's pretty pricey. We are winging it without the giraffe, hopefully we make it through!

Christinaruth74 · December 2016

We love Sophie!
Oh and the Oball is great! besides Sophie, that was one of the first toys DD1 was really engaged by.

temmetime · December 2016

I really want a Baileys & coffee.

ajstevenson · December 2016

@temmetime our grocery store sells nonalcoholic bailey's creamer. It tastes pretty similar and generally does the trick for me.

yellingbanana · December 2016

Oh, I want that drink now. I'm so drinking for Christmas. Not a lot, but enough to satisfy the cravings!

phoenix870509 · December 2016

I've got a friend going to a distillery 4 hours away this Friday just to get a bottle of their longer aged bourbon (they released some earlier this year but kept some aging longer). You better believe once this kid comes I'm getting a taste of some of that!

SaraRose83 · December 2016

@yellingbanana that's my Christmas present to myself. A couple glasses of wine. I don't know if I will be able to get through one, but just the thought of wine by the Christmas tree is relaxing me.

ea301 · December 2016

Just realized: I am over 3 weeks PP and I haven't had anything stiffer than a ginger ale. I'm starting to think there's something wrong with me... must find beer. Maybe Guinness... mmmmmmm Guinness...

zubenescamali · December 2016

Both my kids loved their Sophie. No idea why, something to do with how it smells maybe? More than any other stupid toy. I used our registry discount to buy it.
I really want to be able to have some wine on Christmas. LO better vacate by then!

AbriannaO · December 2016

My random holiday is that I got a group text from my dad last night saying that he and his wife would like to host all of us kids at their place on the 26th while we are all in the same state. Sounds great, right? My due date is the 22nd, and he lives 3 hours away. I don't think that they really thought this one through.

I wasn't really planning on getting my baby anything for Christmas - and we don't do stockings...should I start this? I feel like this is the year to start traditions, but the thought of doing all that searching for something sounds exhausting to my giant self.

temmetime · December 2016

@ajstevenson ahhh, so jealous! Our town is so small it doesn't offer anything decent for non-alcoholic (Busch NA is meh for me). I definitely have had a beer here and there which has helped satisfy some of the craving. I'm looking forward to a stiff Christmas eggnog

maamawaabangi · December 2016

I just realized after talking to my mom about "holiday plans" that the plan is ... there is no possible way to have a plan.
"If baby is here we could try to do this... if baby isn't here we could see if I'm feel up for that..." Basically... no plan.

Kacie209 · December 2016

I love this time of year, but since having DS, I've been home most days and just don't feel like it's the holidays for some reason. I did get to decorate, which happened the Saturday before DS was born (the following Monday morning), so it's "Christmas" in that aspect, but I think it's cos I haven't been out in stores as much as I usually am to take all of the holiday stuff in like I normally do, buy holiday coffees or order holiday themed drinks out at a restaurant/bar. And, that will probably just be this year since he's a newborn and I knew I would be homebound most of December (our cold weather has finally kicked in, and I'd rather just stay in than bring him out in that unless it's necessary).

Other than that, my mom and MIL both have stockings for DS already, which is fun to see. We're not stuffing anything in them, and he is our first child so no other kids will notice if Santa didn't bring him anything. And that's OK. We've even told people who have asked about presents for him that they aren't necessary, but if they want to - that is fine - educational toys for later, clothes for later on, money, etc.

Christinaruth74 · December 2016

I started to put this in FFFC but it seems more appropriate here...

I'm overall just not "feeling" Christmas this year. I'm excited to give DD1 her gifts and to hopefully be able to have our last holiday together as a family of 3, but I don't feel much Christmas spirit overall. When I think of decorations I only think of what I'll have to take down and put away PP. We told family we weren't doing / expecting gifts this year for a few reasons, but namely because we have really needed to channel resources into Baby prep and I don't feel the slightest bit guilty. We gave gifts and donations to kids abroad and other charities and it has felt a million times better than giving cheap gifts to a million nieces and nephews who could really care less about our presents anyway because nothing is quite ever good enough. I guess I'm just saying that doing less this year has felt like so much more in the best of ways. I sort of want to chuck our old Christmas habits entirely and just stick to how we are handling it this year, plus I've really enjoyed watching DD1s excitement over picking out toys and gifts for kids we will never meet or know or be acknowledged by. There's just been a deeper satisfaction when giving is sans strings and obligation.
Now im just rambling.. I've just really been struggling with the whole Christmas thing this year and it didn't help that one niece texted me her xmas list last night and, among many things on the list, there was "money, lots of money, a laptop, etc..." I told her she's getting a new baby.

maamawaabangi · December 2016

@Christinaruth74 I feel very similar. If I'd had my way there would have not been a tree. I only put up about half my decor and last night I "made" my dh finish online shopping for our kids because I felt so ambiguous about it... he made better choices than I would have. Everyone else on our list is getting a bag of local coffee... (in our families everyone expects something which is ok most years). It's all I have time/energy for at this point.
Then I'm also struggling with trying to maintain order in our home, have holiday fun and stuff around (like wrapping) and also prep for a homebirth and baby. Just too much stuff!
I had the above convo with my mom about holiday "plans" and expectations because they are all about the gifts and traditions (doing things certain ways and making sure people are "happy") and she mentioned my (single) brother kept wanting to know what we are doing ... basically told her she needs to tell him that he better not come with plans or expectations because I am not capable of controlling what happens the next 3-4 weeks... we also have a kids bday on Xmas eve and a list of other events.
I tend to get irritable and also slightly neurotic during the last few weeks so there's that added into it all. Lord help me!
Thankfully we've talked to our kids and they know all that we normally do is out the window and may not happen... they are remarkably flexible (small) people.

Christinaruth74 · December 2016

@maamawaabangi it's just such a stressful time of the year in general, but then add being approximately a million weeks pregnant and the joy is just sucked out of it. I feel like we are in a good place in the sense that DD1 is just 2.5 so we have the ability to not only be flexible this year, but also really dig deep and start setting the example for how we want to go about future holiday traditions. I guess my frustration is that I want to get back to the heart of what Christmas is about. I don't want to agonize every year over what everyone else's expectations are or start grooming a sense of greed in our kids. Idk if any of this makes sense, i just have too much time to think lately haha
thats a great idea with local coffee, though. Last year we did handmade gifts and it worked out pretty decently. H made jewelry boxes for all the girls and treasure boxes for the boys. I made lavender soaps and face scrubs for the women... the men didn't get anything haha oops.

Lisa3379 · December 2016

I'm in the same boat with a lot of you guys. We made sure to get our decorations up before Max came, so it does look like Christmas, but yeah - being stuck at home during this time does take some of the excitement out of the season and it feels like any other time of year. Luckily there's online shopping, because I have no idea how I'd get that stuff done without it.

Maybe if I could talk my boyfriend into getting me a peppermint mocha that could kick start things.

maamawaabangi · December 2016

@Christinaruth74 I'm 100% there with you. Usually our Xmas is us staying home (not traveling to family) and doing the things we find value in (advent and such). We drew that line a few years ago when our then 5yo started being bratty about "getting things". We knew we had to set a precedent for our own family and make it what we feel convicted it should be. Its hard to now include others in that and still please (or be considerate of) them.

ajstevenson · December 2016

Holiday shopping is done. Gift wrapping is done. Baby prep is done. Time to bake so I can eat a bunch of sweets that I shouldnt.

maamawaabangi · December 2016

@ajstevenson (slow clapping)
i am going to pretend mine is done and sit and drink chai...

Christinaruth74 · December 2016

@maamawaabangi exactly.. I'm leaning toward going that way moving forward. My family does xmas eve and xmas usually... plus trying to schedule xmas with H's scattered family.. it's just a lot. It's become such a difficult holiday to navigate because of the overall commercialism and natural sense of greed/entitlement that comes along with it. Don't get me wrong, there's still so much good and joy and selflessness, but it's hard to see where one ends and the other begins.
Thanks for letting me unload some of that! Haha

Christinaruth74 · December 2016

@ajstevenson girlfrannnnd color me jealous AND exhausted

ajstevenson · December 2016

I think it's just distracting me at this point. I just sat down for lunch and might not move for an hour or two.

caffeinenut · December 2016

My holiday plans are that I am not making any or committing to anything. Not sure when this little one will make her appearance, and definitely not sure I'll be up to traveling with her. Also, not sure it is a good idea to travel around with her so young to busy parties. My FI has told his family I won't be doing Christmas eve with them, but he might go for a few hours, depending how things are at home. Or he might visit them for a few hours on Christmas day. The majority of his family only live about a half hour away. I told my family I won't be hosting Christmas morning breakfast for them this year, and they all understood, or going anywhere. I also told them I wasn't planning on having anyone over and that went over like a lead balloon with my mom. She was like "I can't come see my granddaughter on Christmas?" To which I replied, "I'm not sure, I'll have to see how I feel. Call me and I'll let you know." Yeah, she took that well (sarcasm here). Today, I just got an invitation from her to Christmas dinner at her place. Pissed me off a little since I already told everyone I wasn't going anywhere. And there is no way I would go go my family's holiday without also going to my FI's family, and that is too much for me with a baby who will likely be 1 - 2 weeks old,in the freezing Northeast temps during cold and flu season. So now I have to tell her we won't be there and listen to her bitch about how I'm cutting her out of the baby's life and how I don't appreciate what she has done, etc. Just stresses me out now, and that is not something I need right before having a baby!

slartybartfast · December 2016

Big +1 to not having Christmas be about presents! DH and I weened our family away from present expectations by slowly giving lamer and lamer gifts.
For us it's all about family and traditions and community and cheer!
I also went totally minimal on the decorations. I'm not worried one bit about it!

Christinaruth74 · December 2016

@slartybartfast that's great! It's totally the expectations that drive me the most nuts. I hate seeing and hearing kids get gift-grabby or show signs of disinterest or disappointment when you've just given them something you've invested in (be it time, money, thought, whatever).

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