I was in line with Scout, waiting for space to clear up in the family restroom. We were in an upscale department store in London and it was about three weeks before Christmas.
Can you say “crowded”…
The family in front us wheeled in their ginormous travel system, all pink!
(For all your non-parental types, it’s a hulking baby carrier-stroller combo and approximately the size and shape of a Fiat…)
They primly laid out a diaper pad and put down a fluffy pink blanket over that. Next, they pulled their little girl out of her carrier and laid her down slowly, caressing and cooing along the way. She couldn’t have been more than six months old. In other words, too little to run away in protest.
Totally oblivious to anyone who may be impatiently waiting (ahem, ahem), the dad took a moment to sing her a sweet little song before the mom gingerly unzipped her fur-lined jacket, removed her frilly bonnet, and unbuttoned her matching sweater…
Are your eyes clear to the back of your head yet?
Meanwhile, I just changed Scout’s diaper, standing up and in the doorway. It took all of about five seconds.
When I asked the dad to please step aside so I could toss our dirty in the trashcan behind him, he scowled at me. Perhaps I ruined their tender moment… Snort.
I still laugh when I think about them, but not so much at them. I’m really laughing at myself… ‘cuz guess what? I used to be just like them.
Scout had the best of EVERYTHING. (First borns are like that. hehe) It was all thanks to the thoroughness of my registries (yes, multiple) and more importantly, the generosity of our friends and family. As we were getting ready to move overseas last May, I realized we probably had too much of everything.
It won’t be like that with Baby #2. This time we have a better idea of what we really need… as in 12 burp cloths, not 40 and good gracious, no “Deluxe” Jumperoo.
Plus, we’ll be purchasing all of it on our own, which is another reason to be conservative in my nesting.
Obviously, I’m not above slumming it at consignment, Craigslist, and resale, but then I find the most adorable bedding set…
Land of Nod. $266. (Approximate usefulness? One year. Quilt? Never.)
… or notice that Dwell Studios designed a baby swing.
Target, $139.99 (Our old swing? Six months.)
Someone sends me a catalog and I have to decide if we really need another glider…
Restoration Hardware, in the “petal” washed linen $1349. Matching ottoman, $299
(My old glider? Two years, but mostly as a launching pad)
… and well, it adds up.
Readers, bring me back to Earth.
What “must have” baby gear could you just not live without? What wasn’t worth the cost of shipping?
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Why do companies even put a bedspread with the bedding sets? The twins are 13 months and we’ve never used ours. Instead they use a softer, thinner blanket that they also drag around the house. The bedspreads instead collect dust and cat hair underneath the cribs. What a waste. I got a lot of hand me downs, which was awesome. i couldn’t have lived without my Pottery Barn Kids glider (which is now in our living room). I practically lived in it the first four months of the twins’ lives while I was breastfeeding them. I slept, ate, talked on the phone… almost everything that didn’t require the bathroom.
Sarah’s last blog post..new favorite side
Hmmm…seriously, a carseat, onsies and sleepers, burp rags and diapers and wipes. That’s the bare minimum. Oh, and bottles if you don’t want to nurse.
Everything else is extra.
Krystyn’s last blog post..The Birth of Cornelius and A Giveaway
I loved my Ergo Baby carrier (opted out of the Bjorn) soooo comfortable. It is the only baby thing that I have kept other than the pack-n-play. DON’T invest in a double stroller until you are in absoultly sure that you will need it. I just sold mine at a consignment sale. Check out Overstock.com for bedding. Ava’s precious little bedding set came from there for $60 (quilt, bumper, sheet and bed skirt). I got Mia’s pottery barn stuff new off of ebay. If I think of anything else, I will let you know!!
Lauren’s last blog post..The news we’ve all been waiting for…
Bouncy chair, and a bassinet, and a whole lot of diapers;)
Nap Warden’s last blog post..Blow Out