Baby Showers

There was a time I enjoyed things such as baby showers. Back when my kids were being born, I didn't have much of a social life beyond my husband's buddies coming over to hang out. Therefore, I didn't have many folks around to do such a thing as throw a shower for me, although I did have one with the first child, because I was going (reluctantly & sporadically) to my dad's church. It was small, but I liked it nonetheless.

Over the years, I've grown used to saying, "I can't come, but here's a gift." Of course, there are always a few that you just CAN'T get out of, like a close family member's. The other day I went with my sister to a baby shower for her former neighbor, who also happened to be my former neighbor because I lived with my sis for a year. I don't know her well, but I like her well enough, and Sissy didn't want to go alone. (I love doing ANYTHING w/my sissy regardless.)

Susie knew a few people there, but none really well enough to chat with. So we piled up our plates with yummy finger foods and discussed the possible ingredients of some of them. Then we played a few games we've all played before, just with different characters. Thankfully, the guest of honor zipped right through opening the gifts while her twin sister recorded them. My goodness, baby clothes & accessories have come a long way from when mine were due to be born! How did I ever nurse without a Boppy or feed my milk without the bottles that are designed to mimic mom? My kids went around in onesies & drawstring bottomed gowns except when we went to the occasional church service or family get together. They didn't have toys to stimulate their brains or seats to hold them up at the dinner table. That's what mom & dad (& grandparents & aunts & uncles) were for!

Probably the most fun for me was the creativity some folks had with their gifts. The "pacifier" we pinned to our shirts - which could be taken away if anyone caught us saying "baby" - were made of two wintergreen LifeSavers hot glued together with a gumdrop glued to the end. One gift was wrapped with a metal plate on the outside of the box (under the paper) so that magnetic letters could spell out baby's name. Another creative person had their child draw a picture of the impending newcomer & his siblings, which was placed in a lovely frame that had the new child's initials glued to it at the bottom - PRICELESS! Coming away with those ideas for future gifts and some new recipes - along with the QT spent with my sister - were worth every ooh & ahh that night.