'Tis the Season

Can you believe we're already halfway through December? How did this happen?! Maybe it's because I'm not putting up decorations this year, but I'm having a hard time getting into the holly-jolly spirit. The only signs of the holiday around our apartment are the foot-tall tree on the end table, a handful of cards and a cup with candy canes. Oh well. It will make next year all that more spectacular!

So we finally made our baby registry. My friend and mom extraordinaire Heather walked me through Babies R Us and pointed to everything we could possibly need. And babies need a lot. I had no idea pacifiers come in different sizes, or that babies don't always like every brand. Same for bottles. We debated the pros and cons of washcloth thickness and types of bath toys. It's nuts to think that within the first year, babies go from helpless infants to crawling, walking, grabbing machines. Apparently I can kiss my earrings goodbye for quite a while. But Heather's advice was excellent and I know I'll be putting her on speed dial once this baby shows up and I have no idea what to do with her!

It is slowly starting to dawn on me that in 11 short weeks, I'll go from being pregnant to being a mom. With a child. Who will be mine forever. I've gotten used to being pregnant. I mean, after 29 weeks, you will get used to anything. But soon she'll be here, filling my arms. And the thought simultaneously thrills and terrifies me!

So to lighten things up a bit, here is one of my all-time favorite baby products, modeled by my sweet Teddy. A little background on Teddy. I got her for my second birthday, when my family lived on the O.M. ship Logos. I think my birthday party was held in a lifeboat and we had Coke out of glass bottles. Teddy (such an original name, I know) used to have a little red felt tongue, but in a fit of jealous rage, one of my childhood playmates ripped it off. And she used to be much plumper, but years of love have worn her down better than a Weight Watchers diet. But she's stuck with me through it all and looks just charming in her new outfit:

A baby bathrobe!! I can't help it, I love them. Everyone tells me I'll never use them. In fact, this one came from Heather. Her daughter Lucy, you guessed it, never used it. But I don't care. I think they are so cute.

And here's something else that might become a new favorite item. It's the Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Soothe and Glow Seahorse and apparently it will change our lives. Here's the story. Matt and I were registering at Target. Seeing us with the registry gun and looks of complete bewilderment, a random woman felt compelled to walk up to us and recommend the Seahorse. Apparently it has magical powers that will send babies straight into a blissful sleep. She talked about it with the reverence generally reserved for national treasures or priceless artifacts. Hearing our conversation, another random woman stopped by and corroborated the story, again with the slightly glazed look of a devoted follower. I practically heard angels singing when she talked. So naturally we had to add this Holy Grail to the registry. Although for some reason, it never made it on there. And Target online wasn't even showing it. And Babies R Us showed it out of stock. Hot items, I guess. Finally I found one on Amazon and stuck in on my wish list, which is when I discovered something very suspicious:


Pink things cost more than blue things! What the heck?! Blue seahorse: $9.99. The pink version? More than $25! I call it the Pink Privilege. It's insane! And this isn't the first time I've noticed. I saw some closet organizers - the pink version was at least five bucks more than the blue version. Why?! I, for one, will not be playing that game. Baby Girl will just have to be happy with blue. And to be perfectly honest, too much pink is going to get a bit nauseating. I'm more irritated than anything. What a scam! I am NOT paying more for something just for the privilege of getting it in pink.Anyway, that's my soapbox and I'm stepping down now.

UPDATE: Bah humbug on Target for not letting me add the Seahorse to our baby registry. Bah humbug on Babies R Us for not having the Seahorse in stock. And the biggest bah humbug of all on Amazon, for wanting to charge 15 bucks more for the pink version of the Seahorse! A big Merry Christmas goes out instead to Walmart, for stocking both colors of the little Seahorse, for the same price. Matt and I have officially bought our first baby gift... Baby Girl will be getting not one but BOTH Seahorses, the blue and the pink.

It's almost Christmas! Let the eggnog flow! We're looking forward to seeing lots of family and friends this holiday season. Everyone stay safe! More to come...