Sweet Baby Gifts

I am not expecting any gifts, my husband and I are on our own. I know babies grow fast. I don’t want to buy to many but I also know that they’ll wear more than one onsie in a day. How many do you suggest? I was thinking about getting ten onsies, one cute outfit and three sleepwear per size for the first year. Too much, not enough? Thank you!
I really didn’t end up using all the onsies I got. They will want their feet covered, so I recommend footed sleepers. 2 a day, as much as you need to get the laundry done.

You may need a onsie for going out in hot weather, but our twins were almost always in footed sleepers, despite all the other clothes we had. A onsie doesn’t keep them warm enough, and their feet get cold.

I really think for newborn and even for 0-3 you can get by just with footed sleepers. Really as few as 6 of each size. Just do laundry every couple days or so.

I bought for the whole year and don’t regret it. I bought very cheap though at a local thrift store. I would recommend buying for the first 6 months, you may not have time later. But I really find sleepwear makes the most sense. A newborn sleeps about 20 hours a day, a 6 month old 15 hours a day. They sleep every couple of hours. Sleep is what they do. After 3 months they can regulate their temperature enough to use more onsies etc. but I really can’t see putting a newborn down without a sleeper on. And for skin to skin contact, just have them wear a diaper only. Then put on the sleeper to lay them down for nap.

…house?
Looking for a small monogrammed overnight bag for a baby.

They have the cutest monogrammed polka dot diaper bags. Would make a darling gift for your grandbaby!

This is going to be long, so bear with me

Today was my cousin/good friend/bridesmaids baby shower that I was asked to help out with. I live a few hours away from her and her husband so we came down the night before and stayed at their house to help put together the party. She and her husband had to work so i babysat her other kid, baked and made a custom frosting for cupcakes, put together the party favors, and decorated. I came down a couple weeks ago to help her go price check and look around to pick out what she wanted to do to. My fiance came with me and is helping her husband remodel their baby and their daughter’s room.

She insisted on planning her own baby shower and got some of her husbands family pissed off because they wanted to give her a surprise party but she didnt think they would do it the way she wanted. Then she complained about having so much stress trying to plan the party and asked me for help. Since she is a bridesmaid in the wedding I was really excited to help. I spent hourse designing games on my computer with cool borders and graphics only for her to turn to me and say she thought it was too hard and that if only i had made them matching, instead of fill in the blanks we could use it. I came to discover all she wanted was reassurence that her ideas were awesome, not real help.

She facebooked offensive stuff and pissed off her sister in law so bad, her , her girlfriend, and her daughter not only stopped planning the surprise party but refused to come to shower.

The shower came today and it was so small! Because she did things her way, we played four games that lasted 15 minutes, and they were all stupid. Shes like 33 and so all the guests were older and they kept rolling their eyes at how dumb the games were and all she kept bragging about is how much i helped her. We basically spent four hours watching the food network and talking.. what a fun baby shower.

She didnt want to listen to any ideas for food and spent money on sandwich items people only picked at, and bought grocery store pasta salad that made every sick.. but she bragged about how yummy it was!
Now after everything is done and over with (were still at her house, my fiance is helping to finish the baby room) she is bitching and screaming at her busband about how cheap his disabled eldery mother is and how she only gave $30 gift card. She is pissed because no one bought anything off her registry. People brought her things she needed, clothes, diapers ect. This is her second child and first boy so she felt that entitled her to a full shower. She has been crying all night because the one thing she really want ( a $160 crib set with this particular aquatic theme) she didnt get. It HAS to be from baby’s r us, it HAS to be this exact set, and it will RUIN the whole room if she doesnt get it. My fiance just lost his job so all we could afford was 4 onesies, 2 pairs of pants and a package of diapers. I feel so awful because I couldnt do more but as it is my mom and I had to go in on the gift together.
Her own husband (who is the one i am related to and is also in the wedding) said he wouldnt pay that much for a crib set. He had no idea what she put on there and says she is being ridiculous.

To make up for my lack of present, I have been on the computer for hours trying to find a cheaper crib set or one similar. I found one brand new on craigslist that is very similar, but was originally $300 and only costs $40 and she doesnt want it because it doesnt have the EXACT same design on it. The one she wants has bubbles and this one doesnt. I found her the one she wants for $50 cheaper and doesnt want to get it because its not from babies r us.
She wont use her daughter’s crib set even though it is not a gender specific set because it doesnt match the new theme she wants.
She just flipped out and said her husbands family hates and her and have something against her and just want to piss her off thats why they didnt come and buy her this expensive set. His mother lives alone, is disabled, widowed, and on a fixed income and this baby is like her 20th grand child. and she says who cares its a baby she can afford it. Her own mother only spent a few bucks and her dad didnt even come!!

I feel soooo bad I wanted to do more , but it just wasnt possible. I am starting to feel like it was a mistake asking her to be a bridesmaid. She already refuses to wear any of the styles of dresses I like and after seeing her behavior with this baby shower I am scared for my wedding.
Am I being ridiculous?

Nothing I saw calms her down and any advice I give her goes in one ear and out the other. I care about her but the more she goes on about how she got such crappy gifts and how cheap everyone is the worse I feel. If the grandma’s $30 gift card was crappy to her, my measly $25 gift was terrible.
How would You be feeling?

Are YOU acting like a big jerk? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Is SHE???? ABSOLUTELY, 100% YES YES YES!!! Yes, it’s probably hormones, yes, pregnancy is hard, but that still doesn’t give her the right to act the way she’s acting, and being all upset because she didn’t get particular crib sets. Since this is her 2nd baby, people don’t give as much stuff, since they figure you have stuff from baby #1. Yes, even if baby #1 is a girl, and baby #2 is a boy. That happened to me, I probably got 3 times as much stuff when my daughter was born than when my son was born. And most of the stuff I got when he was born was boy clothes and diapers and stuff. I didn’t even have a shower when he was born, so she ought to be grateful people were willing to show up when she did the rudest thing of all…throw herself a shower!!!

As far as her being your bridesmaid, I guess it would depend on when the baby is due in relation to your wedding. Will she still be pregnant at the wedding, or will she have just given birth and have a newborn? Maybe you need to give her an out here. Say something like "I know you’re going to be busy with the baby/not feeling well since your pregnant/etc. and was wondering if you’re still up to being in the wedding. Please don’t feel you have to do it still, I completely understand if you’ve changed your mind."

She needs to grow up, and be thankful you did everything you did for her, as well as give her a gift.

I’d think twice before helping her out again. Good luck!

My sister is "hosting" the shower, but since she’s not in the best economical situation at the moment [surprise IRS bill--go figure] I’m in the position that, if I want to have the shower go according to the original plan, I’ve got to foot the bill for the food, the game prizes and game supplies, the plastic plates/flatware, and the party favors. I’m a very thrifty spender, so it’s not as if I’m spending hundreds of dollars on these things, but it still bothers me that no one else attending has offered to contribute [with the exception of providing baby gifts].
I’m also making the food/desserts. I purchased the custom invitations [less than $15 w/ a coupon I had] and sought out the venue.

My sister’s friend was supposed to have provided game ideas/supplies, but is now not going to because of a recent financial "crisis," which wouldn’t necessarily preclude her actually helping me with planning these things–she just copped-out of the obligation.

Now, I don’t want to seem like a spoiled brat about this, because I understand my sister’s situation and I don’t really mind helping some financially, but this has gotten out of hand totally. I don’t have that many people who are supportive [no close relatives, orphaned, etc.] so it was left up to her…
I feel badly for being so bloody annoyed–should I?
You’re right, Cav. It is about the baby, and I am receiving gifts for her. Thanks for putting it into better perspective.
I hope I’m forgiven, though, if I still feel a little overwhelmed.

If that is the case(that really does suck). I would opt for a cheap shower. Don’t go fancy. Go simple. So you can save as much money as possible for your baby. Just have a dessert shower. Cake/punch. Simple games that you can print off the computer. Get prizes at the dollar store etc.

i used all the original johnsons baby products when my daughter was born. i starting using the shampoo for straight hair, and the scented variety of lotions and body washes just before 1 year old. when should i buy her ‘big girl’ stuff? still tear free and scented, but not johnsons, nothing with the word ‘baby’ on it. when she can read possibly? or when she asks for ‘big girl’ stuff? or did you just decide one day to buy your child different stuff.

what is your experience, what age?

My daughter is 4 and I still use the baby stuff because I still haven’t used up everything I got for my baby shower. Whoever said "you can never have enough baby wash" was wrong.

If I didn’t have a massive stockpile to work through and if my daughter was asking for it, I’d get it so long as there wasn’t a significant price difference, but I don’t really see the rush.

A friend of mine hand knit a blanket for my little one. She used our nursery’s colors and it’s beautiful. I thought that was a super thoughtful gift. It takes so much time to make something like that.

So I purchased a shopping cart cover for my baby and i love it. I have to friends baby showers that are coming up and I want to make them both one instead of buying them because they are very pricey. Does any one know how to make these or have made them before? I have an idea but i rather have a better idea of what i am doing. If any one can help that be greaT. THANK YOU

Try this site:

http://www.shoppingcartcoverpattern.com/

I have a few friends who are all pregnant at the same time, including myself, so we have been discussing baby shower ideas. These babies are all 2nd babies for us, and were not really sure about what to do.

We all have things left over from our 1st babies, so we don’t need much. We also don’t want any of that generic baby shower stuff like powders, creams, etc and other useless crap we will never use.

Is it wrong to tell people what you want, ie on the invitation or something, or even request money or a gift voucher? What do you think?

With my first baby I did not know how the hole registry thing, and tons of people kept asking me "what do you want? what do you need?" so I told them all the same things and do you know what I got? 20 powders, tons of baby shampoo, lots of baby lotion, and it took me about 2 years to use all of it! (not complaining, just had to keep finding places to put them). then I got 2 bouncers, 2 play and packs, 2 swings. etc.

so with my second I made a registry and got stuff that i NEEDED, I love the fact that they have registries now because now you want get to much stuff you don’t need, and get what you really need.
and no it’s not rude! when ever I hear about a baby shower I find their registry.
and don’t be afraid to ask for money, that’s what my sister did, was not rude or anything.

I’m looking into baby products what are your favorite and why?

Diapers: BumGeinus cloth, and Shoppers Drugmart/Life Brand diapers
Diaper products: bum wipe and powder from Soapstones.ca (Canadian) as they don’t interfere with the cloth diapers and is softly scented.
Bath products: Soapstones.ca again. Their stuff is natural and doesn’t irritate my son’s skin or dry it out.

We tried Burt’s Bees and it was scented too strongly, same with most big-brand stuff, it’s too stinky and dried out my son’s skin really quick. Plus, I like to buy Canadian made natural products and these have been great. I got some as a baby gift and have been buying it ever since.

am creating a basket for an upcoming baby shower and I am looking for dinosaur themed baby gifts. I would really prefer handmade or unique items. Suggestions?

www.babywhatknots.etsy.com