Event planning in the 21st century

Family wedding #3 is in the history books and it was lovely!  You couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day weather-wise, particularly with the reception being held out of doors.  Our light green, light material bridesmaid dresses were cool and comfy in the July weather, the bride resplendent in her gown, and the groom equally up to the task in a tux and top hat.  It was truly a special day for them and for my family, which gains yet another girl.  When I was small I used to beg my mom for a little sister and she would always respond, “If it’s God’s will.”  (I found out later that “God’s will” really meant “medical miracle.”  I guess 3 kids were enough…)  Now I have four sisters and they are all uniquely blessed and contribute in new ways to our Smith clan.

Now that wedding season is over until winter, VWH and I can turn our thoughts and well-honed event planning strategies towards the biggest event of our marriage.  Baby S is due to arrive in November, which leaves us 4 months to figure out everything about preparing for his arrival…and how to parent…and how our revised budget is going to work…and…well, we’re never going to figure it all out.  Even the brief forays we’ve taken into planning have proven to be a bit overwhelming.  And with good reason…the world has changed.

When I was growing up (which really, truly, and honestly wasn’t that long ago) you didn’t need that much to keep a baby happy.  A crib, a few clothes, clean diapers, a couple of toys (which could include household items like pots, boxes, a tube of toothpaste, etc…), a food grinder and voile…you’re set!  I now see that our society has moved beyond the simplistic measures of child-rearing, as is illustrated below.

First off, I have already been given, not one, but two contraptions known as “wipes warmers.”  That’s right…a wipes warmer.  You plug this bad boy in, put your wipes in it (making sure the bottom has a bit of water) and your baby’s behind stays clean and warm.  Because this apparently makes for a much more fruitful parenting experience.   There’s something about putting a clammy warm wipe on anything that turns my stomach, but according to the wipes warmer people, kids flip for this stuff.  The previous owner of my wipes warmers informed me that I should “keep one upstairs and the other downstairs so they’re extra handy.”

Secondly, cloth diapers have evolved people.  My mom used cloth diapers and taught me to fold them at the ripe old age of 2, so believe me, I know what they are were.  Those big safety pins looked like harpoons when I was little.  VWH and I have kind of shied away from using them, clinging to the shaky “fact” that it’s just as bad for the environment to use all that hot water to clean them as to buy disposables.  Well, I was recently educated in the advances of cloth diapers and I have to admit, they are a lot cooler looking than they used to be.  They also look way more expensive and complicated.  See the following video for a demonstration, noting that the baby stays perfectly still for over 3 minutes as his mom follows an intricate series of steps to change one diaper.  VWH and I watched it and are once again invoking our environmental statistic. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqfPYJshPq0&feature=player_embedded

Finally, baby monitors.  OK, I’m not sure we ever had a baby monitor.  If we did, it was named “older sibling” who picked up on the fussy cries of a baby at lightning speed.  When I did babysitting, some families had baby monitors that looked like cheap plastic walkie talkies.  And they were kind of cool, but nothing fancy.  I imagine they didn’t cost more than $20.  But now…NOW…we have Super Baby Monitor.  This thing does everything but change that complicated cloth diaper.  (But I’m pretty sure it could have managed the safety pins.)  You have to click on the Amazon video link on the page to get the full effect…

http://www.amazon.com/Lorex-LW2003-Video-Monitor-White/dp/B003Q6CU12/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1310310859&sr=1-1

Between recharging my digital, picture-taking, home-security-system-included-baby monitor and keeping my wipes warm I’m going to have to invest in a few power strips…

So you can see that we have much research to do.  But ultimately I’m pretty sure the pots and boxes will still come in handy.  Here’s to a happy baby and to parents with more than two pennies to rub together!

Isn't he cute?  I think he's waving...or possibly thumbing his nose at us...maybe he wants a wipes warmer after all.

Lessons from Hayden

Things I've learned from my 16 month-old niece:

1.       Reading books is fun.  We should spend a lot of time reading and rereading books…front to back and back to front.

2.       The delight of eating goldfish crackers easily outweighs the troubles of life.

3.       It’s really OK to put your hands on the glass window and examine it up close.  Smudges are only temporary and completely acceptable.

4.       Naps are GREAT.

5.       Stroller walks are an excellent source of fun.  Pushing the stroller though…inexplicably superior.

6.       Sharing an ice cream cone with your aunt isn’t a bad thing at all.  Germs are for wimps.

7.       Trucks and tractors really are incredible feats of engineering.

8.       Feeling clean and fresh definitely improves one’s overall mood.

9.       That being said, it’s OK to be messy sometimes.  In fact, it can be preferable in triggering the giggles.

10.     Saying “I love you” brings a smile to just about anybody’s face.

Five things.

Five things about my pregnancy that I could do without:

5.  Not being able to sleep on my stomach anymore.  I’m still not really showing…but doc says that once you hit 20 weeks no more stomach sleeping.  I’ve been trying this for 2 weeks now and it’s not getting a whole lot easier.  This makes me sad. 

4.  Foods and drinks to avoid.  There have been a few nights when my husband poured himself a glass of wine and I looked at that wine and thought…that would be a great way to unwind.  Or when I really want something carbonated and sweet…but not super sugary and not fake sugary either. 

3.  No Ultimate Frisbee this summer at camp.  I work at a camp for two weeks each summer that advertises itself as a music camp, but really is a closet Ultimate camp.  2 hours every afternoon, grinding it out on a turf field, loving the chance to play with others who can actually throw and catch a disc.  This summer?  Me, on the sidelines, wishing I had a force field superpower that would make the whole phrase “contact sport” go away.

2.  People wondering when I’m going to “pop.”  I’m doing as many things right as I can regarding appetite and such, but this baby wants to hide out and not make it obvious to the world that he exists.  So I continue to be able to wear much of my normal wardrobe to work and around the house, and I love it!  But the comments continue and are becoming more frequent.  “You sure don’t LOOK like you’re pregnant.”  “You must have a really petite baby.”  Or…they forget that I’m pregnant all together and ask me to carry heavy boxes over long distances.  Hmmm.  Gotta refresh on the whole saying no thing.

1.  The touching of the stomach.  As you’ve already heard, my stomach doesn’t exist in colossal display yet, but people still insist on patting it, rubbing it, or just putting their hand there and starting a conversation while their hand stays there.  For a very few people in my life, this is acceptable, but those very few people already have enough common sense to ask ahead of time.  Seriously—if it’s inappropriate to touch somebody’s stomach any other time in their life this should not give you permission to start lovin’ on my abdomen.  Please and thanks.  J

Five things about my pregnancy that are indescribably incredible:

5.  Not having morning sickness.  I can’t believe it!  My mom, aunt, grandma, and basically everybody on my maternal side of the family were all incredibly sick for at least 3 solid months.  I had one day…which was more like an afternoon, where I thought that maybe, just maybe, I’d throw up.  And I didn’t.  I ate normal food for the most part and smells haven’t bothered me in the least.  And now I’m over the first trimester hump and everything still looks great!  I am one lucky girl.

4.  The generosity of friends and family.  This baby is in his fifth month and I have an entire wardrobe of super-cute maternity clothes.  We also have stacks of baby clothes, a bassinet, diaper genie, and more things on the way because people couldn’t resist sharing with us.  Their spirits of giving are such an inspiration and encouragement to our little family.  We are touched by their love!

3.  Technology.  I love technology, always and forever.  The ability to hear this little guy’s heartbeat so early on and consistently at each appointment never ceases to amaze (and relieve) me.  And the way our lab technician took us on a tour of our baby’s developing body at the sonogram floored me and my husband, who is not easily impressed with machinery (unless it’s an iPhone).   We could see the heart, the kidneys, the bones, the head, the feet and hands, basically everything.  That’s a PERSON down there!

2.  Strengthening of a marriage.  I have it good ladies and gentlemen.  I have it real good.  I knew I had it good when I got married.  I knew I had it good two years and three years into our marriage.  Well, let me tell ya…I have it GOOD.  My husband is a rock of consistency, wisdom, and generosity.  When I am tired, he will sit down and talk with me, if that’s what I need, or I may drift off for a brief power nap and awake to find the dishes washed in the kitchen.  He is always willing to go out late at night for a hamburger, if that’s what we so desire.  (I’m pretty sure that’s not a huge sacrifice on his part.)  His excitement at baby’s development and growth and desire to be a part of it all impresses me daily.  I have it GOOD.

1.  Speaking of baby’s development and growth…this kid is turning into a soccer player.  Squirms have turned into solid kicks that have gotten strong enough that I can see my shirt flutter and VWH can feel them too.  (Don’t let this be added fuel for you all to want to touch my stomach…ask first.)  There’s something down there!  And it’s alive and letting his mama know that he’s down there.  And when we went to music camp last week for a visit and spent a half-hour singing glorious praises, he let us know that he either enjoyed it most thoroughly or found it a bit too noisy.  Thump-a-thump-a-thump!  I prefer to think he’s going to be a musical genius. 

This journey has been occasionally overwhelming, yes.  But the joys and perspective it brings to my life easily outweigh any inconveniences or worries.  (Thump-a-thump.)  I plan on soaking in the next few months when, even though I might not be able to sleep on my stomach, I can sleep through the night.  I hope to soak in this time with just me and baby, before he comes to visit all of these loved ones who are so eager to meet him.  And I praise our Creator for entrusting me to carry this little life and take care of him…a responsibility not for the faint of heart methinks.