'Tis the Season

for babies! Seriously, I think everyone I know right now is pregnant or has a baby. (Yours truly NOT included!) I don't know what happened in the past year or so, but geez! I helped give a shower last night for a girl in my Sunday School class. We had a pretty good turnout for a weeknight in the summer.

Baby showers are still completely foreign to me. You know, at wedding showers, I can ooh and aah over pretty towels and nice kitchen things with the best of them. I get that! But baby showers....are different. Mounds of diapers and wipes (gross), everything is brightly colored and plays music or makes other noises... ::shivers:: The baby industry is worse than the wedding industry. You don't need that much crap for a baby! All the ridiculous battery operated toys will break, you're just going to throw away all those diapers and wipes, your kid is only going to wear that outfit a handful of times before she outgrows it... Seems like such a waste.

I'm not advocating that you neglect your kid or let him sleep in a dresser drawer. But save your money for when he will be able to appreciate it! Shop at consignment stores! Use cloth diapers and wipes! Accept hand-me-downs! Breastfeed! I realize that I'm probably starting to sound like a preachy crazy hippie, but really, do the research. It's better for the baby, it saves you a heap of cash, and it doesn't clutter up your house. Yes, it's more work. You have a kid now, grow up.

whew! ::steps off of soap box::