NHGR: baby showers

[prazenjc]

 i guess i have been so influenced by this board...

 we are pg with our 2nd child. it is a girl and we have a son. we are both older parents, easily established in our work/jobs, not lacking for anything. so, when we decided to have a 2nd we don't really need much, just girly versions of clothes, bibs, blankets, etc. (were fully expecting to buy what we needed, with the exception of a gift here or there from family and closer friends). the bedding we had for DS was fairly gender neutral, even though we knew he was a boy, so it will work just fine for our baby girl. i was planning on buying crib sheets that are not blue or predominately boyish, but could just live with what we had too. she won't really know one way or another.

 anyway, after a recent birthday supper we were picking DS up at friends that babysat for us and she shared that she and another friend wanted to throw me a shower. i giggled playfully and said "really? ok, thank you." she said "yes, you are having a girl and we need to celebrate!" she seemed a little surprised at my response and i just gently explained that we have most of what we had from Preston, so.... but i would never steal someone's joy at wanting to gift our little girl with something and i enjoy a party. i just never expected it. maybe it is more common here than where i grew up (just a couple of states over).

 she also asked if i would want any of my friends from work invited. well, i work in a fairly central suburb of chicagoland, most of my work-mates live in the southern burbs, where i am out in the western burbs. so, when i asked some at work, i found they had been planning a small shower of sorts, too! it WAS going to be a surprise.

 i expected a couple of things here or there, to be given as gifts--who doesn't like to shop for a baby girl? but, am genuinely a little surprised by all the shower plans for my 2nd child.

 ETA: LOL, yeah, i guess the question part was wondering if anyone else ever had to deal w/this and if you just succumbed. that is what i decided to do, b/c isn't it just as rude to say, oh, no thank you, we have this?

[emjacobs]

Congrats!! I'm not sure if there was a question involved here or not but showers are fun!

[tarheels]

Sprinkles for second children of different genders are perfectly ok. And if your friends don't want to sprinkle you and want to do a full on shower, and obviously many people had this same idea if two groups across town had the same idea, then there's NBD. Enjoy yourself!

[Deleted]

Have fun! Enjoy all those people that love you and want to be happy for you!
I'm easily influenced by the internet sometimes too. Then I have to remember a lot of this stuff is regional, family specific, personal and not necessarily an across the board etiquette thing. Also, anyone can be Emily Post from a keyboard. Right or wrong, it's okay for people to show love and congrats sometimes in whatever way they see fit.
If they want to throw you a shower, that's awesome. It wasn't like you made a registry and demanded one..lol..that'd would be a problem.

[magdala]

Congratulations on your forthcoming little girl. Congratulations on having friends who want to celebrate your baby. Enjoy the sprinkle (second child, mini shower) and thank everyone involved.

[sierramist03]

I was also going to say a sprinkle. You are still being blessed with a child and people enjoy celebrating but I think with a sprinkle its more fun stuff since you have the basic needs.
Congrats and enjoy your "showers"

[emoflamingo]

Congrats! I think my boat was slightly different (my first is so much older than my second) but I had a shower too. It wasn't big, but it was very lovely and I had fun. I didn't expect it, I had already started buying stuff myself, but my MIL and SIL wanted to do it so I let them.

[bunnymendelbaum]

My friends had a sprinkle for me and I had another daughter. It was just a night of getting together, eating and chatting. They gave me gifts for me (lotion, nail polish, a massage gc, etc) though.

It was great! I felt lucky to have such good friends. Enjoy yourself at yours. You have great friends too.

[prazenjc]

Mar 23, 2013 17:52:19 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

Congrats! I think my boat was slightly different (my first is so much older than my second) but I had a shower too. It wasn't big, but it was very lovely and I had fun. I didn't expect it, I had already started buying stuff myself, but my MIL and SIL wanted to do it so I let them.

 i think part of the reason i was surprised is because i had just recently in the last month or so started really spending $$$ on the things we need when she arrives. i have all the sleepers we need for when she is born, almost all the clothes for the first 3 months, and towels/wash cloths. i was just getting ready to focus on the next things on my list. glad i found out about these, b/c i don't have to feel as rushed (i have a latent fear that i will have complications similar as i had w/my son, which resulted in 1 month in the hospital before he was born & his being born premature, so i have also been trying to have everything ready sooner). everything is just going to work out.