I've been working on our registry. The whole idea of a registry goes against the principles we've been trying to live by—consume only what you need, buy new as the last option, etc. But we realized that even if you try to do it simply, you do need a significant amount of stuff for a baby.
So I made a list of priorities for us as we build our registry:
Can something else serve this purpose?
Buy locally made. If that's not possible, buy locally available. If that's not possible, buy fair-trade.
I've been sticking to the locally available and organic/natural guidelines pretty well, but it sure is easy to get wrapped up in what people say you "need" for a baby. I mean, do you really need that many different types of linens for an 8-pound human? Wash cloths, burp cloths, receiving blankets, swaddling blankets, and on and on. Maybe you do—I guess I won't really know til I get there. And so I'm probably going a little overboard and putting things on the registry you can live without pretty easily.
So here's my pledge to anyone out there who's actually interested in all this anti-affluenza pregnancy talk: As I discover what you actually do need versus what's just nice-to-have, I'll share that here. I'm sure it's different for every baby and their parents, but at least it will be a starting point.
And if you know of a knowledge base like that already out there, please let me know!
I could have this baby anywhere from 9 to 14 weeks from now. What I really want to be doing is getting our house ready, working on our registry, and mentally preparing myself for the work of labor. But we're hosting two (!) holiday parties this weekend, I'm helping to coordinate two groups adopting families in need for the holidays, and we have two of our own Salvation Army angels to shop for. I did this to myself, I know. And it's one of the things I love about the holidays—the crazy busyness.
But I should have been more protective of my time because I feel a wee little breakdown peeking its head around the corner at me every couple of days. I'm so busy I don't even have time to get my celebratory turned-another-month-milestone massage this weekend! There's something not right about that, huh?
But I know I'll get through it. In a couple weeks, it's going to be all baby prep all the time. I promise.
