Halloween

Julia's first Halloween was also the occasion of her grandmother's wedding. It was a great celebration. We saw lots of family and friends.

Julia planned to be a lady bug but the costume was too small - see funny photos of her in it last month. We had a gown someone gave us with the words "Heaven Sent" on the front and little wings on the back... therefore Julia was an angel. Appropriate I know. : )

Since October weather is unpredictable, we paired it with some white leggings with pink Mary Jane "shoes" - that way people know she is a girl.

We put her in the whole range of colors, including blue, and I guess that is why we get comments often about "how old is your son?" and "he is so cute." Now we try to put her in at least one pink item - hat, hoodie, socks, pants - something! It's become a joke now between us about her gender.

One of my students recently saw a picture in my office and asked if this was my son?!?!? When I mentioned the frequency of this misconception, he said it's because her hair is short.

She's a baby - most babies are bald! : )

Baby Shower # 3

Today was the baby shower at Goodlettsville Middle School where I work. After each shower, I'm filled with such gratitude and warm feelings and think "best shower ever!" Truly each event was special for various reasons and today's celebration was no different. I really appreciate the genuine and generous support I've received throughout my pregnancy. Daily I am asked how I am feeling - teachers see me more often in the halls as I make my frequent trips to the bathroom! : ) - and other curious questions about the pregnancy. It's lovely to be surrounded by such care and concern.

The loot was bountiful! The theme at this shower included books which has been consistent and of course, we're educators. There is a lot of washing/cleaning type items (washcloths, hooded towels, an adorable robe) so the baby will be clean. : ) Also I got TONS of baby outfits, most from consignment stores, thrift stores and yard sales, which I love; again most stuff looks hardly worn. Finally baby Sanders will have some clothes to wear - seriously she or he is set for at least the first year. I also received lots of Target gift cards : ) as well as some gift cards/certificates from Whole Foods/Body and Uncommon Goods which I really look forward to using!

My favorite gift and though it seems unfair to pick a most liked present when presented with such an outpouring of generosity, for those present, they saw my reaction. The "Life is Good" red snowflake onesie and hat are definitely the winner! They are SO adorable and perfect for a December (winter) baby. I have another outfit picked out for the baby's trip home from the hospital, but this one is a keeper and I anticipate the baby will wear it often.

Big shout out to Niki for her second set of shower gifts which are her very creative creations. We now have a peace blanket and earth onesie, a blanket with "Sanders" (no first name since that's a surprise!) sewn on it, a 37216 zip code onesie, and two colorful burp cloths.

The food was good - I cannot forget the food, best part of being pregnant! Whitt's BBQ is so yummy. The dessert was homemade cupcakes (from a local business woman, recommended by a co-worker who always gets her birthday cakes made by her). You know I love the frosting! : )

A BIG thanks to my co-workers who organized a wonderful event - Tara P., Dominique, Jeanie and Niki. You are the best!

Today was blessed for MANY reasons. Happy Election Day!

Baby Sanders cannot wait to meet everyone - soon ...

One down and another to go (for me)

Thanks to all of the Edgehillites who showed your love and support this past weekend. The baby shower was great. One of the attendees said we will have a well-read but naked baby. We got a bunch of great books and some clothes. It was funny.

I will miss the one at Tara's work, but we have one at the house next week and that should be pretty crazy.

Tara's side note: It was great! It was lots of fun, got to visit with some friends I don't see often. The clothes we received were "green" (either recycled (barely used) or organic/fair trade) items which was awesome! We actually have a few clothes from that consignment sale I went to in August. I got an email about another consignment sale in mid-November. I'll be taking a power nap to make that event - you know it! : ) I'm looking forward to the shower on Oct. 18 at our house. We worked on the nursery over the weekend, putting gifts away. We still need a crib and bassinet, but there's always Craig's List and Freecycle so we're going to evaluate our needs after the 3 showers.

POTATO Consignment Sale

Again I've already mentioned that I'm thrifty. Well, there are gods (goddesses, too) and angels giving me such wonderful information. POTATO is Parents of Twins And Triplets Organization. My mother isn't a member - not sure of the year of its foundation. However, my friend, Krissie, is. Her due date is Dec. 14, day after mine; however, since she's having twins I suspect she'll deliver her baby girls before me.

I had invited her to a consignment sale in July, but neither of us could go. Then Krissie told me about the organization's sale on August 23. I marked my calendar of course, but after the first few weeks of school I wasn't feeling too much like going. Something made me and ironically I got there at 12:30pm when most everything is 1/2 off. : )

Initially I was quite overwhelmed. The sale takes place in a large gym at a local middle school and there is tons of stuff scattered around this massive space. You receive a laundry basket when you enter and the place is divided into categories I discovered as I moved around. The clothes are divided by gender (boy, girl) and age groups (example: newborn, 3-6 months, 6-12 months, 2T, 3T, possibly all the way to 5T).

I looked at a few things - breast pump, crib sets, blankets - but I'm not too sure what we really need. Also I didn't really know what to expect and how much some items cost. I called Jai who searched online and checked prices for a Boppy and a Baby Bjorn. Both were significant discounts ($2 & $7.50 each with the 1/2 discount) and I got excited at buying these items on the cheap! I picked up a Boppy cover for $4 as well as 4 receiving blankets and 2 burp cloths, too.

Then I saw baby clothes and it was on! Quite quickly I filled the basket with five adorable sleepers of various sizes and colors (all gender neutral - greens, yellows, browns, oranges) as well as 7 onesies (Days of the week), 3 hats (Winnie the Pooh; I love Pooh!), 6 pairs of socks (so tiny!), a hooded bath towel, a couple of shirt & pants sets, two rompers (the Panda one is my favorite), two PJ sets, and What To Expect the First Year.

TOTAL = $38.50

... SHUT UP! A Boppy alone costs more than $30!

It's awesome! Amazingly like the used maternity clothes, the stuff is in good shape, especially for messy babies. However, they grow out of clothes quickly too. A couple of items had the original tag - never worn!

As I was checking out and paying I saw more sections with videos, toys, strollers, mattresses, high chairs, even maternity clothes. I had to stop, but I learned that there is a sale in April. I cannot wait to go and get more clothes for hardly any money! : )

Side note: The volunteers working the sale are POTATO and were extremely nice and helpful; one woman, a former co-worker, is Krissie's mentor. It truly is a small world. Also the financial cost is a big savings for Jai & I, but these parents also are making back some of the money they've spent on their children. It's a big circle.

Recycle, reuse, reduce!