I would totally rather go to a "meet the baby!" party!! That sounds adorable!

I'm sure she means well, but I get annoyed by people who want to do things for someone, but on their terms. January seems both too close to the holidays and too close to motherhood. Also, you'd make a whole planeful of people try to remember first aid and whether boiling water is really necessary.

Sparky, that's a great idea! I definitely want people to feel they don't have to get us anything big (or anything at all), but just about everyone we know would love to buy us a book, I'm sure.

Kate, you can always mention that you want to stay close to your doctor as the pregnancy progresses - it's your first and I'd imagine you'd be nervous. By June you should have gotten over the first phase of being tired and hormonal; and June may be better for traveling - very little chance of snow delays.

People are really excited to buy stuff for babies, I think. Or at least, I am.

Yeah, June has the advantage in all kinds of ways. I don't know if I'd feel so nervous about traveling at 7 months pregnant in the summer, but somehow in February, it just seems like asking for trouble. And there are no direct flights from Nashville to Hartford, so that's a total of four flights that could be delayed or cancelled due to weather. And I really don't want to have to spend the night on an airplane floor (or pay to spend the night in another airport Comfort Inn) in my third trimester.

Kate, I think your mom is going to understand and it's going to be a much easier phone call than you're anticipating.

I love Sparky's book idea!

Yeah, June has the advantage in all kinds of ways. I don't know if I'd feel so nervous about traveling at 7 months pregnant in the summer, but somehow in February, it just seems like asking for trouble. And there are no direct flights from Nashville to Hartford, so that's a total of four flights that could be delayed or cancelled due to weather. And I really don't want to have to spend the night on an airplane floor (or pay to spend the night in another airport Comfort Inn) in my third trimester.

This sounds totally reasonable, and once you explain it to your mom, I'm sure she'll understand.

People are really excited to buy stuff for babies, I think. Or at least, I am.

Tim's niece is expecting her first baby at the beginning of January, and there was a shower this weekend where the hostess asked people (it was all family) to bring family stories to share, ideally written down (she provided paper in the invitation) so that they could be saved in an album for his niece (and, eventually, the baby). It was really cool.

I keep wanting to buy wacky shit for the baby, like a onesie I saw that said "I can't go back to prison!", but Tim keeps nixing them.

I keep wanting to buy wacky shit for the baby, like a onesie I saw that said "I can't go back to prison!", but Tim keeps nixing them.

WHERE DID YOU SEE THAT?? My friend's baby needs it.

WHERE DID YOU SEE THAT?? My friend's baby needs it.

I think maybe The Bloggess' CafePress store. Let me look.