Our First Halloween

True, Bri did do Halloween last year. I didn't help select the costume. I didn't dress her up. I didn't take her trick-or-treating. I figured she wouldn't remember anyway. She doesn't.

This year Halloween was a bigger deal. I have a two year-old that can say, trick-or-treat, thank you and happy Halloween. Darn fun. 

The costume - I couldn't get buy in for any of my original ideas, so I focused on costumes that Bri would be excited to wear. Elmo, Yo Gabba Gabba ... You know. I flipped through images online asking Bri if she recognized the characters in costume form. She recognized them. She wasn't excited at all. 

10/22/11 It was urgent. If I couldn't find Bri a costume the weekend before the weekend before Halloween, I was probably going to have to make one. Since no cold days in hell were scheduled, it was urgent. PARTY CITY was amazing. I found myself staring at a big wall of pictures of costumes. Small bins of props were at Bri-level. Tiaras were cool, over-sized glasses were alright, weapons were tough to explain. "Which one do you want to wear?" I asked not knowing where to begin. "Pirate!" Of course, I was wondering how a little girl comes to recognize pirates so easily... Bri was chanting "Pirate" and I saw a startled - and maybe slightly annoyed - employee making his way toward me to lend a hand. "Do you want to try on more than one? A princess?" Bri says, "No. A pirate. I say 'argh.'" So, you know, I couldn't think fast enough to find a second option in her size and all my memory can see next is the dressing room and the most perfect little dress. I say 'argh' and Bri answers back with another hearty, fist-raising 'argh." Settled.

She insisted on trying it on twice. I only let her wear the dress because I was cautious about opening accessories too soon.

When she finally wore the whole thing, she totally owned it. A dry run at the pumpkin patch 10/28. A party where her dad and I also wore pirate costumes 10/29. And Halloween 10/31. My darling silly pants started as a moody pirate, worked her way into a quiet, shy pirate and ended snatching handfuls of candy from amazing parishioners at the church next door to my mom's house. She's such a real person.

Get at least 2 of these 10 Things New Parents Don't Need (Opinion)

This article 10 Things New Parents Don't Need surprised me. New Parents get everything that you think you might use. Get everything that makes you feel like your baby will be safe, be pampered, feel loved ...
Here are these 10 items with my comments:
1 & 2. Designer nursery and bedding - Decorate the room to your tastes and take an insane amount of pictures. Even if you end up having five children there is nothing like the specialness and newness of preparing for the first.

3. Changing Table - True, you could use a chest of drawers, but these "one-purpose items" are built for exactly what you need them for. They're the perfect height and made to match the crib you picked out.

4. Bassinet - So funny that this article has a picture of the exact bassinet I had for Bri. Expensive, but handy. My former home office was coated in paint, newness and specialness, decorated with monkeys, plush dolls and pink. It wasn't my bedroom though.When the bassinet arrived I felt relieved. The closer I got to my due date the less I could image putting my little girl to sleep far away in my former home office. PLUS being a new mommy is exhausting. Bri would probably like me a little less if I had had to walk down the hallway every two hours to feed her during those first months. 

5. Expensive newborn clothing - Live within your means, yes. Cute doesn't have to be expensive. But try not to penny pinch too hard. When your little one grows out of those first sizes you'll realize how quickly that time passes and be glad that your kept your little one well dressed.

6. Video monitor - This may be the only thing the author and I agree on. Unless you live in a huge home you probably won't miss the sounds your little one makes. I'd recommend spending $30 - $50 for a regular monitor and piece of mind. However, if there's little to hear there's even less to see. I can't think of a real reason for you to "need" this item.

7. High chair - I didn't have a high chair for Bri I had a booster seat like the article recommends. There are some really fabulous high chairs out there though. From 6 months to two years could easily be worth the $100 - $200 for a dining room piece of baby decor.

8. A wipe warmer - I admit it: I had no idea they made such a thing until I was making my registry list and my mom mentioned it. I don't know if Bri is as "tough" as the article author's children. I'm certain that she would've survived cold wipes though. You need this item because its convenient - mine had a light and was super easy to open and fill - and its a low cost way to pamper delicate skin. 

9. A lot of anything - We can split the difference on this one. Your baby will certainly have preferences but there are things like onsies and bottles that you'll want to have enough of that you're not doing laundry all the time.

10. Diaper Genie - Three things regular trash cans don't do: 1. hold a bunch of diapers while using little space 2. keep you from smelling the old diapers every time you lift the lid 3. reload easier than a regular trash can. Just sayin'.

Times are hard for a lot of people. Most of these items aren't big ticket things. There's a difference between spending too much money on luxury items and spending what you can afford on items that keep special times simple and make them memorable.