Registering!

Originally we weren't going to do a baby shower until after we had brought a baby home. There was just to many questions. As I've said before, there is ALWAYS the chance that A could change her mind and decide to parent. Not a single thing is set in stone until she gives birth and signs papers. Up until that moment we are just living a dream pretty much. We are hanging onto wishes and hopes and prayers. As I briefly touched on in my last post though, I have been told many things from both A and her mom that make me believe that she will not be changing her mind. Whenever I text with A she is always thanking US for doing this for HER. (This still makes me shake my head every time as I can not even begin to imagine how anything we are doing is in anyway greater than what she will be giving us.) She let us take the ultrasound pictures, and the bear with the heartbeat inside. I just really don't see her changing her mind.

 At one of our adoption meetings I was talking to another couple about the idea of a shower and the presenter lady came running over to give her opinion. (This was actually one of the few times of the day I agreed with her opinion... but that story would make for a much longer post.) She said how it is important to have a shower, not just for Travis and I, but for our family and friends. They really have very little connection to this pregnancy. They aren't watching my stomach grow every visit. They aren't feeling him move around if they touch my stomach. They aren't going to the dr's appointments with A. They really are very disconnected from this child who will be joining their family. Throwing a shower is one way to be connected.

So with all that said, I was finally convinced to go ahead and do a baby shower before Keegan arrives.

With a baby shower comes the wonderful joys of registering. We started off at Babies R Us. I do believe it required that ALL pregnant women register at Babies R Us. Think back. Try it. Have you EVER been invited to a baby shower where Babies R Us was not one of the stores the couple was registered at. I'm guessing you can't think of anyone. So like the dutiful mom-to-be that I am, to BRU (this is going to be my acronym because honestly I'm just tired of typing out the whole store name) we went!

We walked up to the lovely little table where they do the registries. There were 3 other couples at the table already. Nice big pregnant women who looked highly uncomfortable as they sat in the chairs, rubbing their swollen bellies. Because the chairs were all full Travis and I just stood behind them waiting our turn. Finally the lady looks up and says "ummmmm can I help you mam?" Kind of like she really wanted to say, "Yeah lady, if you want to print a registry you need to go to the big purple machine right over there that says "Print Registry Here" So I just simply said ," We need to start a registry." I watch her eyes glance down to my stomach and then back up "yeah...sure" I can hear her loudly screaming in her head. "This girl must have just found out yesterday she was pregnant and is now rushing out to register." Not in anyway implying that I have flat six pack abs or anything over here... but I surely did not have 6 1/2 month pregnancy belly as the other ladies chilling in the chairs did. The lady points to the end where one couple had just been released into the mecha of baby items to gaze glossy eyed at ridiculous products, and told us to sit in those chairs. After about 10 minutes of dealing with all of the other clearly pregnant moms she finally gets down to us. She gives me the paperwork, which I will say I was thrilled to see there was a question about adoption, and told me to fill it out.

I do, she takes it, puts it in the computer, and turns the screen to have me verify the information. I notice that she had checked the "no" box for adoption so I just politely said that it actually was an adoption. All of a sudden it was like a little gold light shown down on my head. This ladies eyes lit up and suddenly I was no longer the 5 week pregnant girl but I was her best friend. Apparently this lady had adopted her daughter 33 years ago and we then spent a good 25 minutes discussing this. (This happened at Kohls the other day too with the cashier, I find people blessed with adoption LOVE to talk adoption with each other!) So then we finally got sent out into the crazy world they call BRU.

There are about 34,567 products, only of which about 35 do you actually need to raise a healthy, happy child. Here are a two of my favorite items we find in the aisles of BRU:

Here we have "pee-pee teepees". Marvelous item that is primarily used for boy babies. Most people can guess what they are used for. I will admit that I registered for these simply because I like to say pee-pee teepee. I want to be able to write "Thank you for the pee-pee teepee" on someone's thank you card after the shower.

Yes that lady is sucking out her child's boogers by SUCKING them out with her mouth. I don't care if Keegan's boogers taste like chocolate cake, I WILL NOT be sucking his boogers out with my mouth.

I have now just realized, after typing the above paragraph that I have probably just set myself up for many years of nose sucking throught a straw. Many of you know my long list of "nevers" that I have actually done simply because I think God thinks it is hilarious. Well God will probably mail me a nose sucker straw himself and somehow find a way to force me to use it. Just kidding God! PLEASE don't challenge me on this one!

So anways, the lady at BRU told us we should have 100-150 things scanned on our registry. When we hit 35 we could find nothing else that we might possibly scan there. We started scanning really random things. I had fears of us walking back up to hand the lady the scanner and her giving me the evil eye. I could see her calling all of the adoption agencies in Indiana and telling them we were not worthy of a child because we only needed 35 items to raise our baby! UNHEARD OF!

After BRU we headed over to Buy Buy Baby. Not really sure why since I felt maxed out at BRU, but again, it seems like an unwritten baby shower rule that you have to register at BRU and you have to register at a second miscellaneous place. I didn't want to break any baby shower laws, so we headed over to BBB.

Same issues, the lady gave me the stank eye when I walked up, and she literally looked me up and down. I felt slightly violated. Maybe I should have just stuffed a pillow up my shirt for this shopping excursion. I quickly just laid it out on the line for her about the adoption, and then she suddenly became nice and friendly and helpful as well. No adoption stories with her though so we didn't have to chat for to long. Although I did learn that she worked all home Colt's games patting people down. (Just a random tid bit of knowledge for you)

Again we headed out, again we tapped out at about 35.

So moral of the story is that we are now officially registered! I learned there are a million baby products that are made that no one would ever use. I learned that people like you to look pregnant if you are registering for a baby. I learned that people love adoption, rather they have had adoption experience or not. I learned that I love shopping for Keegan and ended up leaving the stores not only registering but also with some new outfits for the little guy! (Honestly I can't walk into any store anymore without buying him something... )

I am still interested in knowing if anyone can produce a baby shower where the mother wasn't registered at BRU though...and if  someone can somehow prove one person didn't register there I just might buy you a nose sucker straw!