Hilarious Baby Shower Game

I've seen lots of "Bride or Groom" or "Mommy or Daddy" games to help people get to know you at a shower, but I think my version takes the cake!  I was always known to be a goody-goody good girl, but secretly I always know that I am just good at hiding the weird things I've done.  So, I have invented a party game to play with my siblings... It's called "Confessions" and all you have to do is to get everyone to confess something embarrassing that they've done in their life.  I'll be frank.  I had no idea what freaks I spend holidays with.  Sorry guys, just sayin.  I thought I had a doozy when I admitted one of my deepest darkest.  At a family Christmas party, (I stress as a very young girl) I discovered that I had been left high and dry in the TP department and it was a code brown.  I checked the cabinets.  Nothing.  So I did what I had to do.  The back of the Santa hand towel got it.  Then, I simply replaced the hand towel and left.  (So, I guess if nobody invites me to their parties anymore, I get it.  But I was really little, I swear!!!)  Well, my Santa towel story was far surpassed by a crazy story from my little sis, but I'm not at liberty to reveal the shock and awe.  Anyhoo, for my shower, I made a game along those lines... "Daddy or Mommy" and boy did people get a lot of good laughs!  The game has a list of basic info about myself and my husband along with a list of naughty or strange things we did as kids.  Party guests simply had to decide who did it, Daddy or Mommy? Then they held up a little sign that said Daddy or Mommy to indicate their answer, and I got to watch the mouths drop.  My favorite moments were when little old ladies would confidently hold up the Daddy sign, then look at me like I was a sicko.  Haha!  Or when my Mom yelled out, "You did what?!?!"  You definitely have to make your own for the kicks and giggles!  I even taped a copy into Little LB's baby book for future laughs.
 

How to Grocery Shop

Baby-wearing makes shopping so much easier, and it's less likely that strangers are going to poke your baby in this set-up!

It’s hard to figure out how to shop with your newborn baby!  Never fear!  Once you get the hang of it, it will become second nature.  Here are my tips for making your grocery shopping trips a bit easier!

·         If possible, take another adult with you the first couple of times so you can get the hang of it.

·         A lot of moms are afraid to go out at first because germy people are constantly reaching to touch the little papoose.  I could never muster the chutzpah to tell people, “Don’t touch,” but what I could do if needed was ask people to touch her feet.  “Oh, you can touch her feet if you’d like! You know babies, always putting their hands in their mouths!”

·         Use a grocery list app so you can always be adding things to your list and you don’t have to worry about losing a piece of paper.  Plus, you can easily meal plan during a midnight feeding on your phone!

·         Choose a wise time to go out, like 30 minutes after a morning feeding.  You don’t want baby to be hungry during or right after the trip.  You need time to put the groceries away.

·         Pee before you leave.  Nobody wants to pee their pants in public!

·         Leave the diaper bag in the car.  You can run out with baby and grab it if you really need it.  Take only wallet, phone, and keys. (And if you have a spitter, tuck a burp cloth in, too!)  Or you can slide the minimum (diaper and wipes) into your purse if the weather is bad.

·         When baby is old enough to need toys, bring 2 plastic toys that can be thrown in the dishwasher when you get home.

·         Park next to the cart return in case you have to load up your own groceries.

·         Know what you need and be decisive. There’s no telling how long you actually have before your LO loses it.

·         If baby is awake, use the opportunity to chat with the cutie!  I explain the different items we’re getting, what they are, what we’re doing next, etc.

·         Here are some options for how to tote baby:

·         Large shopping trip:

o   Baby in car seat, in main basket of cart.  (Not on top of cart seat! I’ve seen one tip over!)  Put a big sturdy bag (like a 31 bag) under the cart and toss items in bag and around car seat.  You can even have the bagger reload them into the big bag!

o   Wear baby.  Use whole cart!  With an older outward-facing baby, go to the floral department and get a balloon.  Clip to the front of your cart to entertain baby!

o   Baby in stroller with a family member/friend pushing stroller while you push the cart.

·         Small shopping trip:

o   Baby in stroller.  Toss items under stroller.  Perk – no cart to return!

·         If the clerk offers a carry-out, always say yes.  Ask for one if they don’t!

·         When I get back to the car, I snap her into the car seat first so she's secure.  Don’t start your car if you’re not in the driver’s seat. You’ll be too distracted with groceries and baby, risking someone getting in and driving off.

·         It can be overwhelming trying to figure out how to arrange baby, stroller, diaper bag, groceries, etc. into the car.  Remember that nothing really matters except the safety of you and baby.  Turn your back on your groceries, phone, and wallet before you turn your back on your baby.  (That’s why it’s so much easier to opt for the carry-out!  By the time I have baby all situated, the groceries are in and the cart is put away!)

·         When you get home, take baby inside first and set down in a safe location.  If you’re in luck, Pookie will be asleep, giving you time to use the bathroom and put groceries away before the next diaper change/feeding!

Disposable Diapering - The Logistics

Get as much practice as you can with changing diapers before your baby comes! Watch how other people do it, or even watch videos.

1. If your house has more than one story, set up a diaper changing station on each floor. It’s too hard to run the stairs each time! A small basket with diapers, wipes, Aquaphor, and a waterproof changing pad will do just fine!
2. Have a plan for messy clothing so they're not all stained. Here's mine... Rinse and soak dirty clothing in hot soapy water right away.  If I'm too lazy to go to the laundry room, I just squirt on some dish soap.  Spray on some pre-treating (Shout) spray, then wash ASAP adding Oxyclean to regular detergent. If out and about, use a Shout wipe and put clothing in a plastic bag. Clean as soon as you get home!
3. Pick stinky baby up with caution!  Try not to carry baby by the bottom because that poop has to go somewhere.  If the diaper is full, you risk squishing poo out the sides, back, or even front of the diaper. 
4. Getting started, to see if the diaper is wet, check the wetness indicator line, or see if part of the diaper got fluffy.  To see if it’s dirty, sniff to check for a vinegary smell on breastfed baby’s bottom, or carefully peek in the side. Don’t stick your finger in too deep!!!
5. Get everything ready first. Pull out as many wipes as you think you’ll need. For a dirty diaper, I usually use at least 3.
6. Before removing the old diaper, put the baby down on the fresh diaper. Then you can clean up baby, slide off the old diaper, add product, and close up the new one.  If baby starts to "go" again in the middle of the diaper change, it will go right on the diaper!
7. Advice from a NICU nurse on diaper rash prevention: Use a layer of Aquaphor under a thick layer of the red bottle Boudreaux’s Butt Paste. Thick like old-fashioned sunscreen on your nose. Prevention is best!  (Love that stuff! Smells like a delightful pumpkin pie!)
8. Always check around baby’s thighs to make sure the “gathers” are out.  If they get tucked in, poop can leak out easily.  You can see the gathers pretty well in this picture of my tiny newborn love sleeping on my mom!

Disposable Diapering - Prepping

It seems like everyone I know has a different experience with diaper brands, so take advice with a grain of salt! Don’t fret about registering for or purchasing the “wrong brand” because you can save the receipts and exchange what you don’t like or too much of one size. Here’s some advice I received from my mother hens and things I learned from my own experience.

If you look closely, you can see the yellow line on the diaper showing that the diaper is dry.

1. Register for name brand diapers with the wetness indicator line. (The line changes from yellow to blue when the diaper is wet. See pic above. It helps a lot when you’re a beginner and don’t know what a wet diaper looks/feels like.) I liked having the same brand my hospital used so that I could get used to the feel of how to use them.
2. Everyone seems to have a brand they had no luck with.  Mine was Seventh Generation.  It seemed like every dirty diaper resulted in a wardrobe change.
3. Wait until diapers are on sale, you have coupons, and they offer some sort of reward points at your store for them. Check the website Southern Savers to see if you are actually getting a good deal: http://www.southernsavers.com/stocking-up-on-diapers-how-much-to-buy-at-what-price/
4. If you register online, be sure to stop in the store to pick up your goodie bag.  Most places offer good diaper coupons in a little gift bag.  The best one I got was $25 off a $50 purchase of Honest Co diapers. Combining that with an in-store sale and spend $75 to get a $25 gift card, I got those expensive diapers for cheap!
5. If you have packs of both Pampers and Huggies, use the Pampers first. I always felt that Huggies are roomier.
6. Save receipts so you can return/exchange if you have too many of a size.  I know ladies whose babies skipped the Newborn size and went straight to Size 1!
7. Cute designs are so much fun, but if baby is wearing a light colored outfit, you’ll see the pattern straight through!  (Looking at you, Honest Co.!)  Some dresses come with a white diaper cover. Put that on over the diaper, then dress your baby in the outfit of your choice. Problem solved! 
8. Diapers with designs are super sweet for the monthly photo shoot!

A cute diaper, a bow, and a smile are all you need for a sweet monthly photo shoot!