How Horrifying Was The Land Before Time, Really??

"Hey beautiful girl ... where are you registered?"

This text message - short, sweet, well-intentioned though it may have been sent me into a spiral of guilt and shame.  I have not yet registered.  I know that I am halfway through this pregnancy.  I know that people want to buy things - not just for me... for Bo.  

Here's the thing.  Our house is small - relatively speaking, of course.  Realistically, it functions pretty well as the three bedroom, two bathroom house that it is.  Here's the thing - even though I have never birthed a child of my own, all of our bedrooms are currently allocated.  C and I share, obviously.  Des has her own room, and Tyler will be sharing his room with Bo.  When I see photos on Pinterest and Facebook of all the cutesy nurseries that I'd love to be able to replicate, I have to stop and remind myself that this baby, adored though he may be, will not actually know the luxury of having a room of his own.  (Not yet, anyway.)

If I'm being completely honest, the thought of being separated from this child is fairly paralyzing.  I understand that there will come a time when I will want to have my own space again, but seriously, you want me to put him to bed in a different room?  There are two doors between us!  What if a rift opens up in the ground (Land Before Time style), and we were separated by a huge crevasse and Bo had to crawl by himself to the Great Valley to be reunited with us??  

{Short intermission as I get myself together - ridiculous though it may seem, the scene I just described actually did make me cry.}

Where were we?  Oh - registries.  I should really make outlines for these posts. I have limited space for all-things-baby.  I have read and read various articles about what you actually will need and what will collect dust.  Most of my friends, having had their own children or even just a whole heck of a lot more experience with babies than I have must know better than I do what I need.  Besides - what if I pick cute pacifiers out and then he refuses to suck on anything except the ones you get at the hospital?  What if I get the CUTEST manicure set ever and then C (who WILL be in charge of nail clipping) decides that it's easier to just bite them off??  I won't point fingers here, but YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

Most importantly, at the end of the day, it just feels wrong to invite a whole buncha people over for snacks and ask them to give up a Saturday afternoon and BUY ME SOMETHING.  When I got married, I was reprimanded by several people for NOT inviting them to a shower of any sort.  In my heart of hearts, I believed that I was doing them a favor.  I am trying very hard to GET OVER IT.  

I'll register for gifts.  I'll invite people to showers.  I'll remind myself that it is normal and NOT tacky and most importantly, all about Bo.  I am blessed that people love me and my unborn son.  I will write thank you notes, and as he grows, I will tell him who got him which gifts - so that he will always know that we are blessed with the best family and friends in the world.

{In the meantime, if you have suggestions as to what you CANNOTLIVEWITHOUT, please share.  I'd very much appreciate it.}