Baby showers are a lot of fun! For your first baby. When you are having a baby shower for your second baby, regardless of having a different gender, things begin to get dicey. Who do you invite? Do you still have a registry? At first I was hesitant to even have a shower, but several family members coaxed me into the idea, assuring me it is perfectly fine. In planning my second baby shower I have been struggling with some of these hurdles and found ways to manage negative connotations that may be associated with the event.
Should I Register?
I want to celebrate the birth of our son, but I do not want anyone to feel that I am gift grabbing. I am not looking to have a baby shower just to receive clothes and toys for the baby. I genuinely want an excuse to celebrate with all our friends and relatives since I am just as excited about this baby as I was about our first. But I know a lot of people who really do want to get us stuff, so I feel as if I should have a registry more as a guide. I did not put down where we are registered on the invitation, and only mention we have a registry when asked. This way, if someone is not looking to get us anything, they should not feel obliged to do so.
What should I register for?
Again, stressing I am not trying to have a shower just to get gifts, I thought it would be best to register for small items that would not set anyone back, but would make everyone feel comfortable giving. This way, those who feel they cannot show up without a gift have something, and the rest of our guest list doesn’t have to worry about it. I comprised my entire registry of onesies, pacifiers, and booties. Nothing is over the $5-$10 range.
Who Should I Invite?
This too becomes a concern. We were so excited when I was pregnant with my daughter we invited everyone we knew to our baby shower. It was a massive event which took almost as long as a wedding to plan and coordinate. Even though my excitement has not weaned, others’ has. This time around, we limited the invite list considerably. We kept it to family, and a few close friends. Now I am beginning to wonder if we limited it too much. I fear some of our friends may feel slighted that they were not also invited. What if they hear about the baby shower from mutual friends and feel as though we do not perceive them as important? Will they wonder why we didn’t want them there celebrating with us? Hopefully not.
What do you think about second baby showers?