You Can't Be Too Prepared

The mystery has been solved; we received confirmation last Tuesday that we will be having a girl and have decided her name will be Mallory Quinn. We are very excited and can't wait to enjoy the experiences that a little girl will bring into our lives. Of course, I'm also thrilled to have found out because now I can start planning everything; the nursery, registering for items, and the baby shower. You can't be too prepared.

I've already ordered the bedding, which surprisingly I found the cheapest at Goore's. I originally found it online at JCPenney but was a little hesitant because I hate going through the hassle of ordering something based on pictures only to find out it looks nothing like what you were expecting. Luckily I waited to order it because not only was I able to see it in person at Goore's - and loved it just as much - it was also $30 cheaper than JCPenney and I didn't have to then pay for shipping costs. I still have to wait for it to come in as it wasn't in-stock, but I'm fine with that. Considering I haven't completely cleaned out the room that will become the nursery, I figure waiting for the bedding will get me motivated to do so. Once it arrives, I will be able to then start preparing for how I will paint the room. I already have so many ideas formulating in my head on how to design the nursery and can't wait to start putting those ideas in action.

Because I originally had thought we were going to be having a boy - I want my money back IntelliGender! - I had already begun registering for some baby items online that were geared towards a boy. Now that we know it's a girl, I have to backtrack a bit, but no big deal. I don't want to register for items that are totally girl oriented anyway as I like the neutral colors better, and if our next child is a boy we don't have to totally start all over. Prior to registering for anything though, I've been reading up like crazy on reviews not just for safety and durability but also the feedback from moms who have tried the products themselves. I have this book to thank for that: Baby Bargains. It has been my go-to for everything baby gear related and has really taught me a lot of tips that as a first time mom I wouldn't have known about. I have this book highlighted and flagged as if I were studying for an exam. So Baby Bargains book in tow, Jody and I went to Babies R Us yesterday to add some more items to the registry. It's nice to have my husband by my side through this first baby excitement.

I'm sure most people would find it odd that I'm going to be planning my own baby shower, but I'm an event planner so you can't be that surprised. In fact, I don't think I'll ever be able to let anyone else plan anything of mine because now my expectations are just too high and I would never want to put that pressure on someone else. At least I know if it turns out blah I only have myself to blame. Besides, I'm not doing it all by myself; Sasha, my mom, and Jamie will be helping as well. I've already got the date and location set. I've been scouring the Internet for invitations but have yet to see anything that I have to have, so I'm going to attempt to make my own. Went to Michaels and picked up some paper to make a mock up and I'm still not sure if I'm completely satisfied. I've got plenty of time to play around though so I'm not worried about it. It's making the decision to pick a theme that I seem to be struggling with because I have too many ideas; darn you creative mind!