I was at my Sip and See: sip champagne and see the new baby.  Because she is my fourth child, a traditional baby shower complete with games and a gift registry was unnecessary.  In fact, I begged for the invitation to read “No Gifts Please,” but was ignored by my gracious hostesses.   And so I sat in a chair amidst a pile of gifts and began to add to my already vast collection of baby gear.

At this point in my parenting career, I’m ready to purge. I can’t wait until the baby outgrows the infant car seat, so I can FINALLY give it away. I can’t wait until she’s too big for the swing, so it can cease being part of my family room furniture. As I opened my gifts, I thought, “there can’t possibly be anything this baby needs.” How wrong I was.

So, here in reverse order is my top ten:  all new items that I discovered on this, my fourth and final child. How did I ever live without…

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I recently attended a lovely baby shower in honor of my friend who is expecting her first baby (a little girl!) in early May. Old and new friends along with several generations of both the mom- and dad-to-be’s families (who flew in from out of state!) celebrated the occasion with some lively games, a champagne brunch and plenty of “ooohs!” and “awwws” as each gift was revealed.

I guess I’m getting to that age where I’m actually becoming quite a seasoned veteran attendee of baby showers. Though, for as many baby shower games for which I’ve participated, I’ve yet to win! I do have a few favorites, however, that I’d love to share along with a few new ones which I was introduced to last week. If I’ve missed any of your favorites, please feel free to comment with yours!

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