Beastie Couture and Household Takeover
11 Comments posted by Kristi on Thursday, August 03, 2006 at 7:38 AM
There's only one issue that's really come up in not finding out whether Beastie is male or female. And that's the issue of the Beastie Take-Home Outfit. I didn't have a hard time decorating the nursery in "gender-neutral" colors, because I probably would have done that anyway, although there were some cute sets designed specifically for girls or specifically for boys that I may have purchased had I know the gender. And picking out the furniture and the baby gear (swing, bouncy seat, pack-n-play) etc. wasn't difficult either, since I basically went with my favorite color (green), which, yes, is gender-neutral.
But when I surveyed the Beastie clothes I do have, I realized that while I have a wide array of onesies and sleepers in every conceivable shade of yellow possible, as you can see below, Beastie does not yet possess any "outfits." Why, you ask? Because as we learned this past weekend, clothing manufacturers do not make gender-neutral outfits.
Beastie's shower schwag, washed, folded, and ready to go.
We were on the prowl for a "take-home" outfit for Beastie this weekend. We went to Babies R Us first, since we needed to pick up yet a few more things. Nada. Loads of cute girl outfits-little dresses, skirts, and jumpers. Loads of cute boy outfits-overalls and jeans and Hawaiian print shorts. But nothing that could be worn by a baby whose gender is not yet known.
Then we hit the mall. We went to The Children's Place. Nothing. Then we went to Macy's. Zilch. Then we went to Sears, and finally made the decision to buy two "take-home" outfits, one for Beastie to wear if he's a boy, and one to wear if she's a girl. Both are a continuation of the duck theme going on in the nursery. Behold, the "gender-specific" Beastie couture.
If Beastie has girl parts, she shall wear this home from the hospital:
And if Beastie has boy parts, he'll wear this home:
I've mentioned before that my house is completely overrun with baby gear. It's finally somewhat organized.
Here is Beastie's "downstairs nursery." Since I'm having a c-section (Boo! Hiss! says the nasty lactation consulant), I didn't want to be running up and down our stairs all day long to the nursery. So here's the room that's set up for diaper changes and naps.
And lest you think that babies have no utilitarian value for their parents, I present to you two fabulous books my friend Veronica's boyfriend just sent us. These will be the first books I read to the baby so that Beastie can start earning his/her keep.
I'm way to much of a control freak to not have found out what we were having!
Yeah I am with the princess. I HAD to know. I had 3 ultrasounds and everytime I made them verify that indeed I was having a boy. The outfits are adorable!
If I were pregnant, I'd wait to find out, like you.
Love the drink book!
I love the little dress! Someday if I get preggers, I'm going to wait to find out, too. Smart to set up a downstairs nursery. Most of the parents I know ended up doing something similar regardless of delivery method, only they ended up doing it after they got tired of running up and down the stairs.
The outfits are precious! Can you believe there will be a new little person wearing one of them very soon!? Yippee!
Nice! I would not have been able to wait. I know it's part of the "fun" and all, but me = need to know.
Those books are awesome. I hope it's part of a series that includes "Baby, Pay My Mortgage", and "Baby, Find A Sitter and Send Me to Fiji"?
Boy, I realized that I've not stopped by much this week! You have been posting so much (I've been really lazy). So, I am catching up on comments. First, the breastfeeding cover on that magazine. I couldn't believe all the outrage over that cover. It just kills me that people get so weirded out by such a natural thing. Not to mention the one comment from a person saying that she tore off that cover because she couldn't let her teen (or was it pre-teen?) son see it because a breast is sexual. OK. Just to get back to reality, the main FUNCTION of the breast is for feeding babies. Just because everybody wants to associate boobs with sex doesn't mean that they aren't a functional, useful part of a woman's body, especially in that context.
Next, on that 'B' who led your breastfeeding class...I hope that you get a chance to complete a survey on the class (they often send those out), because I hate it when people are so biased about things and put it on those they teach.
And last, good call on the 2 outfits. Another thing you might've noticed is that girls have about three times as much clothes in stores than boys. So, if you're a clothes-hound, I hope that you get a girl, because you'll have more fun!
OH my goodness it's all happening so fast. And the books! That's just awesome. I should buy the drink one and change all instances of "baby" to "boyfriend"...
I think it's my plan.
Madelyn has that duck dress! She has the whole line! LOL. Everyone that came to the shower apparently fell in love with that line of clothes and so we have the whole duck line!
You are very organized, it appears. Whatever Beastie turns out to be, it is a lucky baby!
Princess-Normally I am too, believe me. I'm still can't believe I held out.
Sunshine-LOL. I would do the same thing, before I went out an bought all boy things!
Shannon-Me too!
L-Yeah, it's a good idea, I think. I'm going to be exhausted enough without having to "stairmaster" myself into a coma.
Marie-No, I still don't believe it!
Karrie-You know me, I'm normally like that too. I also like the Baby, go to Starbucks, and Baby, Scoop the Litter books.
Sher-I'm glad you like them! I like sharing them too.
Dawn- 1. Exactly. The US has a hang-up with sexualizing women's bodies, so much so that they're now seen as a collection of parts, and it's nauseating. 2. We did, but unfortunately she was hovering over us as we filled them out, so we couldn't exactly be as brutally honest as we wanted. 3. Yup-girls have way more clothes!
Christine-LOL.
M-It's an adorable line, and I wanted all of it. But if Beastie is a boy, I don't think my husband would permit me to put him in the dress. ;)
Kenju-I don't feel organized! But thank you all the same. ;)