SURFER GIRL NEEDS SOLES

Yes, I am already buying shoes for Beach-Baby Surfer-Girl!

And, I think I have done a pretty nice job of covering all the baby-shoe bases with just these two selections. Metallic for when Beach-Baby wants to feel more elegant (what, you think babies can't feel the need to be fancy?), and then the ever popular and Florida staple, straps-n-foam, flip-flop.

Oh, I truly appreciate how very clever these young designers are. Creating the illusion of shoes, RIGHT on the tiny socks virtaully eliminates the need for shoes.

Well, that won't fly because nothing takes the place of the real deal.

Slipping tiny toes and soles into tiny metallic shoes or flip-flops seems ever so appropriate for a stylish infant.

Buying shoes...one of my favorite things.

HAIR COLOR, NAIL COLOR, NO COLOR

Tomorrow ushers in Week 23, and Britt is looking very natural and very colorless.

Now, hold on. I'm not being rude about the sweetest girl, ever and she is adding flash and flair to all things baby-bump via wardrobe.

No, it's just that Beach-Baby Surfer-Girl needs to understand the sacrifices, Brittany is making. Happily and whole-heartedly.

She wants things to be as natural as possible, hence her two-toned hair in the photo above, taken on, June 23. That is not her typical look.

Same goes for her nails. No color. Just nails. Natural and bare, the way they were intended.

Of course, my nails haven't been bare since, well...that's not the point.

I am wondering How soon CAN you paint a baby's nails?

I'm KIDDING.

But, DO they have baby nail polish?

KIDDING!!

CREATIVE DECORATING AGAINST THE TREND

Yesterday, June 19, marked the beginning of Week 22, so there are still many weeks for planning and decorating a nursery. Infants, typically, don't even need a room for weeks and weeks after their arrival. They prefer to bunk in the same room as their newly-minted parents.
But, we have begun to plan anyway.

Now, and I'm not judging ANYONE, here's the deal. I am on pricey designer overload as I peruse nursery stuff (this really includes ALL baby stuff). It makes me zone-out and I can't wrap my head around the best route for purchasing items. Celebrity parents are so busy hawking ultra-expensive EVERYTHING (which they DO NOT pay for, of course), it seems impossible to know which things are truly worth the cash.

To the point, Britt and I have decided to attempt to swim against that trend and see what we can do via eBay, thrift stores, etc. I don't know how it will work out because I'm not terribly crafty (I don't sew, don't do much of anything sanctioned by the likes of Michael's craft store).

The plan is to take it a step at time and see where it goes, but first we have to get the designated baby room cleared of the exercise equipment currently residing there.

Last weekend Britt was able to snag a wonderful Eddie Bauer swinging bassinet (seen in photo above) from a friend in Fort Lauderdale. It has minor scratches on it, easily remedied with scratch remover and the bedding needs sprucing up (this we can do). We are thrilled with it as the price for a new one is $150.00. Not terribly pricey, but when you have everything to purchase, it's that much we've saved.

The end result could go either way, fabulous-fun, or less-than- fabulous.

Feel free to peek in from time-to-time. We're also open to suggestions. Always.

THE POINTE IS PINK

Could be that we are going a tad overboard in the shopping for Surfer-Girl. She already has over thirty outfits and we've got weeks and weeks to go. Britt and I waited until Week Twenty before we purchased anything, but we are making up for it now.

It's so easy to submerge into the Baby Department of any store. Everything is fabulous. Boys stuff, girls stuff...I love it all.

However, I do question the wisdom of so much one-sidedness in the color selections for both genders.

Although there seems to be stripe-mania in infant wear at the moment (gotta be careful, not all cherubs can carry that look), designers still seem to cut from a narrow pallette.

Why mostly blue and tan for boys?

Why also totally pink for girls?

Pink is sweet and all and makes me think of strawberry cupcakes (a favorite), but kids can only have so much of one or two colors and then everything begins to blend and seem to be one giant outfit.

Britt and I are all over ballerina jazz, so I had to grab the onesie that says, 'Ballerina Cutie". Yeah, in pink-that's my pointe, er, point (forgive me, I'm stuck in ballet-mode today).

AFGHANS SIMPLY NEVER GET OLD

Now that the gender of the baby has been revealed it is time to move into the next phase.

Clothes and stuff!

As Brittany has moved into the first few days of Week 21, she decided to teach herself how to crochet. I say a big BRAVO, because I have never claimed to be the sort to knit or sew pieces of thread onto all sorts of fabric. Just never had that particular gift, but I do admire it. A lot.

So, as I won't be making the baby a quilt or perfect little booties, I did the next best thing.

I went to my stash of Baby-Brandon goodies and what do you suppose I pulled out?

Lovely crochet baby-afghans. Two of them to be exact and they are now washed and ready to put right alongside all the new ones Britt will be creating.

I kid a little bit about this, but in reality they make me happy-sad. You see, these were made with baby-yarn and needles by the loving hands of Brandon's maternal grandmother (M. Patricia) and maternal great-grandmother (Mama, also known as Cora Harris). They still look great and held up splendidly in the wash. They are soft and perfect.

I say, well-done to my mother and grandmother for these baby afghans. I still love them as much as the day you gave them to me for Baby-Brandon and I will love putting the blue-and-white one, made by my mother; and the multi-colored one, made by my grandmother,around our little Surfer-Girl.

Now, I will post photos of the ones Britt crochets just as soon as they are finished. Um, I'm not going to estimate a time-frame, she's a busy preggo, okay?

MADEMOISELLE BEACH BABY SURFER GIRL

Yesterday was the big gender reveal day and it was revealed that Beach Baby Barker is a surfer girl!!

The appointment was in the afternoon, so Britt and I filled the day with girly-stuff.

First, we hit a new cupcake shop in Jupiter called DD's. The cupcakes were great and the staff so nice.

Next, it was time for lunch (yes, we did dessert first) at Cabo Flats in the Downtown shops of Palm Beach Gardens. The food was great and the service, like at DD's, was wonderful.

My nerves were a bit jangled as the appointment grew closer. Can't really explain why. Brandon and Brittany very sweetly included me in the visit and it was unforgettable.

The technician very quickly said the gender (after first confirming that they did, indeed, want to know) and the reveal was followed by screams of joy from all three of us. The baby was moving around and looking so sweet. Yes, I cried.

As soon as we stepped outside the medical facility it was time to call Gerry and, in unison, we said, "it's a girl!"

The evening found us dining out, B went back to the law office, and trying to let it all sink in.

A little girl!!

Oh, my.

Back home I talked to my big sister again and we exclaimed over the sweetness of it all. It was great.

I horned in as Britt skyped with her family back in Texas and that was great fun to see her grandmother (soon to be a great-grandmother for the first time) being so happy. Her uncle and aunt were also thrilled for her. She spent the evening sharing the news with other family and friends.

Brandon enjoyed a celebration given to him by the people at his firm.

Later in the evening I gave Britt a little something for the special reveal day. Coco Mademoiselle, which smells divine and is Brandon's favorite. Was it a sign that I had already purchased that for her and she's having a girl?

Who knows, but isn't the universe amazing?

It was such a special day and I was honored to be a part of it.

TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY-HELP!

Britt is about to enter Week 20, so we're starting to think about their 'Wish List.'

We really can't wait to get started tagging items at Target and other places.

But, here's the biggest question.

What are the must have items and the waste-of-money items?

This is a legitimate question we are discussing because it seems there is such a plethora of baby things with pricing running the gamut.

Chime in and let us know your favorites and not-so-favorite things.

We need help!!