It's Times Like These

It's times like these when I realize life has gotten the better of me. I stand there, overwhelmed, stressed, and in a mood that could swing violently from break-down-and-cry to yelling-at-you-for-no-good-reason faster than a pendulum.

And why would I be feeling like this tonight, you ask?

Because I went to register for my baby showers tonight.

As I stood in the store (with my amazing sister-in-law and her beautiful if somewhat cranky 2-year-old twins), surrounded by a gazillion baby items, my blood pressure began to rise. There is absolutely no way I could know exactly what I needed. And even if I used the checklist provided by the store, how do I know what brand is best, especially without diligently researching first? And if I took the time to research everything I was about to ask my friends and family for, I'd be sitting in front of the computer from now until the actual date of the shower.

So after an hour of walking around and basically pointing the registry gun at whatever my SIL pointed at (and she has good taste and knows what she's talking about), I walked out of there feeling like I needed a redo. I'm a planner by nature, and I simply had not planned this trip well enough. I had not sat down and considered things like regular stroller vs. jogging stroller, generic bottle vs. bottle that claims to prevent colic, Diaper Genie vs. Arm & Hammer diaper pail, baby wipes for sensitive skin vs. extra thick. How the hell am I supposed to know what kind of wipes my kid is going to need?

And due to time constraints for the little ones (past their bedtime) and the fact that I am one of the world's slowest shoppers but didn't want to take up too much of my SIL's time, I didn't make informed, well-thought out decisions. I just went for it and thought, "I can always go back and look into that, or just re-register for another one that fits my style." But, as I'm sure you've already realized, that requires twice the work.

So I felt like I had just wasted my night (which I hadn't, but in the moment I was being dramatic). So I did the best thing to calm my nerves: I walked over to Barnes & Noble, got some coffee, and perused.

And I felt my blood pressure drop, my breathing even out, and my heart rate slow.

And I came to this conclusion: I do not need to be overwhelmed by the amount of stuff a new baby will need. I do not need the latest gadgets and gizmos galore. My baby will be happy if she is fed, sheltered, and loved. Everything else is just extra, and there's no reason to get worked up about it.