John & Mindy McCracken's blog: The 3rd child needs some new stuff, too.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

The 3rd child needs some new stuff, too.

Ever since I became a parent I've heard jokes about how parents go from being completely paranoid with the first child (i.e. sterilizing everything, restricting refined sugars and TV until age 2, etc.) to being a little too lax with the third child (i.e. picking the pacifier up off the floor at the restaurant and wiping it on your jeans before popping it back into baby's mouth). I must say that I still fret over each of my kid's nutrition, hygiene and TV time, but I have definitely become MUCH more relaxed about toys and clothes for each subsequent child. ALL of Christopher's clothes were new, he wore only Pampers, and all of his toys, swings, exersaucers, bouncy chairs, etc. were brand new. Practically all of Sarah's clothes were hand-me-downs from people within our church...much to the chagrin of two grandmothers, who were just itching to buy little girl things! All that to say, my baby shower for Hannah was mainly a diapers and wipes shower (generic brands were perfectly acceptable!) and Hannah has been going through well-worn clothes, crib sheets, burp rags, and seat covers that have been washed so many times that the original color is questionable. I'm pretty frugal and incredibly practical, so as long as they're in good condition, my kids are going to wear them/use them/play with them.

However, I noticed that each of Hannah's crib sheets were either stained, torn, sewn-up, or faded, so I decided that I would get her some fresh pink sheets. While at Babies R Us, I also decided to get her a "Bumbo" seat, which helps babies who cannot sit upright on their own to do so with lots of support and freedom of motion. Some friends of ours posted pictures of their 2nd baby in a Bumbo seat and really sold us on it - here. The frugal person in me did NOT like the price tag, but the practical part of me loves how portable this seat is and how it gives Hannah a new vantage point with her siblings as well as with her toys. Plus, she just looks so darn cute sitting in it.
Ok, enough description...here are some pictures.