I have two friends who wanted to give me a shower for my third child. I insisted very strongly to them that I did not need a shower, nor did I want one. Where I come from this is just not done! I thanked them profusely for wanting to, but I insisted on them not giving me a shower. Well, they surprised me with a shower, a lovely little dinner out with about 10 people, neighbors and friends who weren't around when we had the first two, since we had lived in a different state then. I was overwhelmed with emotion. So grateful that I had friends who wanted to do this for me, who wanted to celebrate my third child in this way. They went to a lot of trouble for me and I will never forget it. Let them throw you the shower. Amy

Wow, that's scary! I thought they had to take things off the market...apparently not, huh? Although, I must say, oftentimes it is certain lot numbers that are recalled. Could that have been the case? I think I read once that it is not even legal to sell recalled things on craigslist or at yard sales...for instance; car seats, strollers, baby beds.

Well, anything that can't be used after the baby can roll over may have a very short lifespan. My daughter rolled over at 4 weeks, 4 days. One of my strategies was just to do without a bunch of baby gear. I never had a changing table of any kind. My kids have been the kind to flop and flail from an early age so the floor seemed safer to me anyway. I never had an exersaucer or a jumper. The bouncy and the swing were both gone by the year mark. We never used a pack n play at our house and I borrowed one on the rare occasion I needed it for overnights elsewhere. As to strollers, I highly recommend the stroller forum at the Baby Bargains Board and/or Strollerqueen's reviews. For true running, it is hard to beat a fixed wheel Bob. But you absolutely should not run with a baby before six months to a year--think shaken baby syndrome. You also cannot use a Bob, even walking, with a newborn because they don't recline completely flat. You can use an infant carseat adapter, but it is not good to leave a baby in an infant seat for long stretches, both because of flat spot concerns and because the infant seats restrict breathing. Bobs are also heavy, don't fold very small and can't do parent facing (again except when using an infant car seat). So there are trade offs. This is a great example of function totally trumping any aesthetic concerns when it comes to baby gear. Now course, the stroller doesn't have to live in the house for most people as it can be stored in the garage or car. As far as cleaning,I would look for reviews or inspect an item in person to ascertain that rather than relying on product promotional materials. There are some YouTube videos for baby gear--baby gizmo I think?

The fabrics you choose are delightful and I love your window treatments with the coordinating fabrics and ribbon. Your baby will be so happy! Great Job on everything...WOW!