A friend is throwing me a shower for my 2nd baby, due in November. The 1st time around we had a big shower - rented a room, invited everybody we knew, had a fancy cake & finger foods, and so on. This time I want to do a small get together at my house, very informal. I considered putting "no gifts" on the invites, but our 1st baby was a boy and this one is a girl, so we still need a lot of things, especially clothes! Should we assume that people will figure this out, or is there a polite way to word it in the invitations? We have a registry, but it was more for the "big stuff" our families wanted to get us, like the stroller, car seat, etc. Also what do you think of an "open house" style party where the guests can come & go at any time - we did that for my son's first birthday and it worked out great for us & our guests. Not sure how it would work for a baby shower, but it would be easier for all my friends with kids to not have to sit through a bunch of pointless games. Any tips?
Thanks for all the advice - I love the idea of a baby "sprinkle" instead of a baby shower. We've ruled out the open house, but maybe a ladies brunch or something along those lines. We would do a "meet the baby" shower after she is born, but I'm due at the end of November and I think it would be too busy that time of year for us & our guests. Also to everyone who said we should have just gotten gender neutral everything with our first baby - very funny! When we announced we were having a boy, people got us boy stuff! Our families bought the stroller, crib bedding, etc. and they picked boy colors. This is our first daughter and probably our last baby, so we're going to celebrate her.
I think a "Meet the Baby Open House" would be a lot nicer after the birth. You can send out an announcement, they'll know it's a girl and some people might bring a gift.
I think an open House shower just seems like an invitation to come & drop off a present. Just my opinion. Not a big fan of 2nd showers.
I still think showers for a 2nd or even 3rd child is not appropriate. You and your husband should have thought about all the items you would need for a second child. A small family get together would be more ideal I feel. Did you not get gender nutural items from the first child? I understand that you will need different clothing, but stroller, car seat etc... the big items you should be able to reuse again. Your close friends and family will get you gifts just out of niceness for you and therefore I wouldn't think you would need a 2nd shower.
Why not do a family bbq or something where your husband and son are also involved? Good luck with girls they are expensive even as babies! I wish you the best.
If you are open to it you/friend could throw a meet & greet when the new baby arrives (like a week or two afterwards). No games needed, could do a simple lunch or just a afternoon snack thing. Send out the invites after the baby arrives, include the name and morethenlikely poeple will LOVE to get girl clothes (just about everyone, well the ladies, LOVE shopping for girl clothes, you may get more then you can use!).
If you/friend are set on the baby shower before the little one arrives I would just send out the invites; if you know for sure you are having a girl, make it all pink and pretty, and maybe say expecting a girl. The guest will enjoy buying girl baby clothes (they are SOOOO cute!) even without being told :) Finger food after lunch time for chat and mingling seems like the way to go, usually the most enjoyable!
My friends just threw me a "Spinkle"....like a light shower =). Anyhow, it was just my close friends and family because I was having a boy this time around and didn't have any clothes for him. My friends figured they were all going to get him something anyhow so why not have a get together to celebrate. It was very informal and small and the invites mentioned me needing clothes, plus everyone invited was close enough to me to realize that is what I needed most.
You should really wait until your precious daughter is born. Then have a open house for everyone to come and meet her!
First, congrats on #2. :)
I had a girl, then a boy less than 3 years later. One of my co-workers surprised me with a diaper shower. It was simple appetizers, cupcakes, and each person came with 1 pack of diapers, and I also got some boy outfits! Unless your children are going to be more than 5 years apart, having a baby shower isn't appropriate. There are other ways to celebrate a new baby than to go as far as a shower. Did you keep your crib, swing, infant care seat, stroller? In my "circle", it's frowned upon,- registering for any child other than your very first, is a no no .If it's your family that wants to purchase big things, why register? If you need girl clothes, you should try a luncheon with the intent to receive some clothes or personal items. You might also consider a Meet & Greet for the baby once she arrives, and of course you'll get gifts! Mostly clothes! That could be an "open house" for people to stop in through the day.
I am invited to a 2nd baby baby shower and even though it says no gifts on the invite, I intend to bring a gift. People who go to baby showers want to do just that, 'shower' you and the baby with gifts.
You certainly don't need to do games. If there is a nice table of finger foods, people can mingle and not suffer through the pointless games.
Enjoy and congratulations!
I think you should do a ladies brunch. An open house would be fine, but I think you can simplify it. Just have some food and drinks and sit around and chat. There is no need for games, unless one of your friends wants to do one or two simple ones, but it shouldn't be as elaborate as your first. I would think your friends with kids would be just as happy to sit at your house, eat quiche and drink a mimosa without their little ones around! Besides, people like to see you open gifts and everyone will want to see what clothes you got for the baby and that would be harder to do in an open house. For the invites, just have her put on there that it's a girl and then list some things you might need: Limabean is expecting a girl! Please consider things she and Baby might need like little girl clothes, diapers, wipes, soaps, and lotions.
Most of the babyshowers I've been invited to have the invite front with "It's a Boy!" or "It's a Girl" or "Yikes! It's triplets!" on the front of it.
For the girl ones there has ALWAYS been a note at the bottom (save once when I called) that has their colors: aka pink pink pink, or pink and brown, or green, or yellow, or "anything but pink!"
Since you have the big things... I would also (as a guest) be THRILLED to see a note that says "We've got the big things taken care of... in need girly & practical living things -diapers, receiving blankets, decorations, etc."
I think you should have a baby welcoming party/dinner when the baby comes, not a party prior to the baby coming. You can make that an open house.
You know, this baby is just as special as the first one. Celebrate her life with your friends. People will buy what they want to/can afford to. I love showering babies with gifts. I don't care if it is a first born or a 10th born baby. Each is special. Relax and enjoy. You are right that it doesn't have to be a huge affair, just a small gathering of friends is nice. I assume they are so happy for you also. Blessings!
You can write no gifts. Some people will still give you something. The idea of the shower is that it sets you up for your first baby and you keep the common items until you are done having children...lovely theory anyway :)
Having a baby celebration is fine, but keeping it low key is good. Remember, most babies don't really need all that much to begin with anyway. With that said, second and third baby showers seem to be the all the rage now.
Do what feels best.
If you don't want people's kids to sit through pointless games (as you called them) then don't have any! Nobody really likes games anyway. People like to chat and have a little food and see presents opened. Games are boring wastes of time.
