Welcome Baby S II Package

My initial plan for this being smaller than the Welcome Baby C Package may have failed ...

Here's the vast majority of the loot - though the hooded towel was still in the works (as I happen to know this mother prefers my mom's way of making them, so I 'hired out' to get that one right).


I was initially going to keep it very small - just the quilt and a couple outfits (see below) and a couple books. That sounds innocent enough...

Baby S #2's mom isn't big on pinks, princesses, or the super girly stuff it's so easy to find, so I started out with a neutral quilt (started before I knew Baby S #2's gender). When I learned the gender, it was fairly easy to add some navy and red outfits - which coordinate well with the quilt.

I did "accidentally" buy a pink and purple bunny ear jacket (you can kind of see it in the first picture). I am not sure Mom S is going to appreciate that one quite as much as I do, but I always tell people that they can return anything they don't want (I'll store it away for future packages or maybe my future kid). And I won't be sad if this one comes back - especially since I know I'm pushing the envelope with the pink...

And yes, those onesies, socks, and the tshirt have all hopped into my cart over the last year (some more recently than others), and they were just begging to join in this package.

I'd really hoped to send a different set of books, but they were more or less impossible to get my hands on by the time I got around to ordering them. Next time? Order the books early if you have to shop online! So, while none of these books are what I set out to get, I still think I picked some good ones that I'm excited about.

• The Matchbox Diary - This one was new to me, but such a wonderful story - not just for the interesting tale of immigration, but also for the rather sweet idea of how to keep a diary without writing. I had a hard time giving this one away... 
• The Paper Bag Princess - Since Mom S does not approve of the run of the mill princesses, I thought I'd give this one a try. 
• Blueberries for Sal - All my life I've been told how wonderful this book was, and all my life I turned my nose up at it because it was a little too simple/boring. Now that I'm an adult, shopping for someone younger than I was when I had my first chance at reading this one, I can see why it was so popular. It was cute - and color coordinated to the quilt - but what really sold me were the pages where the (spoiler alert) mothers turn around to find each other's children behind them. I loved the little bit there about each of them being wise enough to know even a little bear/human could be trouble. 
• Gossie - This was thanks to a recommendation from my sister-in-law and brother-in-law who brought this set of books to my attention. This was the only one of the set I saw in the store, but it's super cute.  
• Baby Farm Animals - I think everyone knows this classic, in fact, I'm a little afraid I may have already sent it to this family for their first child... but it's still a good one! 

Going with the 'no pink' thing here for Mom S... The dotty fabric up top was originally purchased to be part of Baby S II's older brother's quilt, so it feels like it's gone full circle. The rest is kind of scrappy, but I just really wanted to include the robot fabric. Not girly at all (though no one here is saying girls can't like robots!) but the robots and the navy dots make me think of all kinds of space adventure things... 

I love this quilt so much. The fabric line is just adorable - and I think it's perfect for a baby. Well, really, I think it's perfect period, but I really like it for a baby anyway.

Throw in a few things for Mom, Dad, and Big Brother N, and a few toys (see the first picture), the denim quilt so the family has something larger for those beach trips, and I think I'm done. I sealed up the first of the two boxes immediately upon taking these things inside. And trust me, the box is full!

Sadly, there's just no way for me to take these to Mom S in person - much as I'd love to!