baby talk

Lately I've had babies on the brain.  I've been attending baby showers, gender reveals and seeing announcements from friends expecting, it seems like constantly! (in a good way!)  It's a super exciting time and it's hard not to get caught up in all of the cutsie baby stuff!  I'm not going to lie, I tend to look at baby stuff when I go to places like Walmart and Target as I'm running my usual errands and I get really excited when I actually get to go pick out a gift.

I recently attended a baby shower and purchased a gift off of the registry, but wanted to personalize it in some way.  Since I've been trying to return to my artsy roots, I decided to draw a very simple picture that coordinated with the gift I was giving.

Everyone loves to pick out baby clothes, but I like to make sure that I'm giving the mom-to-be something they want (off the registry) that will be helpful and useful.  I really love bath time gifts because it's a combination of cute and practical.  This adorable Turtle Washcloth Set popped out at me.  I love the little scrubby turtle!!  I also purchased the matching Hooded Towel because who doesn't die over a newborn in a hooded towel??!

But I wanted to put my own touch on this gift so I decided to draw three little turtles to match the set and simply write the phrase "And then there were three".  I thought this was a cute way to continue the theme while giving a gift that can last much longer than I'm sure the towel and washcloths will.  Since the turtle is very simple, it was easy to copy and color without much effort.  I used my favorite Prismacolor Markers and then cut it out into a 4x6 and found a neutral frame at Michaels.

If you're not the drawing type, it is extremely easy to find artists to personalize something on Etsy nowadays... or you can email me and I'll talk to you about a custom drawing!  *In my excitement/ time crunch to get this gift wrapped, I forgot to take a photograph of the framed final product!!  But it is my hope that my friend will hang it up somewhere in the nursery and maybe I'll get to see it soon! 

Have you ever made a personalized baby gift?  What are your thoughts on purchasing off the registry vs. picking out something on your own?

AND since we're on the subject of babies, I wanted to take a minute to talk about how this can be a sensitive subject for some.  I have been married for almost two years now, and I can't tell you how often I hear the "when are you having kids?!" question.  Now, don't get me wrong, obviously that can be expected... especially from friends that already have children of their own.  And I don't necessarily think there's anything wrong with touching this subject... HOWEVER... I have started to notice that some people simply won't leave the subject alone and as a woman that has chosen to wait for awhile, it can be very frustrating.

It seems to me that in this age of sharing almost everything on social media, it has caused a sense of entitlement for everyone to know your business.  This may seem contradictory coming from a girl that loves to share every minute of her life on social media, but I don't really think it is and here's why.  Social media is an outlet for those that choose to share and those people are the ones that choose what they share.  I see a growing trend of followers and friends not being satisfied and always wanting to know more.  This is that sense of entitlement I'm talking about... well, if they're willing to talk about this, they shouldn't have a problem answering that kind of thing.  But in the nicest way possible, I'd like to express my opinion that drilling a couple on when they are going to have a child is off limits.

I don't have a problem with someone asking if you're going to have children, but the whole when subject really shouldn't be touched.  Having children is a big decision and it's a private matter between two people.  It's something that a couple can laugh off or ignore for only so long, and then it starts to become annoying and it feels invasive.  Every couple is different; every couple has their own stuff happening, and life in general will affect these decisions.  So it feels very uncomfortable when someone on the outside won't drop it and talk to you about something else.  

My husband has been fantastic lately and has calmed me down on more than one occasion when I felt very pressured and almost like I've been doing something wrong by not having a kid yet.  I have seen friends struggle to get pregnant, or put kids off for one reason or another, and unless those people choose to share that journey, it's really nobody's business.  I don't believe anyone means to cause harm or means to make someone feel bad, I just believe we're that type of culture nowadays... people want to know everything about everyone and feel like it's ok to ask if they don't see the info they want on social media.  If you know someone that is thinking about having kids, but they don't really talk about it much and they give you the same answer each time you ask, then it's time to stop asking.  It can be very hard to politely tell people "it's none of your business" and at the risk of hurting a friend's feelings, I think it becomes easier to try to answer everyone's questions.  But that is really unfair and couples shouldn't be put in that position.  You never know what's going on behind closed doors and if a friend is waiting and doesn't bring the subject up, then just let it be and talk to them about something else.  I guarantee you'll be considered a much better friend if you're able to drop it and move on, rather than pester and tell them your opinion on when they should have kids.

Now, let me go ahead and say that if you're a friend of mine and you've asked me this question, NO this isn't my passive aggressive way of chewing you out lol.  No, I am not harboring any bad feelings about anyone and trust me, I understand that people only ask because they get excited.  But as someone in this position, I'm offering advice and hope that friends, family and strangers alike will take it to heart... ask once and then drop it.  If a couple wants to talk about it, they will.  Otherwise, ask them about something else... their work, their home, their hobbies, their family... anything.  Or maybe even go a step further if it's a good friend and ask them if they like talking about the possibility of children, or if they'd prefer to take that subject off the table.  Sometimes people compromise just because they don't want to hurt a friend's feelings.  But again, I think it's an unfair position to put them in.  Babies are a sensitive subject, just keep that in mind.  Pay attention to your friends and understand that even your BFF may not want to go there with you.  And that's ok.

What are your thoughts on this subject?  Have you ever felt pressured to explain your choices?