Just you wait…that huge list of stuff will be used up, filled up, outgrown or obsolete before you know it. Baby shower gifts (generous they may be) are like filling your car to 1/4 tank before driving cross-country.

I have yet to be amazed by the sheer volume of STUFF that accompanies having a child. You’ll go through so many diapers that you’ll wish you could just safety pin dollar bills to the kid’s butt (it’d be cheaper) Then there’s toys, and food, and toys, and bottles, and toys, and pacifiers, and some more toys, too. And you know what? On top of that, you’ll be walking through Wal-Mart or the mall, having a conversation about what to do with all of the stuff the kid has already, and you’ll see a toy or outfit that they just HAVE to have, and you’ll come home with even more.

Being a parent is a truly rewarding and fulfilling experience. Enjoy every day of it, but make sure you enjoy these last few pre-kid months. You won’t get time like this again until Small Gribble is in college. I sometimes miss it, but when I do, all it takes is for a pair of little feet in her Elmo footy jammies to come running into the room shouting “Daddy, Daddy!” and I’ll take the trade off any day.