big shopping weekend...with MIL

So.....in the great tradition of this blog, I must talk about the overwhelming mother-in-law. Let me back up, though.

This past weekend, I had planned to go to Babies R Us to register with my sister in law. We've had our differences in the past but I think we get along fine, and I've always had a good relationship with my brother. My niece, her youngest, is four, so she hasn't been out of the game too long and I figured it would be good to go with someone not too far removed from all of the gadgets of motherhood.

It was great. She showed me to the big stuff, what I would really need, took things out and checked on ease of use, use of space, all of that. She shared advice that she got and showed me what I should get that she ended up buying herself. We were there for like two and a half hours and my poor niece was stuck in the shopping cart making drawings of her family.

I specifically didn't share with my MIL when we were going to do this. Going with her would not be the best day for me. Her baby advice is 25 years old (d-man's brother is 25). Plus, she already has this push of everything that her daughter does, uses, thinks is great...on me. It's annoying but I have to suck it up, and here's why....

We went shopping for a crib and dresser on Sunday. MIL had said that she wanted to buy us a crib (well, my in-laws, but FIL didn't come), which is awesome. We went to a store with really nice furniture. I made sure d-man was coming along. I liked the store a lot. She ended up buying both the crib and the dresser, and now I feel like we are in her debt a bit, which frustrates me. At least she didn't push the white crib she sent me in an email. (I HATE white bedroom furniture....her daughter of course has that). I made the mistake of saying we should stop by Babies R Us to look at bedding...since d-man was with us, we were in that mode. Well, not the best idea by me.

I looked with d-man and we didn't get anywhere with the bedding, but I figured I'd show them what we had registered for since we were there. That was fine, but then she wanted to look at other things....and started telling me that I needed this and that, and I had to register for what she thought was right. One thing that stuck out was the swaddling blankets that she said I should get since her daughter had them. I registered for the basically ready to go, just stick the baby in it swaddler thing and her comment was, "well, d-man can use that but you can use this..it's better." First of all, why is it better, and second of all, what makes her think d-man won't be able to do it and more importantly that I will be?? I've never done it! I think the last time I changed a diaper I put it on the wrong way (my poor nephew...who is now 8).

The other part of the day that was annoying was as we were leaving when she started saying how I'll be calling her asking her to come over ALL THE TIME, that I will need help and she'll be right there with all the answers. Um, no, maybe on occasion, but I am NOT MY SISTER IN LAW! (who totally does that, d-man's sisters both do, and one doesn't have any kids). AND, I have a mom. I actually may call her, go figure.

to be continued with this one....