Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Halloween Happenings

I've finally picked out a Halloween costume for Abby. It's been tougher than I ever would have thought- trying to come up with something- and then, when I suddenly happened upon an idea I loved, it turned out that it just wasn't doable. Last year, before I'd even really taken the time to think about it, Abby received a costume as a gift. So, Tinkerbell it was. And she made a cute one, in my biased opinion.

But this year, well, she's not old enough to really understand the concept or take an interest, so it was up to me. On a trip to Target last week, I happened upon a monkey costume that I thought would look just dandy on Michael, so I grabbed it, and- DONE! It wasn't so easy for me with Abby. I find most princess costumes to be so cliche and gaudy-looking, and many of the other options seemed silly, or downright inappropriate. And I can't even tell you how many costumes I saw that I might have given consideration to if it weren't for the overly-sexy pose that the toddler on the packaging picture was modeling it in; that image ruined it for me every time.

Desperate, and somewhat curious as to what response I might encourage, I finally asked Abby what she wanted to be for Halloween. Her answer? "Dress!" Clearly, she wants to dress up all pretty-like. I'm still not sold on the whole princess thing, though. If she specifically asks for it when she's older I'm not going to say no, but at this point in time I still have some measure of control without having to force it. So, I left Target with only one costume in hand, but hopeful that I might find something online.

Last weekend, when I finally sat down to search Amazon, I had an epiphany. Madeline! Abby adores the books, and it fit her only qualification, which was that the costume have a dress. However, just looking at the picture revealed how cheaply it was made, and the reviews that I found confirmed my initial suspicions. I had a brief thought that I might make Abby my own version of the costume, but I don't own a sewing machine, and I'm not sure where I would find a little straw hat to fit her head in the short time left that I have available to me.

My last, best, chance to find something was the party store down the street from our house, where we made a quick stop after my OB appointment this morning. I didn't find anything that I loved, but I picked out something that I think will work nicely, and Abby has given it an enthusiastic stamp of approval. Tom wants me to keep it a secret for now, but you'll surely be seeing pictures next week after Abby wears it to her second annual Halloween play date.

Regarding that appointment- Raspberry is well, and has made a clear indication of costume choice for this year: Ninja. The little bugger tried his or her best to hide from the doppler, and it took quite some time for my doctor to isolate a heartbeat. Thankfully, I was able to keep myself calm during that time by recalling the most recent bit of movement, which was just that morning. I couldn't help getting a little nervous until I could hear that familiar rhythm, though. Once again, Abby got to turn on the controller, an experience which she excitedly recounted for me this afternoon. And the BPMs? In the 150s. My mommy instinct still tells me "girl," though. Only time will tell if I am right...

1 comment:

  1. Do post a picture of Abby in her costume! :) Yay for maybe another girl??

    ReplyDelete