Last weekend was Shannon’s baby shower, and the house was filled with women. It was just me and Gandalf the cat versus seven: Shannon, her mom and sister, Chloe the cat, our friends Maya and Tonua, and our soon-to-be sister-in-law Michelle. Fortunately for Gandy and me, they’re all pretty cool ladies, so we didn’t mind.

Not wanting to sully a feminine ritual with my dirty, dirty boyness, I made myself scarce for most of the actual shower part. I got back just in time to put the stuff together.

And what a pile of stuff it is. A bassinet, car seat, a stroller, a diaper bag, a pack-and-play (pack my butt, the thing weighs a ton), several swing-type-things, a toy set, a bunch of diapers, clothes, little bitty socks, and who knows what else. The packaging alone is going to be an adventure to dispose of. I imagine there’ll be a big sigh of relief when the cardboard shows up at the recycling center: oh, so that’s where it all went.  While we were putting it all together, I had flashes of Christmas future, I think, and I’m starting to acquire the sense of foreboding all fathers have for those three little words: some assembly required.

Still, even the assembly was fun.  It was a wonderful, busy weekend, and a good time was had by all.