Yesterday, while picking up the odd bits of mail that had accumulated, I happened to look at the weekly bulletin my church sends out. Turns out that Emily's shower was today (Sunday). I discovered this at 4:30 pm Saturday. So I realized I had to (A) sew the hood on the towel I made and (B) get the rest of the stuff I had been planning on getting.

Burt's Bees baby stuff was out - the only shops I knew of that sold it were either closed, or far enough away that they would be closed by the time I could get to them.

So I debated: do I go to the local Wal-Mart and hope I can find everything I want, or do I drive to the mall (1/2 hour away)? I weighed the pros and cons: Wal-Mart pros: It's close. I'd be unlikely to consider buying anything for myself. If I could get everything I needed, I could be home in less than 1/2 hour. Con: Chances of them having everything I wanted: low, I figured. Will be crowded. Mall: Pro: More choice. Less likely to be stuff everyone else has bought. Con: Far. Will be crowded. I will be tempted to spend money I shouldn't really spend on stuff for myself. It will be late when I get back. I have a headache and don't feel like braving trucks on the highway. I was just down in Sherman on Friday. It will use up a lot of gas.

So I decided to go to Wal-Mart. And they had what I had planned to get: baby washcloths (who knew? I didn't realize they were such a common item). Baby bath for sensitive skin. A rubber ducky - one that even tells if the bathwater is too hot. I also wound up buying a "grooming kit" and a couple more tub toys.

The present was very well received. Other people gave washcloths and soaps but no one thought of a grooming kit or of tub toys. And everyone had to feel the towel and ooh over it. Several people comment that they wanted me to teach them to knit. (I never know if that's one of those polite things people say - like "we should do lunch sometime" but never get around to, or if they were serious.)

So it was a gift well-received. And I feel pretty good that I managed to pick something Emily didn't already have three of.