So, I'm completely done registering. And my baby shower invites have been sent out. Most have reached their destinations, some are still en route. A few people who haven't yet received their propositions to buy me stuff have asked me, via text or Instant Message, "Where are you registered?" To which I respond with the baby emporium my husband and I chose. And then the slightest twinge of anxiety begins to set in. I feel like I'm about to be judged.

Truly one of the most daunting things I've had to deal with thus far in my pregnancy is figuring out what to register for (I'm lucky, I know). My experience with babies and infants is scant, and my knowledge of baby "stuff" is virtually non-existent. So, of course, when it came time to put together a list of stuff my little one and I will need, I had an influx of (welcome) advice.

Most of the suggestions were invaluable. I'm now schooled in the various types of swaddling blankets, and I'm 100 percent confident in the stroller I've decided to go with. But, in spite of my lack of knowledge, based solely on common sense, other things just don't seem all that necessary. In fact, they seem completely superfluous, particularly for a person who lives in a one-bedroom apartment. Here are five items I refuse to register for.

Dr. Benjamin Spock's ninth edition of Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care is here, new parents! So don't you fret about raising that baby on the way. Even though the eponymous child rearing expert died over a decade ago, his wife and apparently a very modern team of editors carry on, and we now have an updated book that tells parents everything they need to know about bringing up baby.

Forget your Sears, your Karp, your ladies who whisper at babies, Spock was the first parenting "expert" to tell parents to learn to trust themselves, and to care for their children rather than ignoring their needs. Also (and this is my favorite thing about the good doctor), Spock's philosophy was to guide, not demand. So it's information rather than advocating for a certain parenting style. Spock got that every parent and every child were different and had to make their own choices.

So, then, after all of that, what is so dramatically different about the ninth edition of Dr. Spock?

Are you pregnant? Are your lady friends planning a big pink or blue bash in your honor? That is super nice, and you should thank those gals for making the effort. But why not slip your partner's name into the mix when they ask you to provide an invite list? After all, he's responsible for half of that baby's DNA in there. Why can't he celebrate? Or be celebrated?

In fact, including the menfolk into the baby celebration just might be the best way to start your family off on the right foot, moving forward instead of staying stuck in the dark ages.

Whenever I get cranky about my husband getting home late from work (which is like, daily), I'd be doing myself and everyone around me a huge favor by remembering what I learned last week at BlogHer from my friend and expert party organizer who pulls together Operation Shower. Which is, buck up lady, the father of your children is not getting shot at on a regular basis. 

Operation Shower, for those of you not familiar, is a non-profit organization that throws baby showers for future parents who are dealing with military deployment as well as bringing a new baby into the world. It's an incredible gift to help out these women who are facing a lonely entree into motherhood and need all the support they can get. 

So instead of moaning about traffic in LA that delays my husband's arrival and help with bath time, here's what I can do to help the next time I'm feeling sorry for myself.

So Denise Richards had a fabulous, beautiful baby shower this past weekend in honor of her newest daughter, Eloise, who she adopted last month. Much like other fabulous baby showers there was food, gifts, flowers, and fun for everyone. Unlike most baby showers, however, Richards threw this one for herself.

You would think some of her fancy famous friends who were in attendance, like Tori Spelling, Lisa Rinna, and Nancy O'Dell, would have stepped up and thrown one for her, but whether they offered or not, somehow Richards took the reins and did it herself. At first it made me sad to think that she had to do it, and that maybe no one considered doing it for her since it is her third baby and all, but upon further consideration, she just may be onto something here. While traditionally it would be considered one big gaffe, throwing your own baby shower could perhaps be the best thing ever.

Think about it ...

I wish I looked half as chic as Jessica Alba at either of my baby showers! It's pretty tough to pull off an outfit this cute when you're as heavily preggers as Alba was at the West Hollywood baby shower thrown by her friends this weekend. I'm betting there's still plenty of gear left over from daughter Honor Warren's infancy for her soon-to-arrive sibling, but it is undeniably fun to get all-new goodies for Baby #2.

And can we give the lady a round of applause for rockin' those shoes?? Alba must have some pretty phenomenal balance to be able to get around in heels like that when her center of gravity is, well ... way off-center.

I also love that Alba took to Twitter right away to thank the friends who gave her the shower, saying that it was "perfect in every way."

Hold onto your hypocrisy, ladies and gentlemen! Track Palin and brand new wife Britta Hanson are expecting a baby, making Republican Rock Star Sarah Palin a grandmother for a second time. What's the big deal, you might ask? Track and Britta have been married for two months! Well, the big deal is Britta just had a baby shower and has quite the bump. Not a two-month bump, and nobody has a baby shower when they're still in the "should we, or shouldn't we tell" phase of the pregnancy.

Honestly, would you have a baby shower when you were only two months along?