I am due in November, and my DH's grandmother (who is extremely sweet) approached me a few months back and asked if she and her sister (DHs great aunt) could host a baby shower for me. I agreed and was grateful she offered!
Grandma called me last Monday to check to see that I was free on the intended shower date, which is scheduled two weeks from now. I ensured her I was free on that date and told her I wouldn't miss it! On Friday I received an invite to the shower (sent by grandma) that read, "Please join us for a joint baby shower for OP and Stranger"!
Um...
I was completely unaware that this would be a joint shower, and I have no idea who Stranger is. I asked DH who Stranger is and he replied, "I think that is great aunt's neice? At least, I think so... I've never met her."
Now I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I feel really weird about this whole joint shower thing. 1) DH and I have never met Stranger, so there are bound to be many people in attendance that I don't know. 2) Am I expected to buy a shower gift for stranger? Or are the guests that are invited that only know me obligated to buy Stranger a gift? 3) Likewise, will the people invited that only know Stranger feel obligated to buy me a gift?
To make things worse, DH's mom called him yesterday crying that SIL (who is 19 and still lives with MIL) was invited to the shower but she wasn't. (DH's parents are divorced, but the divorce was amicable and MIL and FIL get along well.) She kept asking DH, "What did I do wrong? Does OP not want me there?" Sigh...
How do I handle this without sounding like a spoiled brat who doesn't want to share the limelight? Honestly, I wouldn't mind a joint shower with someone I was close with, or with someone who shared a majority of the same friends/close family members. Plus I can't lie and say the date doesn't work for me because I already told grandma it did, and the invites already went out!
Thoughts? Ideas? Rumchata?
Grandma called me last Monday to check to see that I was free on the intended shower date, which is scheduled two weeks from now. I ensured her I was free on that date and told her I wouldn't miss it! On Friday I received an invite to the shower (sent by grandma) that read, "Please join us for a joint baby shower for OP and Stranger"!
Um...
I was completely unaware that this would be a joint shower, and I have no idea who Stranger is. I asked DH who Stranger is and he replied, "I think that is great aunt's neice? At least, I think so... I've never met her."
Now I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I feel really weird about this whole joint shower thing. 1) DH and I have never met Stranger, so there are bound to be many people in attendance that I don't know. 2) Am I expected to buy a shower gift for stranger? Or are the guests that are invited that only know me obligated to buy Stranger a gift? 3) Likewise, will the people invited that only know Stranger feel obligated to buy me a gift?
To make things worse, DH's mom called him yesterday crying that SIL (who is 19 and still lives with MIL) was invited to the shower but she wasn't. (DH's parents are divorced, but the divorce was amicable and MIL and FIL get along well.) She kept asking DH, "What did I do wrong? Does OP not want me there?" Sigh...
How do I handle this without sounding like a spoiled brat who doesn't want to share the limelight? Honestly, I wouldn't mind a joint shower with someone I was close with, or with someone who shared a majority of the same friends/close family members. Plus I can't lie and say the date doesn't work for me because I already told grandma it did, and the invites already went out!
Thoughts? Ideas? Rumchata?
