No More Boxes

One of the downers about living overseas is missing out on family moments. I told my parents I was pregnant over phone and while it fun to hear my dad giggle like a school boy and to hear my mom scream for 10 seconds straight, I would have preferred to have told them in person.

This also meant that a traditional baby shower was not possible. In Norway, people show up in droves to welcome the baby and small gifts are given then, but it's not the same as an American shower. My parents and I got to talking and we worked out an ingenious solution. As everyone knows, it’s the taxes that people fear here in Norway. Luxury goods, such as electronics, booze and cosmetics are heavily taxed – up to 100%. (That’s right, a $20 bottle of alcohol ends up costing over $40.) However, Norway does not tax used goods, especially goods not meant for resale. That way, you can move your entire household without paying a penny to the government.

My folks mobilized my sister, my cousins (Betsy had tons), aunts, uncles and my grandmothers to round up baby gear and send it by freighter. This was seriously no small task. There were mounds of clothes to sort out, the whole new world of international shipping to learn (who do you contact to reserve space on a freighter?) and resisting the urge to purchase new & cute things for the coming baby. All of this had to be done within a space of 6 months.

When it was all said & done they had selected, cleaned and packed all that we needed: clothes for the first 6 months, car seats, a crib, sheets & blankets, toys, safety gear, a changing pad, diapers, bath supplies, towels, bottles, shoes, winter gear, summer gear, books, strollers and list goes on. I will never forget the day the shipment arrived in Oslo and Anders saw the packing order. He totally lost it. We had to arrange for the transport of 3.1 cubic meters (110 sq. ft) of baby gear from the docks to our house. Since we couldn’t organize cars with enough cargo space, the shipment had to be delivered. Anders walked around for months muttering “3.1 cubic meters!” and the number over time grew to 3.3 and eventually 3.5. (ha-ha!)

What was truly amazing about this gift was how comprehensive it was. I started unpacking everything and got an overview of all that we received. After Theo was born, Anders would ask “Do we have _________?” and my reply was always “Yep, we got it.” I think we spent all of $30 dollars in the first months after Theo was born. The money didn’t even go to diapers – it was more for gratuitous things or specialized items needed because of the Norwegian climate.

The gift didn’t stop there. When we came home for Christmas 2007, my sister and my cousins pulled out everything we needed. We only had to show up with enough clothes and diapers for the trip and they literally supplied everything else. My Aunt Margie even crocheted a blanket for the visit. We left with enough clothes for Theo that would last another six months. And that’s not all: when my parents came to visit in June, they brought enough clothes (again supplied by my sister and cousin) to last Theo until he reached 18 months.

For the past year and a half, I have been pulling boxes out of storage and packing boxes down. My sister, my cousin and the rest of my family have been looking at pictures of Theo in all of the gear that their children had. My family takes pride in seeing their gift put to use and we are more grateful than words can express. I suppose it’s not too strange that I get a little emotional as I write that we have no more boxes. I was shocked to find that the last box of gear I pulled out for Theo that it was indeed, the last box. After Theo outgrows this round of clothing, we will have to purchase all he needs.

For some people this is actually good news. My parents in-law, for instance, have been waiting very patiently for this day. They supplied Theo with a few big-ticket gifts, like a down bag for the stroller and a new car seat after he outgrew the last one. Occasionally, we would get a packet of onsies. I have to give my mother in-law credit where credit is due; she has restrained herself for the past 18 months. Given how giddy my brother in-law and my parents in-law are, I suspect that they are thrilled that they can lavish Theo with all the little gifts they want to for the coming holidays. To be honest, they’re having a hard time waiting. ;)