Shower fun

One of the big fun moments of pregnancy took place over the weekend when Amanda's mother and sister arranged her baby shower at her parent's house. I attended as a cross between a chauffeur and a photographer. Amanda's father had set up and outdoor seating area complete with a TV and some refreshments for any guys who attended to watch some football.
It was really a nice time where we got all kinds of necessities, along with a whole bunch of nice blankets, clothes, stuffed critters, gift cards, etc.
I won't dwell on the specifics, other than the amazing cake . It was made to look like toy blocks with letters and numbers on them (check out the picture). Somehow, the thing ended up being much larger than expected. The top block was chocolate, the lower was yellow cake with raspberry. It actually needed support beams inside the cake as well as a couple of layers of cardboard for structural integrity. Really amazing. (Made by the same people who made out wedding cake, which was equally outstanding).
The most unusual gift of the event was one her parents gave to me. They were cleaning out a house recently and came across "The Care and Feeding of Children" by L. Emmett Holt, M.D. The book was originally published in 1898, and they had found a 1915 edition. Really high quality material:

How should the bath be given?
It should not be given sooner than one hour after feeding. The room should be warm; if possible there should be an open fire.
...
If the skin is very sensitive and chafing easily produced, what should be done?
No soap should be used, but bran or salt baths given.
How should a bran bath be prepared?
One pint of wheat bran should be placed in a bag of coarse muslin or cheese-cloth, and this put in the bath water. It should then be squeezed for five minutes, until the water resembles a thin porridge.

Strange.
I'll read through the book and be sure to keep everyone informed regarding what top scientists say babies needed in 1915 (be on the lookout for the suggestion to bathe babies in 55 degree water to help ward off colds ... I'm not kidding).