Issue link: https://fredparent.uberflip.com/i/124782
family chatter Me and My Girl Tori By mary becelia W e go way back, Tori and me. I first met her as virginal Donna Martin on the original Beverly Hills 90210. When the show ended in 2000, she dropped off my radar for awhile, only to reappear in an adulterous love affair with D-lister Dean McDermott. The duo quickly divorced their respective spouses, got married, and started a family morphing along the way into a "normal-by-showbiz-standards" family. Now my girl Tori is mother to four kids and has worked as an author, blogger, reality-TV star and children's clothing designer, to name a few. Surprisingly enough, she is an amusing author who doesn't take herself too seriously. In addition, I've read her blog and it's not half-bad. But recently, when shopping for a baby gift for a neighbor, I came to respect her in a whole new way. There I was, seeking a cute outfit for a baby girl; something fun, yet sensible. I well remember some of the impractical outfits I received when my own baby girl was born. The pale pink onesies I could never soak or scrub free of spit-up stains and the tops with scratchy, lacy collars. I'm sure you've been gifted with similar items. These were the kinds of cute-but-useless outfits I was trying to avoid. Then I saw it: a lavender sleeper with delicate white piping around the wrists. And, OMG, what was this at the neckline? Snap on bibs!? What genius came up with this!? Recall my recent reference to baby spit-up. I had two of the spittiest babies, ever. I kept bibs on both of them almost continuously until they were each 38 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • May 2013 a year old, but said bibs would inevitably end up behind them — in super-hero mode — and not be there to catch the drool/spit up that marred many adorable ensembles. This little gem had not one, but two snap-on bibs included! And I thought Velcro bibs were amazing. I snatched the sleeper off the rack. Then I looked at the label, still curious about who dreamed up this amazing product. "Little Maven" by Tori Spelling. That's my girl, Tori: creative innovator of all things bib-related! I can't wait to amaze my neighbor with this baby gift. I feel thrilled beyond reason to have made such a discovery. I mean, I hope it's great. I have faith in Tori. She's been around the motherhood block four times now. She knows what she's doing, right? Yet, in the few days since making my thrilling purchase, I've started to have images flash through my head. Tiny baby hands flailing madly, pushing accidentally under the snap-on bib and unfastening it. Slightly larger baby hands deliberately pulling at the bib until, POP! The snaps unfasten and the bib is flung to the ground. Tori and me — we have a history. I'm excited to embark upon this latest, greatest chapter with her and, because she's my girl, I'm willing to take a risk. If this outfit is as fantastic as I'm hoping, I'll be pleased to no end to hear about it from my neighbor. If it's a bust that's okay too — friends forgive each other, and I'm prepared to be generous with Tori. Besides, it won't be me this time with the baby waving the bib over her head, drool all over her front! Mary Becelia lives with her family in southern Stafford County.