Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Baby Shower!

I have the best sister in the world! She threw me a baby shower on Sunday and it was amazing!

It was so nice to see everyone. Being hormonal and more emotional/sentimental than usual lately, it was hard not to burst into tears every few minutes. Luckily I had a lot of laughs as well. And with a room full of Mommies there was a lot of advice, support and encouragement. I need it right now because as much as I'm excited about my baby's big arrival, I'm also terrified!

It was nice to have a day with just the girls. No boys allowed! Except little Reggie of course! Everyone was there with their daughters. It made me feel even more blessed to be expecting my own little girl. Being surrounded by them just confirmed what I already knew -- Girls are the best!

I can't wait to meet my own little girl! (Well actually I don't want her to come too early so I can wait honey! It won't be long now. Please don't come early or late. Just right on time!)

With most Moms I see a strong resemblance with their children. My cousin's daughter is absolutely her clone! She has the exact same eyes, face structure, everything! It's like seeing Tricia as a child again. It's uncanny!

I'm hoping that my girl will be a mini-me (as opposed to being a miniature of her dad...) Both M and I were fair with blue eyes so I'm guessing she'll have blue eyes. M was blond. I was actually born platinum blonde and later turned strawberry blonde/auburn. M had commented how beautiful our child would be. Too bad for him he didn't stick around to meet her.


My sister had organized a series of games. The first was a quiz where you had to name different nursery rhymes and lullabies based on the descriptions. Some of them were really tricky. I managed to get most of them. More than some of the Moms were guessing. Maybe because I've been singing lullabies and looking at baby books or maybe because I'm still a kid at heart.



One  of the games I wasn't overly thrilled about was guess the circumference of Ann Marie's big ole belly! Oh joy! So everyone was given a roll of this pregnant measuring tape thing and had to cut a piece off to try to fit around me. Interestingly no one guessed smaller than I was. Everyone guessed larger. Some much much larger! (Gee, thanks guys!)
Someone asked me if  I had measured myself. Ummm no! Of course not! Why would I? I haven't even worn a bra in months. I don't know what size I am. I know that I used to fit into a size small-medium and now I'm large-extra-large. I know that I used to be a 6-8 and I outgrew size 13 pants a while back...I like stretchy, loose things with drawstring waists. I've outgrown a lot of the clothes that used to be big on me and that I thought would carry me through but it doesn't make sense to buy more clothes now when I'm nearing the end so I just have to make do with what I have for the next month. Hopefully I don't get much bigger. Although I haven't actually seen a muumuu in the stores they are starting to sound very appealing! 

Shannon guessed spot-on and won the game! Clever girl! I'm going to keep that length of tape as a souvenir to remember the pregnant belly and compare when I get my flat stomach back again (notice how I say "when" and not "if"! Trying to remain positive. Though there are a few stretch marks I am hoping to bring my bikinis out of retirement someday...) I miss my old legs and feet too. Not that I ever really liked my feet but they are particularly hideous these days. Big, bulbous and turning various colours from red to purple to black. Some people at the shower were concerned about my swollen feet but I told them the doctor had seen them and didn't seem too worried. She just said to try to keep them elevated as much as possible. Sure. Unfortunately I don't have anyone to do things for me and the chores don't tend to do themselves so putting my feet up is not always an option!

One of my most unique gifts was this beautiful diaper cake that my friend Judith made. She's so creative! It looks like a wedding cake (and may be as close as I'll ever get to having a wedding cake! Somehow appropriate that it will be torn apart and pooped on!) It's almost too pretty to use but I'm sure when I'm changing diapers constantly I'm going to have to dip into it. Someone shared a little statistic with me that in my baby's lifetime I would change a diaper roughly 11,000 times!!! That is TMI! I REALLY didn't want to know that! I've already had baby poo nightmares. Others proceeded to tell me about baby poo that is black like tar, poo that is green, projectile, etc. Again, I really don't want to hear it! I'm trying to focus on the beautiful moments I'll share with my baby girl. The perfect Anne Geddes moments where she's sleeping like a cherub. Where I sing her lullabies and she nuzzles her head against me. Or smiles at me for the first time. Or laughs that adorable, infectious baby laugh. I'm trying not to focus on the feces and the screaming. Though I know those will happen too. Then someone tried to tell me about the belly button falling off. People, please! I'm scared enough as it is!

The girls helped me open my gifts. They were so cute. They helped me tear up the wrap, pull out tissue, untie ribbons and they listened quite attentively while I read the cards, looking at me quizzically when I'd tear up like a sentimental fool.
Shannon made me some beautiful stuffed animals -- a Mama and baby fish and a stuffed cat. As well as a blanket and some pillows. She is so talented she should have her own store to sell her crafts and artwork!
I got spoiled. So many wonderful presents. So many things that I needed. I think I'm covered now for all the major items and for clothes for the first several months. It's such an enormous help because I'm going to be on a tight budget and I wouldn't have been able to afford all these things myself. My sister generously got me this amazing stroller travel system, something I'm really going to need.


















Cute little clothes, baby gear, toys and practical supplies, everything I'm going to need. Including 900 baby wipes! That made my eyes bug out. That's a lot of wiping! Hopefully I don't have any more poo nightmares...
The kids were all so cute and so well behaved for the most part. There were only a few tears the whole time (and mostly from me!)

Being the only boy there, Reggie was quite a hit with the ladies!
He's been told he looks like a young Justin Timberlake. And he was looking pretty cool in his hip Hawaiian shirt from his Aunt Ann Marie!
  
As much as I love kids, everyone has told me that when it's your own child, it's a whole other experience. That it is the deepest, all-consuming and unconditional love. I know that I already love my baby so much before she's even born. I can't imagine how overwhelming it will be the first time I see her and hold her. I know I'll be bawling!
I feel so blessed to be surrounded by loving, supportive Moms. It helps to know I'm not alone and that help/advice is always just a phone call away.

Welcome Baby! Your immediate family will be very small. Just Mommy and you (and Ali cat) at home. But your extended family is big and beautiful and fun and full of life. You'll have lots of cousins to play with, an aunt, uncles and grandparents to fuss over you.

The beautiful cake was delicious and the little souvenir booties have a spot on the bottom to write baby's name, birthday, weight and height.
My sister outdid herself (as usual). I ate way too much (I'm eating for two, not twenty! But I can't seem to stop myself when there's a buffet of food on the go!) I had so much fun.
I am so grateful to my sister for making the day so special. This baby is certainly the biggest event of my lifetime so far and it means a lot to me that she wanted to celebrate it with me. My sister, my best friend, you are truly aMAYzing! I can't thank you enough. I don't know how I'd get through this without you.

I am so thankful to everyone who came to share the day with me, friends and family. I had such a good time. You are a wonderful bunch of ladies! Thank you for the beautiful gifts!

The next time I see a lot of you I will have my baby! It won't be long now!


I was afraid I'd go into labour carrying everything into the house! My Mom, sister and niece helped me load up the car at my sister's place (the stroller wouldn't fit with everything else. I'll have to get it later), but once I got home, I was on my own. There was a lot of panting as I climbed up and down the stairs to bring everything to the nursery but once it was all in there I just sat back and smiled. I am so grateful. I got everything I needed and more than I could have hoped for.

Thank you girls for a wonderful day, for your generosity and kindness, your humour and wisdom. The greatest gift for me was realizing how blessed I am to have my own little girl on the way. 

2 comments:

  1. Ann Marie, I just saw the blog now. Your so very welcome!! The pictures look great!! From one great sister to another!!! Love you, May xoxox

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    1. Thanks for taking photos (I'll put them on a CD for you) and for everything that day! It was a wonderful day. I can't thank you enough. xoxoxo Ann Marie

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