Shirt for sale (or is it?)

Starting on Thursday afternoon (Thursday, February 26th), I had some signs that things may progress on their own sooner than I thought. Those signs continued and intensified and now, it's time! Today, the last day of February, we're at the hospital, I'm in labor and this shirt's on the market because we've been told we're having a baby today! Stay tuned...

Update: Stop the bidding; this shirt has officially been removed from the market! Now I can say it was worth the money since our stubborn little child wanted to wait for a March 1st debut!

39 weeks: Photos

As the end draws near

Even though I am definitely ready and unbelievably excited to meet our family's new addition, I'm also feeling somewhat sad as the prospect of my pregnancy coming to its conclusion becomes more of a reality.

I know some women are very sensitive to this issue, but I never minded having my belly touched, no matter who was doing it. After all, my stomach may be far from flat, but it sure is rock hard and if there was ever a time to feel good about having paws all over it, that time is now in my opinion! Lord knows once this kiddo pops out, it's safe to say the solid "abs" as I knew them when he or she was inside will be a thing of the past. For fear of hands disappearing in my very own Bermuda Triangle, I think I'll have to say that the belly rubs will be off limits for a while. I believe you all will thank me for that. Back to my point though---I found it quite sweet actually, even encouraged it, when people wanted to touch my stomach or try and feel a kick (I probably even startled several of you by my lack of modesty as I'd whip my bare belly out!). The bundle didn't always oblige, and enjoyed playing the game of kicking me and then stopping the second I told someone to feel, but there was something so pure in the joy I could see in people's eyes as they tried to catch a sign of movement for themselves. It was even better to watch them when it happened. I'll miss that.

People, total strangers even, are so kind and curious. The smiles, the happiness on their faces when they inquire about the details of my pregnancy and the child on the way is priceless. The congratulations, the best of luck wishes, the hopes for a quick labor and healthy baby have turned me to mush. The men, the big and burly men who serve me way too much Chipotle and bagels, whose emotions pour out as they talk to me, question me and reflect on how parenthood has affected them, I tell you, they get me every time. I've left many a conversation this last month where I've turned away from people crying without control as our chat ends because of how much I will miss this experience and yes, the attention too. I am proud of my efforts and thinking about not having this to talk about when it's been such a big part of my life for so long leaves a void I can already feel. I will thoroughly miss so much of this.

These last weeks have been rougher and of course less comfortable, but I have had a fantastic time being pregnant. The experience of carrying our baby has been sensational. Even though I've tried very hard to capture so many facets of my journey in writing via this blog (and verbally to all those around me), so much of it is altogether indescribable. I will be forever thankful for the answering of my prayers for the ability to become pregnant, stay pregnant and give birth to a child in my lifetime, all with the most loving husband by my side at every step. I pray the miracles continue and that our baby comes into this world healthy and happy. I would be overjoyed if you could all keep us in your thoughts and help to wish that for us as well.

I would guess it's obvious by my writing a post almost every day now (and two today) how much I will miss this blog also. Bundle in the Oven doesn't really work when the bundle's out and done cooking! The response to my blog has been overwhelming to me and it warms my heart when so many of you comment on it to me, on the blog, in an email or in person. People I didn't even know read it will say things to me about it sometimes and it makes me want to keep on writing even more! I love that. It's been a blessing for me to document my experiences, occurrences, stages, phases, incidents and predicaments as a first-time bundlewarmer and having you all as my audience has made what started as just a way for me to remember it so much more than that. Thanks to each of you for providing me with this enriched adventure. I haven't decided if I'll start a new blog for our family (Jeff jokes that it'll be time for me to concentrate on "family time" and not blogging when this one is done!), but it's not out of the question.

Until the Bundle in the Oven blog concludes, I hope you all enjoy my last entries; I know I have enjoyed writing every single post. Sincere thanks from the bottom of my heart for reading and for sharing these moments with me. I hope I've done a good job of keeping you all interested and informed and I hope I do an even better job of being a mom for my great inspiration, our precious baby who Jeff and I love so much already.

Our baby at 39 weeks

At 39 weeks, the baby weighs a bit over seven pounds, about the size of a mini watermelon (ouch!), and is about 20 inches long.

Spalon, take me away!

At 39 weeks today, one week until my due date, my bod could practically melt from the mere thought of a long, professional massage right now (no offense to the bundlebreeder; his short, unprofessional ones are nice too :)). Heck, I'd pay good money just to plop down tummy first on a table, but the addition of a massage and a few hot towels could send me into sensory overload. So imagine how I felt when along came a gift card for one across my desk from some of my co-workers yesterday! It was the greatest. When I opened the card and (through my tears) saw all the notes (sniffle, sniffle), I was so touched. A couple of them suggested I go in before I have the baby in hopes of massaging him or her out of me. Hmmm, not a bad idea.

What an unexpected and thoughtful surprise that made my entire day.

Doctor appointment: 38 week fetal and maternal assessment

I should have known that the night before my doctor appointment, both of my ankles (and feet) would be back to their old tricks and balloon up again. I’m blaming them for my four pound weight increase at my appointment yesterday (Tuesday, February 24th). They have been so much better lately, but when I came home on Monday night, both my left and right stumps were swollen almost as badly as they were at my 36 week appointment when my doctor had some concerns. Fortunately those concerns remain in check since my blood pressure continues to look good, so my doctor isn't worried about the weight gain or the swelling right now. Still, he went over symptoms to watch out for in case anything with my blood pressure should happen to change.

Every time a work meeting request for this week had been asked of me, I accepted but continued to think my participation would be unlikely. Then it was next week's meeting requests coming in and I figured there'd be no way I'd still be working by then. However, it's been business as usual at the office (and at home) with no sign of this baby budging. I'm succumbing to the fact that March 5th is going to come around and I may still be working full time trying to fit my fat feet into something presentable for an out of office meeting that day. Even though everyone says people will understand, I'm not setting foot into a client's office in some of the getups that have embraced these feet of mine as of late. And quite frankly, it blows because two hours in decent looking kicks means more swelling and discomfort after the fact. I will admit though, I've begun reasoning with myself that it's all right, even a bit sexy, to sport shirts that inch up to reveal the belly panel in the three pairs of pants in my rotation that are still comfortable enough to get me through a work day. OK, it only happens sometimes and I absolutely lied about even considering it to be in the ballpark of sexy, but wouldn't that be nice? My gosh, the designers who don't get that maternity shirts could use an extra inch or six of fabric length in the last trimester should be paraded on a scaffold and publicly humiliated...forced to wear crop tops and leggings in three sizes too small or something.

Back to the point I was going to make a paragraph ago---if anyone hasn't guessed, my doctor let me know yesterday that I'm still not dilated. He explained that he would look at inducing me anywhere from March 12th, a week after my due date, to March 19th, two weeks after. Waiting until the 19th would undoubtedly require a great amount of patience, even by his admission, but the longer the wait (within reason and if the baby's size isn't an issue), the better the chances of going into labor naturally, ultimately making it a better labor process hopefully. I think we'd have to weigh that decision heavily because our patience meter is running a little low. We're just really excited for the day to come (and I'm ready to bend over again!).

If someone would have told me two months ago that I may not have this baby until the middle of March, I would have been blown away. Convinced for some reason I was going to go into labor well before my due date, still being pregnant by March 19th just seems crazy. Doesn’t he or she know that being half Irish, the “Baby’s 1st St. Patrick’s Day” onesie is washed and waiting? I'm trying not to complain because without question I know things could be worse than going past my due date. Mexican food could be prohibited outside of Mexico. Soft pretzels and tortilla chips could disintegrate when coming into contact with cheese. Chewy cookies everywhere could harden and never melt in my mouth again. I could find out that Minnesota's martini supply runs dry after tonight.

Kid, I love ya and all, and I know bouncing around in my belly, tapping against my lungs and hanging out on my bladder feels real nice, but it’s time to gain some independence and get out on your own. Make your grand entrance. Dr. Chow is on call this weekend and I think he’d really appreciate it if you’d take the opportunity to meet him.

My next appointment is on Monday, March 2nd and as it looks, I’ll be there.

38 weeks: Photos

Our baby at 38 weeks

At 38 weeks, the baby weighs about 6.8 pounds and is over 19 1/2 inches long, about the length of a leek.

Vacancy: One opening. Immediate availability. Complimentary room and board. See mom and dad for this incredible offer.

The bundle's nursery has come a long way since the room looked like this, less than three weeks ago. This wasn't even all of it either, but we actually felt like things were getting organized at this point. I mean, at least some kind of order was being established (or piles were being made, if it must be pointed out). Obviously it's a good thing he or she gave us some extra time to, at a minimum, clear a path!






I really cannot believe that our child will finally be here, any day now really! We are so excited to meet him or her. We’ve been feeling pretty prepared these last couple of weeks, or as prepared as you can ever be for a major life change I suppose.

We now have our nursery all set up with the basics: crib, dresser, bookcases, rocker/recliner and ottoman. A travel swing, bouncer and activity gym are sprinkled about until we know exactly where they will go. We have some clothes in the dresser drawers and closet (which is really fun to see). Luckily we have a double closet in the room so we have it fairly packed with baby gear like diapers and wipes, diaper bags, nursing supplies, bath essentials, blankets, burp cloths, toys, the Baby Bjorn, the Bumbo seat, the hook-on travel chair, some other baby necessities and fun stuff just waiting for the little one to make a mess of it all! There are also some bags of clothing in both genders awaiting their fate contained in that closet. I can’t wait to see which duds we’ll get to keep around and see on our very own prince or princess! We’ll definitely need to organize the closet more, but it feels so good to see it getting stocked up. We have yet to figure out lighting and accent rugs (possibly in addition to the rug we have in there now) and most of the décor additions and special touches to the room and walls we are going to wait on until the baby comes. We are so pleased with how it has come along so far and find ourselves peeking in often to take it all in.







Our Moses basket, our bassinet basically, will be set up in our room as soon as the stand arrives, which we hope is within days.



The play yard, swing/soothing center, jumparoo, strollers and high chair have been assembled and are ready for use. We’re working on making space for the new kitchen fundamentals that come with having an infant (and eventually a toddler) around too. All in all, we feel great about the progress we’ve made up to this point and are comfortable knowing that many things will just be a work in progress.

We received all the goodies our tailor made at the beginning of this week and she did such an exceptional job for us. Everything far surpassed our expectations and we are in love with the entire package! I had asked for a bumper pad (although at what stage we will use it with the baby is still to be determined), crib skirt, blanket and pillow and when I went to pick those up, she had also included a little bear she made from an heirloom pattern of her mother's with some of the extra fabric. It was very special and saying we were thrilled to get the pieces in the nursery is an understatement. Thank you, Ruth! It was all better than we could have hoped for.







Two weeks from yesterday until my due date! Your room awaits, child.

The little things

My hands have stopped working, I swear. Practically everything that comes into contact with them falls to the floor. Was I always this clumsy and I’m just noticing it more now that bending over to pick things up seems like the biggest chore? It’s like my hands and fingers have no strength anymore; I’m like an animal without opposable thumbs. Every time I drop something, I get exceedingly more annoyed because it’s a pain in the butt, uncomfortable as all heck to bend over and retrieve whatever has fallen with this big ol’ tummy I’ve acquired! You’d think after so many times of it happening lately, I’d just be able to grin and bear it, but nope. I must audibly display my frustration, and I do it every single time something takes a tumble. "Ugh!" "Shoot (or worse)!" "Come Awwwwn!" "Darn it! (or worse)" "Errrr." "Freakin’ A!" "Seriously..."

So this morning when I dropped a small brush for my eye makeup, my frustration kicked in immediately.


I’m so sick of this! Why does this keep happening?! And then I looked down and there was no brush on the floor beneath me. In an incredible act of fortune, there the brush rested...on my oiled up belly .

Ahhh, the little things.

Doctor appointment: 37 week fetal and maternal assessment

Not a lot of breaking news at today's appointment, but I'm happy to have my doctor back after his vacation. Since many times it's not the case that your doctor is the one who actually ends up delivering your baby, I'm trying not to get my hopes up...but I do have my hopes up. I really want him to be the one there with us when I deliver, and now that he's back in the state, I feel better.

I gained two pounds since my last appointment. My swelling is still better than it was a couple of weeks ago, but my right side (foot and ankle) is noticeably more swollen than my left. Easier said than done to stay off my feet as much as I can (per my doctor's advice), but I have gotten better at sacrificing fashion for comfort when it comes to shoes. Socks have completely disappeared from my wardrobe because my swelling worsens no matter the type. Again, I haven't started to dilate, but the baby's head has come down further. It appears our addition needs a little more time before showing his or her face to the world. I've been fighting a nasty cold, so as much as I want the baby to come, waiting some is all right by me. I'm functioning on very little sleep and my sickness is getting the better of me. Thus, going into labor like this seems miserable and I'm grateful for (hopefully) at least a couple more days to get well. Jeff had it before me and now he is on the upward swing; I'm hoping by tomorrow I'll feel like I'm on my way in that direction too.

After my doctor's review of the ultrasound I had when he was gone, he let us know there was a large amount of fluid surrounding the baby. This was most likely why he thought I was tracking big previously. Usually they see a larger amount of fluid when diabetes is an issue, but since that's not the case for me, the effects are benign and there are no concerns (lack of fluid would be cause for concern). What he did warn me about is that when my water breaks, it may be just more of a mess. Lovely! Hopefully I'm somewhere super public if that's going to be the case. Based on the measurements taken at my ultrasound, he confirmed too that there's much less reason to suspect a big baby. That's the latest and greatest for now! My next appointment is on Tuesday, February 24th.

37 weeks: Photos

Our baby at 37 weeks

At 37 weeks, the baby weighs about 6 1/3 pounds and measures just over 19 inches long, about the length of a stalk of Swiss chard.

Thursday, February 12th marked my 37th week of pregnancy. The baby is officially considered full term!

Thank you!

As the big day draws near, I (Jeff) think it's time for a whole lot of thank yous. We have received so many generous gifts, wonderful advice and offers to help with anything baby related once our kid arrives. We sure are lucky to say the least. We are well aware that we have the best friends and family around. What an awesome support system as we learn to be parents for the first time.

Thank you mom and dad and Barb and Steve for the crib, the Sweetpeace, the outfits, the books, and the talks. Mom and Barb, it was so nice of you to go to all of the showers, go shopping with Jenny and provide us with invaluable motherly advice. Dad, thanks for your help with the windows, doors, shelves, your time and your handy man skills. I really feel like the house is in order and we're ready for that baby to arrive. Steve, thank you for your truck, your muscles, and your patience. After 3 or 4 hours and plenty of swear words we finally got that frickin' crib put together and looking good. If not for you I'd still be cursing up a storm and the crib would still be in pieces on the bedroom floor.

Thank you to all of our friends and relatives who hosted or attended Jenny's showers. She came home from each and every one with a car packed to the gills and a huge smile on her face. She couldn't have had any more fun and you couldn't have been any more generous. I can't wait to introduce you to the baby while wearing the clothes you got him or playing with the toys you gave her or while asking you to change the dirty diaper that you bought the little one. In case I haven't told you, if you gave the baby Pampers we wrote your initials and telephone number on each individual diaper so we know who to phone when baby needs changing. Yep, it's official, our friends and family rock!

Lastly, thanks to my wonderful wife for all that you've had to go through. I know that you've really enjoyed being pregnant and it's been a lot easier on you than a lot of women who have had babies, but at the same time there have been plenty of lifestyle and body changes that you've had to accept. Thank you for eating healthy food, giving up vino, getting up ten times per night to go potty, getting the house ready, going baby shopping, putting up with the bloody noses, and countless other things that have made me say to myself, "it sure is nice being the guy!" Thank you for all of it. I love you!

Now hurry it up baby! All of us have done our part and we're starting to get impatient. We're ready when you are!

Our baby at 36 weeks

At 36 weeks, the baby weighs about as much as a crenshaw melon (almost six pounds) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. Now this size is more like it; let's just hope it's the case!

Doctor appointment: 36 weeks part two

Good news today at my appointment. We got an ultrasound before seeing the doctor to check the baby's size in greater depth (and no gender surprises were ruined!). We were able to see that body all scrunched up inside of me and it didn't look so comfortable---which is good because we do want that baby to come out of there eventually! We were even able to see blood flowing through the umbilical cord and get a glimpse of our baby's little face, which was very cool. Measurements were taken and based on those, it was estimated that our baby isn't measuring too big like they were thinking could be the case last week. Yay! The tape measure came out again and I'm measuring normally there too now, so it could have just been the baby's positioning last week causing them to think he or she was tracking large. That sure doesn't explain my mammoth belly, but I'm feeling great about the feedback. My swelling looks so much better than it did at my last appointment on Thursday (Thursday, February 5th) and I lost one pound. My culture for Group-B Strep (GBS) came back negative, so that was good news too. Based on this appointment, I don't have to go in again this week and can wait until my next one on Tuesday (Tuesday, February 17th) at 37 weeks with my regular doctor.

36 weeks: Photos

Doctor appointment: 36 week fetal and maternal assessment

This doctor appointment proved to be an eventful one. It was my 36 week checkup to locate the baby’s position, hopefully head down where it's supposed to be now, and to see if my cervix had started to dilate. A culture for Group-B Strep (GBS) was also performed. GBS is a type of bacteria found in the body. Many people carry the bacteria without developing an infection or illness, but it’s necessary to find out if a woman has it during pregnancy because it can be passed on to the baby and cause complications if not treated. If I’m found to be a carrier, I’ll be given antibiotics during labor to prevent it from being passed to my baby.

My doctor was 90% sure that the baby's head was down from doing my cervical exam, but to be completely sure, he wanted to do an ultrasound. I was immediately thinking that the surprise we had waited for all these months, the gender of our baby, was going to be ruined. When I asked if we'd see what we were having, he asked if we wanted to and I was quick with a, "No!" He did the ultrasound and sheepishly I looked at the monitor, still hoping I wouldn't see anything I didn't want to see and a head and spine filled the screen. The head is down. I'm fully closed, or not dilated yet, which is a bummer as I'll explain below.

Before seeing the doctor, again the gal doing my weigh in showed me the comparison from two weeks ago to today instead of telling me. When I got on the scale, I had told her I was curious to see if it had jumped and when she said it had, I asked, “Another four pounds?” Then she showed me my chart. What? How on earth can one’s body even gain that much weight in two weeks? I will admit I’ve probably had a few too many sweets lately, but that cannot explain away an eight pound weight gain since my last appointment, just two weeks ago. Yep, that’s what I said: EIGHT pounds...in two weeks! Two weeks ago I had gained 24 pounds total during my pregnancy and now I've gained 32 (the recommended amount is between 25-35, so as you can see, I don't have much room to stay in that range). Even through my dismay, and shock, I chuckled to the room where Jeff was awaiting me. I couldn’t wait to tell him and we had another good laugh. Well no, it’s not the cookies or the ice cream (whew!)...

Weight gain explanation #1:
I’ve started to swell. In the last two days, I have developed cankles (calf + ankles = cankles), when the transition from your calf to your ankle is much too smooth. So smooth it’s difficult to tell where one stops and the other starts. It’s not attractive. During my Pilates class yesterday (which does a lot of good at this point, let me tell ya), I looked down as the bottom of my pants inched up exposing what can only be explained as someone else’s legs. “Oh my gosh, look at my ankles!” I say. The girls snicker with wide eyes as they look and then quickly try to act like they feel slightly sorry for me, but my observation is reinforced when Leah says, “Aw, you have cankles.” So now my stomach is gigantic, it’s a challenge to sleep comfortably or even breathe at times, I can hardly bend over to pick something up without grunting, I’m peeing like crazy, it takes me three times as long to get dressed because finding clothes that are tolerable enough to wear throughout an entire day is nearly impossible, and now I’m supposed to come to terms with someone stealing my original legs and feet and replacing them with cankles? Sweet. My shoes barely fit and socks are not my friend as even the loosest types leave the deepest impressions. The good news is that the rest of my body is still my own and someone else’s excessively large head hasn't been superimposed on my shoulders. Yet.

My doctor's concerns:
When Dr. Chow came into the room and asked how I was, I told him I was feeling pretty well still aside from my swelling and huge belly. He did some tests on my legs and feet and said we would discuss my swelling in more detail after my exam. Until this point, I expected him to chalk it up to "just pregnancy", but since it required more discussion, I got a little anxious. What he said is that when there is water retention/swelling and a large weight gain in a short period of time, one of the things they become concerned about is a condition called preeclampsia . When one gets it, if the baby is developed enough, usually a doctor will want to deliver the baby as soon as possible since in the condition's most severe phase, it can cause seizures in the mother. But, because my blood pressure is "rock solid", there is no protein in my urine and I'm not having bad headaches, three major red flags for preeclampsia, he thinks it's safe to say I don't have it at this point, but wants to monitor my progress closely.

Weight gain explanation #2:
Our baby needs to get less comfortable and get out! As I suspected, after weeks of measuring right on, I'm now measuring a little big. My doctor explained that he didn't pay as much attention to the tape measure at this stage, but estimated that our baby might be a bit over seven pounds---and I still have four weeks until my due date! OK, it's time, baby. My doctor said that if I went into labor now, things should be just fine. Let's do it! Since I'm not dilated yet though, it's less likely that it's going to happen quite yet (which I'm looking at the bright side of since my doctor is out of town next week).

My doctor's concerns:
If I'm tracking to have a ten pound baby (thanks a lot Jeff...9 pounds 7 ounces to my 5 pounds 8 ounces), that isn't the best thing. No one has to tell me that, although I've heard it a time or 12 from Jeff's mom!

So, to monitor our baby's size, I need to have an ultrasound on Monday (Monday, February 9th). They will continue to watch closely and will assess what may or may not need to happen if it becomes a bigger (no pun intended) issue as time passes. I was also asked to make an appointment with another doctor in mine's absence this Monday. I will now go in every week, but my doctor wanted me to go sooner rather than later next week to be in better touch regarding my swelling. After today's appointment, it's even more apparent that our baby could join us at any moment (and would be welcomed with open arms and without alarm)! Wow!!!

This photo was taken a couple days ago, so technically I was 35 weeks, but you get the gist (36 week photos will be coming this week).

All good months must come to an end

This past weekend, the last day of January, marked the conclusion of my baby showers. It’s a true testament to my shower hosts why I feel like I was just let off the best roller coaster ride, yearning to jump the ropes to get back in the front of the line for another ride, or three. It’s an overused phrase, but I cannot thank everyone enough. Truly. From all of the work done in preparing to make my events so completely and utterly special to the generosity of each person that helped me to celebrate, Jeff and I are overwhelmed with gratitude. Because of the amazing people in my life, we are blessed to walk in our door to a home filled with more than we could have imagined to help us provide for our baby. The bundle is surrounded by so much love, as are we. We could not have done this without all of your support (as I tear up again just writing about it because of how moved I am) and we are and will be forever thankful. It was a blast playing show and tell with Jeff after each shower. He could not believe all we received and was touched and so appreciative of everyone’s kindness. It was a cherished time for the two of us as we reveled in the happiness of our lives, of our marriage, of soon becoming parents together.

Friend Shower
Date: Saturday, January 10th
Time: 5:00pm
Given by: Kristin, Leah, Missy and Missy
Theme: Cocktail/mocktail party

My shower hosts were four friends who have been in my life for 20-27 years and it’s safe to say I’d be lost without them. I’m thankful every day that they are a part of my life. They’ve known me through the good and happy times, the bad and sad times---and still they keep me in their friend pool without a second guess. Well, maybe they’ve second guessed it a time or two, but I'd like to say they haven't. :) Wow, did they put on a party to remember. It was not at all what one would expect when coming to a baby shower and that uniqueness of it was completely fabulous. Walking in the door to Kristin’s house was such an unbelievable sight. It was the kind of party where you could walk around the home’s perimeter several times and still feel like there were details you missed...so you’d walk it again and again, as I did! The night was simply awesome and all the effort they put into it could not and did not go unnoticed.

Memorables: cocktail tables, flower arrangements, endless decorations in red, black and white geared to match the shower invitation, photos from when Jeff and I were young and from my blog hanging everywhere and adorning all the walls, hors d'oeuvres galore (which is an understatement since there was enough to feed at least five times the amount of people!), pink and blue martinis complete with sugar rimmed glasses in the matching colors, faux champagne, coffee bar, an enormous cake (which was actually made of cupcakes...and the leftovers kept the babe happy for days after the party ended), travel-sized vodka favors for each guest to take home, a surprise gift from my husband, far too many presents (thank you, thank you, thank you), etc., etc., etc.

Games: blog trivia (a game to see how well people knew details of my life throughout pregnancy via what I’ve written on my blog), itty bitty baby parts: an ultasound game (cards of ultrasound photos with body parts hightlighted requiring us to guess which parts they were---it was tough!)

(Unfortunately Missy UL was sick and down for the count on the day of, so she's not pictured here.)

















During this shower I received a very special gift from my husband, my "secret admirer". The girls made sure I kicked off my gift opening with one in particular and my suspicions were heightened. As I opened the card I was reminded once again of just how fortunate I am to be married to the man who was so worth the wait to fall in love with. It was a card thanking me for having our baby and a gift card to the Oceanaire Seafood Room since it's where we love to go for one of our favorite dishes...black and blue marlin. There are only a few types of seafood I like, so when I say that the way the Oceanaire does blue marlin is better than pasta or enchiladas, well sadly for them, that's a huge compliment coming from me. :) I haven't been able to have it during my pregnancy, so it's a mouth watering treat for us to look forward to together. Throw in a dirty martini and I'll be putty in the hubby's hands. Hmmm, seems this deal works out well for both of us! It was the sweetest (and I must add, it scored a ton of points with the ladies). Oh how I love my Jeff who is the reason I even get to write this post, or my blog altogether. Lucky, lucky, lucky.



Neighbor Shower
Date: Saturday, January 17th
Time: 10:30am
Given by: Denise and Mary (with honorable mention to their daughters, Kayla, Sierra and Katie)
Theme: All things baby brunch

My shower hosts have been a part of my life for over two years now since Jeff and I moved into our neighborhood in November of 2006. It’s been a bunch of great times with them and their families ever since. We’ve become very close over these couple of years and it’s tough to imagine how we got along without them. They put in so many extra touches to make the day of my shower wonderful. At first sight, I could see we were going to have so much fun! The whole time I was there, I could really feel the excitement that everyone had for Jeff and me and for the new baby coming into the neighborhood. It was a tremendous feeling and I couldn't have felt more supported by all the pros around me. The reassurance and offers to help us along the way were priceless and it was a terrific time sharing the day with my neighbors.

Memorables: diaper wreath full of creativity and baby goodies (that I don't even want to take apart because it's so darn cute!), handmade baby blocks, diaper name tags (and at the end, we found out one was a poopy winner), fabulous brunch food that I couldn't get enough of (more salad please!), cheesecakes (which I passed on, but the baby decided to have three of), tissues (since I wasn't the only one crying for once---all sweet tears!), thank you cards already stamped and addressed, all the fun stuff I came home with in addition to the kind gifts (items they had used for games and decor), Denise's and Mary's kids with all four sets of hands on my bare belly feeling the baby move after all the guests had left, far too many presents (thank you, thank you, thank you), etc., etc., etc.

Games: baby food bingo (and I got to keep all the baby food!), pass the baby (and if the lullaby stops when you're holding the baby, you're out...like hot potato), baby bottle drinking game (Denise explained that they all knew how I loved a good party so a drinking game in my honor was in order! A tray of baby bottles filled with apple juice arrived and the first one to throw it down the hatch the fastest won.)

















Family Shower
Date: Saturday, January 31st
Time: 1:00pm
Given by: Jody, Khristin, Pat and Tammy (with honorable mention to Khristin’s daughter, Abby)
Theme: Step right up for a day at the carnival

My shower hosts were two of my aunts and two of my cousins from my mom's side of my family and they have to like me since we're blood! Even if we all weren't related though, I would surely pick them to be in my life. We have a riot together (too much so sometimes since pregnant or not, our bladders can't always take the hilarity). They put on such a memorable event for me and all the time they spent planning it out was absolutely evident. The bright colors and cheerfulness of the venue couldn't help but to immediately put you in a good mood. The carnival theme was incredibly captured in every component and it was fantastic! Anything that can make you feel like a kid again is always a good thing and that's how the entire day felt.

Memorables: high calorie carnival food (the best kind---corn dogs, french fries, nachos, caramel apples and more), two kinds of huge cupcakes (chocolate and coconut), vase centerpieces filled with animal crackers, gigantic swirl suckers surrounded by bags of peanuts and popcorn, tiara and honey do whistle, balloon bouquets and balloon animals, three-tiered diaper cake full of baby gear (pretty enough to look like a professional was called in and it was Tam's first time), handmade thank you cards, carnival games, cheesy prize table (their words, not mine!) where tickets collected from winning games could be redeemed, all the kids that ended up coming (and leaving with sugar highs and prizes), far too many presents (thank you, thank you, thank you), etc., etc., etc.

Games: baby bottle toss (stacked up baby bottles filled with rice and guests threw balls at them to try and knock them down), clothes pin drop (put a carafe on the ground and see how many clothes pins could make their way inside from about a three foot drop), duck pond (ducks floating in water marked with numbers on the bottom coninciding with how many tickets would be won), guess her girth (my belly was measured and each guests cut a piece of string to see who came closest to my size)





















My baby showers went far beyond extraordinary! Thanks again to each and every person who helped me celebrate this most joyful time in my life. By your graciousness, thoughtfulness, kindness and generosities, you have given Jeff and me a send off into parenthood that we will treasure in our hearts always.