Baby Shower for Luke

Last Saturday my sisters-in-law threw me a baby shower for Luke.  It was so sweet and made me feel very special and celebrated.  The theme was woodland animals and it was adorable.  They had decorated with a clothes line of themed onesies, a beautiful blue and green banner with his name, an awesome diaper cake made by my mom, and a wish tree with handmade cards for people to write messages to Luke.  The food was decoration in and of itself (see pics) and tasted delicious!  There was fresh fruit, petit fours, cheese balls and crackers, trail mix, little "acorns", mini cocktail pigs in a blanket, and a cupcake pull-apart cake.  We visited, ate, played games (none concerning my weight or size of my belly, thank the Lord!), and then I got to open presents.  Luke got some really great things and I know years from now he'll be thankful he doesn't have a million baby pictures of him surrounded by pink toys, blankets, etc!  Before each guest left, they got a gorgeous hand-potted pansy or flowering kale in a mason jar.

Every detail was so thoughtful and creative and I greatly appreciate all of the hard work and love that went into it.  We also appreciate everyone that came out and all of the generous gifts!  Be sure to check out the gallery to see it all for yourself!

More Baby Showers!

Sorry I've gotten behind in posting! After three baby showers in four days, I had plenty to keep me busy. This past week has been full of washing Baby Girl's clothes, sheets, blankets, burp cloths, washcloths, bibs...you get the idea. I've lost count of how many loads I've done! I also ran around town to make returns and exchanges and pick up some stuff I thought we still needed.

Of course, I had a lot of fun getting everything organized and put away. Just a few more days and I'll be ready to post pictures of a finished nursery! Until then, here are some baby shower details:

Shower #3 was given by the State PTA Office, which is where my mother-in-law Pam works. I worked there part-time in college, and these sweet ladies wanted to do something special for us. All of the decorations were gorgeous - I really wish I'd taken more pictures! I appreciate everyone that took time out of their busy weeks and interrupted their work to be there. Everyone was so generous and Pam even got a couple of Grandmom gifts!

Shower #4 was given by Sheila, Beth, and Pam...ladies I met (and two I worked with) at Cross Pointe. The food was so delicious and Sheila's house was gorgeous as usual. They made me feel like a queen and put so much time into making the day a memorable one. We ate, laughed (as we always do when we're together), and I opened my wonderful presents. It was a long-anticipated party and it lived up to my every expectation!

Beth, my mom, Pam, and Sheila cracking up:

Beth, Sheila, Me, and Pam:

Shower #5 was given by April, a close friend and former Cross Pointe co-worker. This one included all of the women in my Life Group. The afternoon was perfect! The food and cake (which we ate for days after) were wonderful, the punch was probably the best I've ever had, and the sweet notes of encouragement they wrote me are a wonderful keepsake. I have been to countless baby showers since we've been in this class and it was so special for it to be my turn.

April and these ladies are such a blessing to me and I know I will grow to lean on them even more in the coming months. These women know a thing or two about pregnancy and raising babies! It's great to know I'll have people to turn to who truly understand what I'm going through and share in our desire to raise a daughter to walk with the Lord.

The adorable clothesline decoration:

The gorgeous and yummy cake that matched the invitation perfectly:

April and me. Did I mention she's also pregnant and was leaving town the next day to go on vacation with her husband and two young kids?! She is my superwoman hero!

Baby Shower #2

Last Saturday I had another awesome Baby Shower. This one was given by my sweet friends Lara Lynn and Holly. Everything was perfect and I had such a good time! They are both excellent cooks, so the food was delicious. Even the game was right up my alley (it involved list-making. They know me so well!) They put a lot of thought and hard work into it and it really showed. I appreciate these ladies and their friendships more than they will ever know and I am so blessed to have them in my life!

I also want to write a special thanks to all of the people that traveled a long way to be there. There were several guests that made a great effort to drive into town, some traveling with babies! We really appreciate everyone coming to be a part of the special day!

This Baby is going to be very well-dressed! And notice my corsage that my Mom made!

David's Mom, Me, David's maternal Grandmother, and David's Aunt Elaine:

My sister-in-law Jenny, my Mom, my paternal Grandma, Me, and my sister-in-law Kim:

Lara Lynn, Me, and Holly:

Babymoon and Baby Shower

After meeting our newborn niece in Savannah and spending a couple of days with her and my brother and sister-in-law, we went to Hilton Head Island for a short “Babymoon.” The weather was absolutely gorgeous. It was in the low 80s with a cool breeze the whole time we were there, which made for great beach chillin’. I’m sure I was quite the site in my gorgeous maternity bathing suit, slathered in sunscreen, camped out under the umbrella. I know it’s awful, but I honestly don’t remember the last time I wore sunscreen. Pre-pregnancy I was a tan-aholic. Maybe that habit is broken now?!

Anyway, we did a bunch of nothing for a few days: laid on the beach, drove around sightseeing, read a few books, ate good food, tried to walk off some of that good food, saw “Duplicity” (I give it a B-, by the way), did some shopping, and really enjoyed just being together. I know it’ll be the last time we get away alone for awhile, so we tried to soak it up. Of course, I’m really looking forward to taking Baby Girl on family vacations!

It's really hard to see, but this is the Belly-hole David dug for me in the sand so I could lie on my stomach:

Heading out to dinner one night:

We got back on Friday night just in time for my baby shower on Saturday. Two of David’s Aunts were the hostesses of this one and they did a great job. Everything was so nice and they thought of all the little details. The food was yummy and the company and conversation were wonderful. I really enjoyed hanging out with all these ladies that have become so much more than just my “in-laws.” Having known them for nine years now, they’re truly my family, too (whether they like it or not)!

We got some awesome gifts – including most of our “big ticket” items! We really appreciate everyone’s generosity. It is such a blessing to have a great extended family who already loves this baby. We will have no shortage of babysitters, that’s for sure!

Here's the beautiful pink GT Quilt that David's Aunt Barbara (in the background) made for Baby Girl! It is adorable:

Our goodies unloaded in our living room: