baby showers

Along with a baby often comes a baby shower or two. I guess the typical shower includes several things. Let's go through the short but much adhered to list.

First, the food. Usually, at least in my experience, the food tends towards girly finger food like cucumber sandwiches, fruit trays, and something involving chocolate. (By the way, I LOVE cucumber sandwiches like my mom makes with ranch dip...if anyone wants the recipe, please just let me know...they are AMAZING!). The drinks are usually punch, juice, and water, right? Wine seems just cruel to serve at a baby shower since the mother would have to watch longingly as her friend imbibe while she mournfully sips 7-up mixed with cranberry juice. Mmmm.

Next, the games. There's boy/girl games, baby name games, games involving balloons under shirts (like the new mom doesn't feel big already), etc etc etc. They usually sound silly, but sometimes turn out pretty fun.

Finally, gifts for the expectant, and hopefully exceedingly grateful, mom-to-be. This should be her favorite part of the party, unless, or course, her friends have veered away from the registry she worked so hard on and gone their own way. While this sometimes works out, I would say on behalf of all soon to be mothers out there, please just use the registry. We do it for a reason! Still, the gifts are awesome and so desperately needed, especially for a first timer who's husband works at a church.

Now, I say all this because God has been very gracious to us and two separate showers are in the works for Chris, baby Baker, and me. What a blessing!

One of the showers, I'm sure, will look very much like what was described above. Food, games, and gifts. LOVE IT! I know I'll have to probably wear a dress and be cute and pregnant, but sometimes even pregnant women want to get out of their sweats (but not today). My mom's friends are arranging everything, and I think its going to be held at the same place we got married, which is just the coolest idea. I can't even thank these ladies enough for their generosity and hard work. And I can't wait to see what it all culminates into.

The other shower, given by my sweet mother-in-law, will probably look very different. She said that she wanted to do something different and not typical and wondered if I had any ideas. What we've come up with so far is a Friday night "girls night" with dessert and coffee and fun "virgin" drinks where everyone has to dress up like its a night out. I think it'll still be a "shower", so please see our registry at target.com and amazon.com (ha!), but it'll be less fancy and more fancy free. My sweet friend Lisa suggested we then go out afterward and go dancing in Chapel Hill. Yes, I'm going to get out on the dance floor 7 months pregnant...and I'm going to shake it like a polaroid picture. Someone better get a picture.

(If anyone has any fun suggestions about what they've seen at showers, please let me know...always open for suggestions!)

Both showers are such a sweet offer, and both will be so enjoyable despite their differences. Still, the celebration of this new life coming into the world with other women is the heart and soul of both events, and I can't wait!