Showered...

Sunday was Beau's equivalent of Christmas Day.  He woke up early, showered early, dressed in his best navy and blue, and sunk in his recliner for a long day of NFL football.  Yes, regular season football has begun and the Bears were opening their season at Soldier Field on a picture perfect day.  Since the Cubs' season ended rather early this year, Beau has anxiously awaited the kickoff to the NFL for weeks now.  So while he cheered on his team, cracked open a can of brew, and texted his fellow fantasy football comrades, I went to have my own fun...

Baby shower fun!

My sister-in-law, Kelli, threw us the perfect baby shower.  Simple, sweet, and all boy, the soft blues, greens, and whites made the perfect color scheme against the picturesque, pre-fall backdrop.  The sun was shining, the breeze was light, and a few hours with good friends, good food, and sweet babies was exactly what this 37-week pregnant woman needed on her Sunday afternoon.

 

I've always been a sucker for the details and my sister-in-law did not disappoint.  Little white favor bags filled with blue foil-wrapped sweets, tied securely with ribbon stamped with baby blue footprints.  A clothesline of onesies and sweet little sockies hung over a table full of delicious dips, breads, and sweets.  A glass vase filled with candy corn and peanuts, a red and white speckled platter of sliced apples and a brown sugar spiced dip, and a variety of homemade bread slices with flavored cream cheeses (kudos to Grandma for that one) made my mouth water and my tummy growl!







My favorite details of the day were the cookies, shaped into 'Baby J' onesies and footprints, my very first diaper cake, and of course, an adorably shy little niece.  Charly did not quite know what to think about all the strange women in her house; however, after the party, she showed us just how fun she was going to be this Christmas.  



I am so blessed to have such sweet, generous, supportive friends and family in my life as I prepare to become a mommy.  The love they showed to Baby J, the thoughtful and unique gifts they picked out for him, and the support they showed this momma-to-be was so appreciated!  The last couple days it seems I've been struggling to stay out of a sort of pregnancy rut; as I've hit month nine, I feel more than ready to get this show on the road.  This shower was exactly what I needed to rejuvinate my pregnancy glow and help me rekindle my love for this special time in my life.

 



We played Baby J Jeopardy, laughed until our faces hurt, snuggled with babies, and shared stories and memories about motherhood, friendhood, and girlhood. 

Beau was blown away by the car load of gift bags that accompanied me home.  Together, we unpacked every gift, laughed at how little the clothes was, and carefully found places for each special gift.  As Baby J's room filled up, Beau and I filled our diaper bags (yes, he now has his very own, ultimate manly man's diaper bag), unwrapped 84 newborn diapers, and laughed at Pat the Beastie, a book from Aunt Gina with a strongly stated message about being nice to animals!  

Now, just three weeks shy of my due date, we feel pretty set.  A drawer full of diapers, a dresser full of cuddly clothes, and a diaper bag (or two) packed and ready to go, let's bring this baby on!  

Tomorrow we have an ultrasound to find out how big this little boy is.  I'm anxious and excited to see him and hopefully find out a little more on when he might be expected.  Wishful thinking, maybe, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed! 

A few more pictures of the day...

My mom and me.  Thanks to her, Baby J is going to be one well-dressed baby.

Digging in!  The swaddle wraps in this picture are some of my favorite blankets I have. 



Charly was into the gift bags too!