I got to my sister's house about an hour early for my baby shower on Sunday, February 21, 2010. I went to the hospital to visit my grandma first, since I didn't think that I would have much time later on. She was having some complications with blood pressure and her kidneys, and she couldn't make the shower. I still wanted to spend part of the day with her, since I was just so glad that she lived so close to us instead of in Ohio. My nephews were really excited about the shower and even called me the day before to try and convince me to have the party early! :) They didn't quite understand that it was a "girl" party, but it was cute for them to be so excited. From what my sister said, Ayden was up all night worrying about missing the shower, that she allowed him to stay. He was going to work with Maddy as helpers.
At my sister's house, my mom and niece, Maddy, were already there helping set up. My sister really went above and beyond with the food, and I was so excited about the cake my mom made. Her cakes are the best. We started out taking pictures of me with everyone and with the cake. I didn't quite feel photogenic being so big, but I know that I would really be glad later to have the pictures. It was so nice for my family to throw the party, and I was excited that so many friends, neighbors and colleagues could make it.
My brother-in-law Dennis and nephew Alek left for a day at the mall and hunting store, so Alek would be occupied while we had the shower. Ayden stayed, as promised, and he and Maddy discuss strategies for handling coats and gifts. They were extremely excited and ready for action. I pretty much just found a chair and tried to relax. I was feeling really tired at this point, since the shower started at 2:00 pm and getting close to my nap time! :)
Sandy, the hall monitor from school, was the first to arrive. She came much earlier
than the others because she was worried about getting lost! :) Jil was also there early with little Anne Marie. Jil and I went through much of our pregnancy together since she was due to have Anne Marie in January, and we discussed ever aspect of pregnancy together. Dennis and I were even the last two people to see Jil before she delivered her baby. There may have been others who visited them in the hospital, but the day before Jil was checked into the hospital, Dennis and I went over to their house to watch a playoff game. We talked about delivery, but we had no idea that Jil would be so close to delivering her baby. Little Anne Marie was just over one month old at this time, and I was able to hold her through much of the party while Jil ate and played games. Shortly thereafter, more people began to arrive, and just after two o'clock, we started the party with some snacks. I was ready to dig in because my sister made spinach/artichoke dip, which I love, and I couldn't wait to eat some of mom's cake! Yum! Everyone took this time to socialize with one another, and we all were laughing over our fake name tags, which
was a nice way for people who don't know each other to mingle. My name was formula for the party! :)After taking a snack break, my sister started the festivities with a couple of baby games. The first game was a version of "The Price is Right." Each of the guests were given a pen and a piece of paper. My sister had a large pile of baby items, and she asked the group to pick the correct price from a list of three. I have to admit that I had NO IDEA how much any of that stuff cost. My mother and sister, of course, made a comment confirming my thoughts. How they can read my mind is a mystery to me. After guessing the price for about ten different items, a winner was finally found, and my sister graciously gave out one of the Scentsy candle holders she sells. There also was a drawing for another candle holder. This drawing included all those guests who brought diapers to the party. If you brought a package of diapers, you were allowed to put your name in the drawing. It was a nice incentive for people to help me stock my diaper holder, and the prize that was offered was much more valuable than diapers, making it a nice treat to the winner. The last game that the guests played was "Feed Me." Actually, the game didn't have a name, but it should have. This game required people to find a partner and take on the role of either mom or baby. Being the mom-to-be, I didn't play any of the games, but it was fun watching. The people who took on the 
role as "mom" were given a baby spoon and a jar of baby food. My sister made it easy on my guests and gave them baby applesauce, which was much better than creamed corn or turkey or something. :) The other person was the "baby," who was given a disposable bib to wear. The object of this game was for the baby to eat the baby food as fast as possible. My sister pretty much gave them no rules and told them to find the best and fastest way that worked for them. Some teams caught on quickly and the "babies" took the jar out of their "mom's" hands and chugged it. By "chugging" something, one must tilt her head back and let all the contents from the jar slide down her throat. Those were some dedicated players! :) My sister had asked me a few days before the party if my guests were fun. I didn't know why she was asking me, but I told her that they were. I guess they proved it with this game, because there were so many women competing to be the winner. Of course, there were plenty of groups who actually used the spoons, but it was fun to see how some groups really got into the game.When the games were done, it was time for presents.
Not being one for getting lots of attention, the present-opening portion of the party was a bit awkward for me. I was glad to have one of my helpers by my side to look on. Ayden was such a good boy that day, and he was excited to see what the baby got as gifts. Everything was so little and cute. I loved seeing how different everything was from each other. My gifts included clothes, bath items, kitchen items, swim wear, blankets, toys, books, etc. I loved the outfits, and the frog items were really cute. Not only did Andrew get a really soft and fluffy frog blanket, but he also got a large frog organizer for the bathroom. Other very cute items were little doggy or teddy bear outfits, a wooden truck, and a pair of swim shorts that had surfboards on them. Everything was so unexpected, since I had never had a party such as this before. I was so excited for everything that I opened because I knew that it all would be used soon enough with little Andrew. 
It was even easy for me to envision Andrew as a toddler wearing his green Winnie the Pooh robe and slippers. The day was filled with promise and excitement, and I am glad to have had so many friends there to share it with me. I don't think it could have gone any better. I was very excited to get home and have Dennis see all of the things for his son.It was soon four o'clock, and the party was over. My sister took pictures of me with my guests before we all said "good-bye."
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