Baby Showers

We've been showered with blessings three times for our much-loved little girl. We had a wonderful lunch shower hosted by some ladies I work with, a church shower hosted by our small group, and a surprise book/freezer meal shower thrown by the ladies of the weeknight Bible study I attend.

As of right now, our sweet girl will be classily outfitted, never want for a bath accessory or toy, and be thoroughly indoctrinated with the love of literature. We feel incredibly blessed to have so many generous people in our lives, and preparing for this little girl has been so much less stressful because of the gifts we've received.

My very pregnant self with the delicious Italian cream cake and pineapple punch at the Bible study shower

 

The financial responsibility of having a baby, who will turn into a kid, who will hopefully someday attend college can be overwhelming, so having so much help getting set up and feeling ready with all the "stuff" we need to take care of her for the first year or so is a huge blessing.

The work shower included delicious Italian food, lemon bundt cake, and adorable decorations.

We're feeling extra loved right now, and the abundance of Thank You notes that I've written have been a great reminder of how many wonderful people will be supporting us as we try our hands at raising a little lady.

My nephew had no interest in being in pictures, but he did understand that the stuff I was opening was for a baby, and he promptly tried to deliver a few presents to a new baby sitting in her carrier. :)

This one was obviously posed. Aunt Kit Kat loves Vera Bradley, so she made sure her niece will be outfitted from head to toe in all the adorableness.

The lovely hostesses/ladies from our small group at church

There will soon be lots of new babies because four of the six of us are pregnant in this picture. One adorable baby boy has already arrived, and I'm next in line to deliver our little girl!

 

Family members at the church shower

Husband and I at the church shower

Nursery Preview

I'll post an abundance of (non-blurry, taken with a nice camera rather than an iPhone) pictures once the nursery is actually complete, but I wanted to give an update for anyone anxious to see how the paper doll art and alphabet have been incorporated into the room. I'm waiting to finish the curtains, add the changing pad, complete the embroidery hoop display above her crib, and add the custom crib skirt before I officially call the nursery "done," but we're so close, and the room that I dreamed up has turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself.

Husband's parents generously provided us with the glider/recliner, which is one of the most comfortable places in our home for my oh-so-pregnant self to relax. I've been spending lots of time in there soaking in all the preciousness and reading the final informative books on my "Preparing for Baby" checklist.
The quilt on the back of the chair was made by Husband's sister and includes coordinating fabric used elsewhere in the nursery and scraps from the bridesmaid dress she wore in our wedding. I love it!

My parents purchased her crib and the dresser, which we had refinished exactly the way I wanted, so a lot of love and support has gone into making my vision a reality. The display above the dresser includes a custom sketch of me by the costume designer from the children's theatre I acted at during elementary school, Great is Thy Faithfulness sheet music, pinafores from when Husband's sister was a baby, and a Madame Alexander doll that was a gift from my grandmother. I think the vintage alphabet theme that I was going for is perfectly balanced with the new and old elements throughout the nursery.

She obviously isn't lacking any headbands or hair bows, which is just the way we like it.

I'm looking forward to lots of snuggle time, reading sessions, and play time in our little girl's room!

We're Still Here

May 7, 2014

Dear child of mine,

We've had an interesting few weeks filled with final preparations for your arrival and lots of doctor visits. The ultrasound on Daddy's birthday showed that my amniotic fluid levels were lower than average, so you and I have been spending a lot of time hanging out on the couch, guzzling water, reading, and watching TV. Thankfully, the doctor has been keeping a close watch on you, and the latest ultrasound showed that the fluid level is back in the normal range.

That's great news because it means you get to hopefully be born when you're ready, and we shouldn't have to evict you by force unless you stay in there for more than a month. The fluid fiasco has cut my working days short by about a month since I've been on modified bed rest to hydrate and monitor your movement. But I won't hold that against you, sweet girl, because it's been kind of nice to have lots of time to rest and relax and daydream about you.

Daddy and I went to our Prepared Childbirth classes, so we're as prepared as we're going to be for the different options and ways that you might need to make your appearance. We have preferences as to how labor and delivery will go (especially your momma), but as long as you're healthy and in our arms by the end of it, that will be just fine.

My parents came for one more visit before you're born to finish getting your nursery ready, and it looks great. Your silly momma ordered pom-poms for the curtains from etsy without checking the country of origin (Thailand, as it turns out), so those aren't ready yet, but pretty much everything else is in place.

You must be getting pretty big because your typically gentle nudges and kicks have turned into raucous movements that make my whole belly swell and ebb. It seems like we've entered the "alien baby" stage, so whenever your lungs are finished developing, we'll be ready to welcome you into the world. We're ready to see your precious little hands and feet and especially your face (which you have stubbornly kept covered by a hand and/or foot during every ultrasound).

Finish growing and then come meet us!

Love,
Momma