Our First Baby Shower

This past weekend Phil and I drove to Michigan for the weekend for my first baby shower. I wasn't sure what to expect as I haven't been to many baby showers in my life. I was excited to see our friends and family all gathered together in one room to celebrate us and our growing baby. The day was filled with overwhelming emotions and I couldn't have asked for a better shower!

My sister, Krysten, and her friend, Amanda, threw us a "She's Gonna Pop" themed shower.
The color scheme was perfect. Blues and Yellows are always bright and cheery and of course gender neutral. The food was fabulous. We had salad with strawberries, walnuts and poppyseed dressing, popovers, popcorn chicken, white chocolate popcorn, fruit salad and soda pop and punch.

The girls planned an activity for the guests to do while mingling. Guests were asked to decorate a onesie or a bib with fabric markers. We ended up with several really fun designs that baby will get to wear from birth through 12 months! It will be fun to tell him or her about the special person that designed the outfit for them! Everyone was VERY creative with their designs!
Our baby is blessed already by everyone who loves him/her and we were blessed with so many wonderful gifts that will come in handy once the baby is born.
Even daddy got in on the present action. My Aunt gave him this fun hoodie that says, New Daddy 2012 and my sister got him a Star Wars lunchbox complete with sandwich cutters for making fun lunches for baby and himself.

The last gift was from my parents. They bought us our crib which we can't wait to get and set up in the nursery! Mom also put together a basket of homemade gifts that she and others worked on. The basket had a clothesline with little things pinned on it. Booties and a snowsuit from when I was a baby, pacifier clips, hot/cold pack for booboos, homemade burp cloths and a beautiful knit sweater. My favorite though is the snowman hat. Can't wait until baby grow in to it!
It was fun to have so many people from my various walks of life present to celebrate our new blessing with us. My grandma flew in from Florida to surprise us for the shower. Several of my aunts and cousins drove from an hour away to celebrate with us. Friends from college came. Family friends whom I've known since the day I was born and my mom's cousins and their kids came. My favorite though was all the families I have babysat for over the years came as well. The Calverleys win the prize for traveling the farthest (except grandma). They drove 2 and a half hours from their new home on the farm in Vestaburg to see me. I started babysitting for Haley and Cassie when they were in elementary school and I was 12 years old! I have so many fond memories made with this family. It was so wonderful to have them here to celebrate with us!

A picture of the Berkley Cousins : Krysten, Taylor, Me and VickyMy godmother with her godchildren: Veronica, Aunt Kathy and Me
Another one of my favorite families, the Gormans, whom I nannied for while in college and now Alexis is getting ready to head off to college in a year and a half!
Two of my favorite moments from the day were opening gifts from people far away. My grandma Gloster recently moved to Florida to stay with my Aunt Patty but they worked together and sent a gift in the mail and my Aunt brought a picture of her to the shower so that she could be present. I love that grandma spent time making these bibs for our little monkey. So precious!

Another present from far and near. My longtime friend Bekka is living with her husband in Cyprus, an island south of Turkey, and she picked out some special books for baby and had her mom and dad deliver them to us at the house. It was special to have her here with us and I know that baby will love reading the stories with us and hearing of how dear Bekka is to our family.

Thanks so much Krysten and Amanda and everyone else who helped and came!