At Least My Baby Won't Go Naked...

Mom invited me to a pool party at Aunt Shirley's yesterday, so I lowered myself into the tub and conducted the aerobic activity that is manuvering around my stomach to shave my legs. Then I went through all of my tankinis to find something that looked like it might fit, whined to Matt about getting in the pool with me, grabbed our beach towels, and headed down the road.

When we finally got to Shirley's, it was a surprise baby shower! And how such few people managed to accumulate so much baby stuff (especially considering we are rarely at a loss for babies), I'll never know. But I'm very grateful!

Bob insisted his present should be first, and he got us a dual-sided picture frame where one side can be ingraved with the baby's name, date and time of birth, weight, and length. He also got her two Baby Gap onsies, cute little pants with trees all over them, and three pairs of socks.

Next was a crazy amount of goodies from my cousin Jamie. She got Evie three pairs of cotton newborn caps, two five-packs of onsies, two pairs of pants, six pairs of baby socks, a super-cute polka-dotted sleeper, a pack of three bottles, two extra nipples, two pacifiers, and a dishwasher basket that came with a soft-tip spoon. ("I don't get to buy for babies much; I guess I got a little excited," she said. I think so!)

Aunt Shirley (proud owner of a swing machine that hooks to a computer) made a bib that reads, "I Love My Uncle Bob" and gave us the Baby Bjorn that Matt deemed manly enough to be seen sporting his child in.

Megan got us the Munchkin Diaper Duty Organizer, complete with baby lotion, baby oil gel, diaper rash ointment, Q-tips, wipes, diapers, and a half-dozen washcloths.

Lisa made us a three-tier "diaper cake" with diapers, baby bottles, baby wash, baby lotion, onsies, bibs, socks, pacifiers, a bottle brush, a teether, a rattle, a stuffed bunny with teether hands and feet. The only bad thing about it is that we won't ever want to disassemble it! It was the talk of the shower.

Lisa had also made baby sock "corsages" for me and mom. Again, one of those things that seemed too cute to dismantle!

Anne got us a five pack of white onsies (I'm thinking about decorating them!); safety swabs, Johnson's baby wash, lotion and powder; Baby Orajel; Boudreaux's Butt Paste; a 50-pack of outlet protectors; and a first baby doll.

Aunt Carol got us the Germ Guardian Nursery Sanitizer, and two little rattles as part of the packaging. (Every time we hit a bump on the way home, they would rattle and Matt would break out into a face-splitting grin.)

Grandma got us the Pack 'n Play, and commented that we needed to just take it to Mom's and be done with it. (We're thinking of getting her one, anyway.)

Frighteningly enough, the pile of gifts that were left were all from my mother. She got us the Diaper Genie, the crib bedding, a carseat, a Mom + Dad = Me picture frame, and a pack of diapers. Four sleep gowns; two sleepers; a coverall, sock, bib, hat, and blanket set; another a coverall, sock, bib, and hat set; a onsie-pant-and hoodie set; an "Off to Grandma's" onsie and pant set; a onsie that read "I've Got Daddy Wrapped Around My Finger," and a t-shirt and overall set. She also knit a green sweater with little kitten buttons, and made a pink-and-white sweater, hat and bootie set. At least my baby won't go naked!

She also passed along Bob's My First Bible. Shirley asked Bob, "What if you want to pass that along to your own children one day?" but Bob was perfectly happy passing it along to THIS baby. (And we can always gift it to Uncle Bob if he becomes a daddy one day.)

After all the unwrapping, it was time for cake! They had gotten it from Shirley's favorite bakery, and it was chocolate with raspberry filling and read, "The big day is drawing near...Baby Evelyn is almost here!"