Our First Baby Shower

I've been looking forward to our baby showers for months now, and this weekend absolutely did not disappoint!

Terry and I drove up to my parents' house Friday afternoon and evening to arrive around 8 pm. We chatted with my parents, ate dinner, relaxed. Saturday we ran a few errands and went out to lunch, my mom and I went shopping, and my aunt came over to set up for the party (she was the host, at my mom's house). My aunt has impeccable taste and an eye for all things party-related. While I've attended tons of gatherings at her house (she also hosted my bridal shower), I've always seen the finished product and never the set-up phase. It was so fun to get to help a little bit, watch her work her magic, and see the whole space come together (photos below!).

Saturday night my brother and sister-in-law joined us to go out to dinner and stay over at my parents'. We had a great time hanging out, as always, and everyone got to feel the baby moving! He or she is quite active now, lots of wiggles and squirms.

Sunday morning Terry and I took my brother and Ashley's dogs for a two-mile walk and then got ready for the party. My mom and dad cleaned the house beautifully, and my aunt arrived to put all the finishing touches on the decor. I put Terry in charge of photos of all the adorable and Pinterest-worthy details!

Elephant confetti (orange, grey, and silver)

Homemade tissue paper puffs that are now going to decorate Baby Heinrich's nursery! (Any ideas for how to use them in the room?)

Favors

Mom and Dad's mantle with a print from my aunt, which will also decorate the baby's room

I loved these straws!

We randomly discovered these little artifacts the day before the party, and my aunt polished them for the big day. The cup is from my dad's birth as a gift from the military base where he was born. The fork was my Nana's from when she was born! Crazy, huh?

One request I had for the shower was to see if our wedding cake baker would be willing to bake a (much smaller) cake. Honestly, it was the best cake I've ever tasted, so I've been racking my brain for almost three years to come up with more excuses to eat it. This occasion seemed perfect, and she ended up creating a perfect cake, complete with the design my aunt had given her! If you're in the Bay Area and looking for a fantastic, personal, and beyond reasonable baker for any occasion, call this woman. You won't regret it!

Once guests arrived, the party was all about catching up with so many people I love and don't see nearly enough. Three of my dad's cousins came, plus his aunt. Both of my aunts made it. My sister-in-law was in charge of games (more on that in a second) and made the day extra-special for us. One of my best friends Winnie (who has a baby bump of her own!) made quite a drive to be there. Two of my elementary school teachers showed up, as well as one of my parents' former neighbors. My mom's best friend as well as her mother-in-law, who is like a grandma to me, made the trip to be there too. Of course, my mom was there. Even those who couldn't attend sent their love, and it was just a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by so many people I love. This baby is mighty lucky to be welcomed to the world by such incredible people!

With the hostesses!

Me and my mom

My mom's BFF and her mother-in-law

My dad's cousin, aunt, and cousin, me, my mom, and my aunts

My brother, my sister-in-law, my mom, me, Terry, and my dad

We all chatted for awhile, then ate a delicious brunch. We feasted on a giant green salad (my aunt makes the best dressing), various types of quiche, my mom's famous breakfast casserole, croissants and muffins, fruit salad, and plenty of champagne and sparkling fruit juices. Plus that cake!

Ashley, my sister-in-law, provided the entertainment for the day. She organized a little game called "Daddy Knows Best" where she e-mailed Terry a bunch of questions to answer, like:

• Who will change more diapers?
• How many times will the baby wake up in the middle of the night at first?
• What traits do you hope the baby will get from Julie?

Then I got to hear all the questions and give whatever responses I thought he said. I did pretty well, and it was fun to hear everyone's thoughts on our responses (when we said the baby will wake up about three times per night, everyone told us we should expect way more, but when we said we assumed the baby would go through 10 diapers per day, they thought we were overestimating--looks like we're in for some surprises!). Ashley also brought some yarn for the "guess the size of the belly" game, and one of my elementary school teachers was right on the (belly) button! 

One of my favorite "games" Ashley organized was actually a scrapbook for Baby H. 

Ashley had cards printed up that include prompts for wishes or hopes that people have for the baby, including:

• I hope you learn ________________________
• I hope you get ________________________
• I hope you never ________________________

Each guest filled out a card and then got to include them in the scrapbook! It was such a fun idea, and I love that we now have a book full of positive wishes for our little one. It was especially interesting to see everyone's philosophy about what will make a person happy, successful, and wise!

Since we don't know the gender of the baby, I heard lots of guesses about boy or girl, and that led to the last "game"--a guessing game! Everyone wrote down their guess for baby's gender, due date, and weight (and some gave us name suggestions!), so we'll see who was closest. 

And of course I was blown away by everyone's generosity for our little one. Adorable clothes, personalized burp cloths (such a great idea for a shower gift!), a homemade blanket, a hand-knitted sweater, Boppy pillows, feeding kits, our crib mattress, a car seat, our high chair, an activity mat, swaddling blankets, and so much more. We feel incredibly blessed to have such generous friends and family! 

Terry and I are so grateful and even more excited for our little arrival!