Not Just a Shower

Baby showers are so special. There is something about them that is so much better than bridal showers or birthday parties. Probably because it isn't you being celebrated, but the little life growing inside you and getting ready to enter the world.

This shower was more like a heavy rain storm (in a very good sense of the word). People blessed me with so many wonderful things that Dave and I really have very little left that we need to buy.

Let me see if i can lay out the evening of events along with some pictures.

7:00 pm was the arrival of all the guests. The room was very nicely decorated with baby onsies, blakets and balloons. I was asked to sit in my designated seat with balloons above my head and all the presents were put next to me (so many gifts!!!).

napkins and baby onesies

Blankets made by a friend named Karin

A pile of gifts and Matty's name painted by my sister, Jo.

Around 7:15 people were asked to get some snacks and then have a seat for the beginning of the present opening. There was suppose to be a game at the beginning but the two people who were in charge of the shower both had little ones and Vanessa ( who was in charge of games) had a bit of an upset baby. So people helped themselves to punch and treats and we all sat down to begin tearing through the mountain of gifts.
From 7:20 to I don't know what time I was going through a number of gifts and loving every single one of them. Clothes, toys, books, useful items...

After what seemed like forever, I began to feel a bit odd. I was sitting here opening all these gifts but none of the guests have been able to play a game or anything. They were just watching me open gifts. I felt like it was time for a little break so I shot my sister a look and asked her for a game and she got Vanessa to explain the game. It wasn't quite what I was hoping for because it was a game that I was the center of. It ended up being a lot of fun and left me with a whole lot of useful baby items. Many people were laughing and having a good time.

The game worked his way. I had to be blind folded and someone handed me something from a bag. I had to feel it and try to guess what it was. Now, if i couldn't guess, there was a hint on each item that was read to try and help me figure it out.

This is Vanessa and my sister (Jo). Vanessa is explaining the game.

This is the game in progress. I was able to guess the socks pretty quickly.

There were a few items that I didn't guess but that were interesting. One was a set of baby toothbrushes that were rubbery and bumpy, another was lubricant which i believe made some of the guest feel uncomfortable but others laughed. And the most difficult but also the funniest were something called Pee Teepees. Can you guess what they are for? They are meant for baby boys when you are changing them. You lift your boys legs, put a teepee over their pee pee and if they pee, it doesn't go everywhere. Clever?

After the game, I resumed gift opening. This time there were a lot fewer so the end came fairly quickly. To my surprise, Vanessa had another game. It was a mad lib. For those of you who dont know what that is, it's a story missing content words and you ask other people to fill in the blanks without knowing the story. Once you read the whole story with the new words you end up with a very hilarious story. While it was being read, people were laughing so hard. I was even crying I was laughing so hard. It was a great ending to the evening.

Vanessa filling in the blanks to what turned out to be "The Story of Matthew's Birth"

The evening was so wonderful. People showered us with so much that I didn't even know how to say thank you. The Lord has placed so many wonderful people in mine and Dave's lives. A simple thank you just isn't enough. I went home with a vehicle packed up tight with so many wonderful things. And every time I will dress Matty, put him to sleep or even change his diaper I will remember the generosity of my family in Christ and my actual family.

* I will be posting the mad lib as soon as I can get my hands on it. Its a real hoot*