Baby Shower!!

Five lovely ladies threw us a couple's baby shower on April 15, and it was SO great! Unfortunately I don't do much with a camera, so I'm relying on Liz's pictures for this post because I don't know where the USB cord is to hook up my camera (that I only took 4-5 pictures with anyway). Add "learn how to use camera and video-camera" to my list of things to do before the babies arrive.

[As an FYI-- we didn't invite out of towners because we didn't want friends to feel pressure to send a gift.]

First, a picture of the hostesses et moi:

From left to right, there is Liz, Julie, Katie (in front) and Ann (behind her), Carly, and me, with lil Miss Thang Kaelyn up front.

Carly I've known since freshman year of high school (when she couldn't have been more than 12... I've never known her age because she skipped a bunch of grades or something). We enjoyed quoting Ace Ventura movies ad nauseum for the annoyance  amusement of our classmates. I've been so glad we both ended up in Dallas.

Katie I've known since I moved into my dorm freshman year of college. She still enjoys telling how I showed up to college in shortalls. I had spent 14 years at an all girls school, y'all, don't judge. Katie's daughter, Kaelyn, calls me Auntie Allyn, and being around her always reminds me why I want kids.

Ann I've known since first semester freshman year of college. She has remained a bestie, despite the fact that she's a horrible influence... in junior year, she decided I should dye my hair platinum blond, and that she should be the one to do it for me. That turned out tragically. Regardless, I trust her with my life. Not with my hair, but with my life.

Julie has been a friend (and neighbor!) for about 3.5 years since we met at a dinner of strangers, some of whom would become our dearest friends. Julie has 9 month old Max and so has already figured out this mommy thing, so I will bother her endlessly over the next several months. Luckily she's one of the nicest people I've ever met, so she will endure me kindly.

Liz is another of the dearest friends that we met at that dinner a few years ago. In those years, Liz has patiently listened to me bitch, vent, cry, (and even express happiness occasionally!), on a more frequent basis than she would have signed up for if she had known in advance. But she has remained supportive, even when I was pretty annoying.

I love these girls so much and was so honored that they'd host this for us. These are the women in whom I confided when I desperately wanted to get pregnant, and it's so cool to have them throwing the celebration for our babies. Next up: testing their patience by calling them in the middle of the night when I'm not sure how to turn off the babies.

Okay, more pictures. 

How cute is this set-up? With "little lowells" on pink and blue napkins? It's just the right amount of cute.

Side view of the belly. Holy moly, that's a lot of baby. That's a non-alcoholic sparkling pear beverage in my wine glass, for the record, so don't get all Judgy McJudgerson on me.

Zach with Rob and James (aka Guapo) and Katie on the left and Liz on the right.

With the grandmothers-to-be. On the left is my mom (or JJ, as she will be known), and on the right is my mother-in-law Vicki, who is already Mimi to her grandchildren Madison and Seth (who are excited to meet their cousins... We're excited too -- in a few years Madison will be old enough to babysit!)

And.... we're opening gifts. That look on my face, if you're wondering, is the "what the hell is this thing for, oh dear Lord, I don't even know what this is, how am I going to keep these children alive" look. That's right; something as simple as a plastic jar in which one mixes formula (ohhh!!! that's what it's for!!) can send me into what-have-I-gotten-myself-into-I'm-so-overwhelmed mode. Luckily I have a poker face, so you can't tell that I'm confused or overwhelmed at all. Right?

Zach's turn to be confused. I registered for the changing pad thingy, so I know what it is, but I'm pretty sure Zach's first thought was: "why do the babies need a sled?"

Katie made blankets for the babies. How sweet is that? Apparently Kaelyn had to fend for herself a few nights while Katie was at the sewing machine making these. Sorry Kaelyn. You're lucky to get away with PB&J for dinner occasionally though. At my house, there's a revolt if I try to present a meatless dinner. That's what happens when you marry a midwestern boy. 

So, there you have it. Our Dallas baby shower. We felt so loved, and I only cried 3 times later that night thinking about it. Seriously, I did. I was pretty overwhelmed with gratitude to have these people we love care so much about us and our kids. I'm also really hormonal, but mainly I'm just grateful.

Third trimester

On Friday, I'll be 29 weeks! Third trimester starts at 28 weeks, so I've started countdown mode. I'm not sick of being pregnant yet. Probably because I'm so terrified at the idea of two newborns that I'm willing to stay pregnant until I figure out my game plan. (Because I hear life with newborns is totally something you can plan for, like retirement... All I need is a strategy.)

So as of last week, here was me:

I didn't realize that the shirt I'm wearing in that picture had the white streaks like it's being blown up until after the first time I wore it. I guess that's a sign that I've given up on fashion (because I was such a fashionista previously). How hilarious of the shirt-maker, by the way, to design the shirt to have its own stretch marks that grow, the larger the pregnant woman gets.

At this point it feels like I've always been pregnant and will always be pregnant, and sometimes I forget that there are babies in there and that I'm not just fat. (But in a weird way where I'm ok with being fat.) I see myself in a mirror and accept, "and this is how I look now." Like it's an immutable characteristic, like having only one arm. There's no use fretting about it, so just move on and learn how to live with one arm. Except instead of losing an arm I've gained an enormous gut, that I have accepted. This is how it is now.

ANYway, there are both pros and cons about this stage of pregnancy.  For example, social or family events. On one hand, I'm a cheap date (water instead of wine) and a sober driver.  On the other hand, the word "vaginal" now comes up in dinner conversations with alarming frequency.  At Easter dinner, it was amusing watching Zach explain to his mother's friend why I'm having a scheduled caesarean instead of vaginal birth. He'll say "c-section" but then "you know, that way" to refer to vaginal. (His mother finally said what needed to be said: "you mean vaginal!") And then I realize we're all sitting around a lovely holiday dinner table talking about my nether regions, and I really wish I could at least have a glass of wine. (How many points do I get for writing the word "vaginal" four, wait no, FIVE times in this post?)

Coming up soon: baby shower this weekend and then 30 week appointment next week. Woo hoo!