Couples' Shower

Our dear friends, Mark and Beth, hosted a lovely shower in honor of Baby Kate on March 7, 2009. It was a perfect warm evening, just fitting for the buffet of Mexican fare and pink margaritas (and pink punch for the pregnant ones!) The little one in the pictures is Ayden, Mark and Beth's son. Ayden and Brady (Brett and Megan's cutie) are the only 2 wee ones right now, but come May and August there will be 2 more with the addition of Kate and Baby Bray! Enjoy the pics :)

Welcome Spring!

The sun is shining bright today, even though it's really cold, but from my window at work it looks like the beginning of a beautiful spring day. I admit that I have already broken out my spring peony wreath, cute spring hand towels, and last night added these precious finds from Pier 1 to my spring collection. Unfortunately, my local Pier 1 only had 2 of the 3 houses available because all of their houses that had the steeple arrive damaged. But, the 2 I picked up look as darling as can be on top of a vintage cake stand in my kitchen surrounded by my hydrangea tea cup collection.

Another one of my spring favorites is the arrival of the catalogs from wholesale gardening shops. Yesterday I received 2 in the mail and Joey and I spent about an hour leafing though the pages upon pages of beautiful flowers and plants. Somehow the green thumb gene completely passed over me, even though I grew up on a 135 acre farm. The only success I have had in gardening is my hydrangeas that grow along the side of our house. And, the only thing I really do to tend them it to talk to them daily and tell them how beautiful they are, and occasionally water them. While this summer will be completely different than any other with the addition of baby Kate, I am hoping to actually get some dirt under my nails and try to mix it up with some gardening.

I also received my April issue of Country Living on Tuesday. I always try to read just a few pages at a time to really soak in every detail of each article, but this one was too good to put down. I have been telling Joey for quite some time that I really, really want a tiny one room Amish cottage to put at the back of our property that can be my little hide away, craft room (since I gave mine up for his new office) or a tiny place to entertain a few girlfriends with some tea. Well, in this month's CL they feature a greenhouse of sorts that had me salivating for more pictures! What a lucky lady this woman is! Her husband reconstructed this dilapidated greenhouse into her own private retreat that I wish I could just move right into. Enjoy the sunshine!

"What NOT to Say to an Expectant Mother" Part 2

I just received this email from a friend at work and thought it would perfectly compliment my previous post.

Dear Non-Pregnant Person,

I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, surely she doesn't mean me- then you should probably read this twice.

1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you an ass (including, "Did you plan this?")

2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase "my baby".

3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it. The same goes for the name of the baby.

4) The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5) Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight- ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance, and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "You look fabulous!".

6) By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes.

7) There is a reason that tickets to L&D are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out". If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.

8) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.

9) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.

I hope this helps- it sure makes us feel better.

Signed,
All Pregnant Women

I've learned to deal with my frustrations now and channel my energy toward sleeping every second available and when I'm not sleeping, I'm organizing something before I pass out again. I will post pictures from this past weekend's couples shower as soon as I get them and before I fall asleep again. Stay tuned!