Showered Again!

We were so fortunate to have another baby shower last Sunday thrown by Tim's parents.  It was at the beautiful Corinthian Yacht Club overlooking the Delaware River, and once again, we were so touched by the kindness and generosity of those who already love our baby girl.  

Look how fancy!

One of the reasons I am lucky is because Tim's family is awesome.  They have always been so welcoming to me and so excited and happy about the baby.  It was wonderful to see some of them again and meet some others for the very first time. 

Grammy's girlfriends

Aunts and Cousins

Even the boys were there!  Tim's father, brothers and best friend were all in attendance, and had their own special table in front of a TV in a separate part of the room.

 

Smith Boys - Uncle Mike, Daddy, and Uncle TJ

Tim and his best buddy, Steve

Although they all disappeared at one point.  I wonder where they went...

To take Uncle Mike's new car on a joyride perhaps?

Meanwhile all of us ladies had a spectacular brunch and admired the decor and the view of the river.  There were so many things that made the day extra special.  Tim's dad made the adorable favors - baby socks stuffed with treats!  Chocolate and candy for the girls and beef jerky for the boys.

Tim's Aunt Rita made a diaper cake, a diaper bouquet and two delicious cakes in the shape of a giraffe and a turtle.  (I collect giraffes and Tim likes turtles).  It was so perfect for us. 

 I was amazed by all the gifts that people took the time to make especially for our little one. 

Homemade blanket and quilt

Mischief got so many thoughtful and generous gifts - and I had so much fun opening them with Tim by my side.

Mischief Eagles onesie - the collection is complete!

This pink basketball got opened and played with as soon as we got home

 

Diapers!

It was full of books!  The baby now has a great start to her library.  

Towards the end of the shower, I got a very special present from my mom: Rao!  

Tearful reunion

Rao was a little stuffed cat that I got from my Mom-Mom when I was a baby.  It was my favorite thing ever and I pretty much spent the first ten years of my life carrying him around in the front pocket of my osh kosh's.  I lost him at some point after college, and when I found out about this baby I was devastated that I didn't have him to give to her.

I thought he was gone forever because he was handmade from a piece of (now) vintage fabric. My mother scoured the internet for months looking for a replacement, and ended up finding him on Ebay.  It was so shocking and emotional to see my Rao again!  I'm overjoyed that my little girl will have her very own Rao. 

It made a great ending to a very special day.  Words cannot express our appreciation to everyone who planned this shower and came out to celebrate our baby girl.  We have been so blessed to have had such love and support from so many people throughout this journey.  It's truly overwhelming and humbling.

Thank you again to everyone, especially Grammy and Pops!  We love you so much and we are now (almost) completely ready for Mischief's arrival!

Love, all three of us!

Bermuda Babymoon

Dear Mischief,
The day after your baby shower, we had to wake up super early to head to Bermuda.  It wasn't difficult to get out of bed, because you kept me awake all night for the very first time.  I couldn't blame you though, you had an exciting day, and you were about to go on your very first airplane ride.

You did great on the plane, and in two short hours we were in Bermuda.

Our Hotel: The Fairmont Southhampton

Our first day there, your Daddy got some great news - he got a raise and a promotion!  I was so proud of him and we immediately went out to celebrate all the wonderful things we have going on in our life together.

Dad's flight of Bermuda-brewed beers

Someday you will appreciate how hard he works, and you will always know that he is going to do his best to take care of you.  Every day in Bermuda he got picked up for work at 7 a.m., while you and I got to sleep as long as we wanted. We made it our little tradition to start each day with breakfast on the balcony overlooking the ocean.

The view

After that, we got dressed and headed to the beach:

Here you are on the beach!

 In the afternoons, we had lunch by the pool.

Avian lunch date...

All this downtime gave me plenty of time to read some non-baby related books.  Sorry, Mischief, but one can only read so much What to Expect When You're Expecting, Dr. Sear's Baby Book and Happiest Baby on the Block. 

We also took a day trip to explore Hamilton, the capital city of Bermuda.

Ferry ride to Hamilton

Sightseeing in Hamilton

We ended every day with a fancy dinner with daddy after he got home from work.

It was such a great trip and very relaxing for your momma.  But even though the island was beautiful, I was eager to come back home and continue preparing for your arrival.

Thanks for keeping me company, little girl!  I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, because if your father and I ever make it to an island again, I can't guarantee that we'll be bringing you along.

Don't worry, though- we promise to always get you a souvenir!

Baby Shower!

Thank you to my amazing family for coming together to throw an incredible baby shower at my Aunt Chrissy's house.  Everything was beautiful, all the women I love were there - and it truly was one of the happiest and the most unforgettable days of my life.   

I got there before all the guests which gave me time to look around and appreciate all the adorable decorations. 

 

But I didn't start crying until I saw the cake: 

It's Ellie and Stretch!  Thanks Aunt Mary!

My awesome mom made all the food, my Aunt Kathy made the desserts - even the punch was pink and green!  My mom also made the cutest dum-dum topiary, which is currently being devoured by my coworkers. 

My baby is a mini philanthropist!

All the details made it so special, and the day only got better as the guests started to arrive.  I couldn't believe how many people came out to celebrate our little girl.  My mom and sisters, my girlfriends, my aunts, my cousins, my cousin's wives, Tim's mom and aunt, my nana - all in the same room.  It was just awesome. 

My girls!!!

My godmother Aunt Theresa, Aunt Annette, Grammy and Nana

I wish I had taken more pictures, but I was too busy enjoying myself.  And then came the gifts- Mischief got so many generous, meaningful - and absolutely adorable presents. 

Loot!

I loved everything- and I can't wait to dress her up in all her cute outfits.  She is going to be one stylish baby. She got loads upon loads of gifts.  Practical presents, handmade presents, funny ones, frilly ones, giraffe stuff, Eagles stuff, Phillies stuff - the list goes on and on.  We are both beyond spoiled already.  

The last thing I opened was from my Nana, who gave me a ring that belonged to my great, great grandmother - Mischief's great, great, great grandmother, who had the same last name as Tim.  My Nana has over 35 grandchildren, so to get something that has been in our family for so long was really incredible - and to have her support for this baby meant so much to me.  

I read the card out loud and then began blubbering uncontrollably.  The little thank you speech I had planned to give went completely out of my head. I was so overwhelmed that our baby already has so much love, and so happy that she will be born with so many amazing women around to support her.  I just tried as hard as I could to convey my gratitude through my tears. I can only hope it came across.

Thankfully, Mischief's Grammy was there to hand me a tissue.  Lesson learned: a good mom always has tissues in her pocketbook!

After the gifts came the next best part of the day: the food!  And after that came the next best part: Tim showed up!

Cutting the cake!

Tim and I with our mommas

It really was one of the most amazing days of my life and I will never, ever forget it.  There was even a sign in the sky when it was over - a beautiful rainbow:

It was just another reminder of how truly blessed we are.  Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who was a part of it for making us feel so special and loved.