Babies Shower

If you're new to my blog during ICLW week, here's January's ICLW post.


My whole weekend was amazing. Friends arrived at my house after work to help make my shower favors, which I had agreed to make for my mom. We had decided on snowflake cookies. I didn't do much though besides ordering ingredients- one friend had pre-made the majority of the cookies the night before and arrived with a bowl of dough to make some more- which she promptly rolled out and baked in my oven. Another friend measured out and whipped up the "hard frosting" for the cookies- and then we split into frosting and "sprinkle" teams. It was hilarious! I got kicked off pretty quickly for clumping my sprinkles-I couldn't do it evenly! My BFF was moved to the icing team after dousing a cookie in so many sprinkles it looked like something an exotic dancer would wear! I became a "supervisor" and we just chatted and joked.

After letting the cookies dry, we packaged them up in cellophane bags and ribbon that my mon had bought that said "Ducky's Baby Shower" and the date. They looked great!

We stayed up late chatting and it was hard to let them go at midnight (although one friend slept over) even though I was going to see them the next day!

SATURDAY! Up bright and early to get to the restaurant on time to decorate! The shower started at 12 and I live about 45 minutes away. My friend and I arrived and I wasn't allowed into the room, which I thought pretty silly bc I just had to sit in the hall upstairs and twiddle my thumbs! Finally I was allowed in and it looked so pretty. There was a roaring fire in the room (I didn't get any pictures of it, oh no!) and my mom and friends did a great job decorating.

Unfortunately since I don't want to post pictures of me or anyone I know on this blog I can't give you the fun pics of me opening presents. But here's a few of the decorations!

Instead of a wishing well, and because the theme of my shower was winter (my invite started with "Baby It's Cold Outside!" my mom asked everyone to bring hats and mittens of different sizes for a winter clothesline which she hung up across from the fireplace. It looked great and I don't think we have to buy the girls hats or gloves until they're 13!

I had been so afraid I would have anything to open, but there was so much I started thinking the gift opening was taking way too long. People were more generous than I ever could have imagined. And only one person (my mom, of course) gave me disposable diapers! The decoration in the picture below is from a diaper wreath she had made!

 

 

My friends saved the best gift for last. It was a sign my mom had told me she bought for the room last October. I opened it, held it above my head because everyone wanted to see, and it felt like I was raising a trophy in victory above my head.

 

 

 

 

F.U. infertility! You tried to keep babies away and we found a way to beat you!!!!

Let's Get This Party Started

Let the "Shower Weekend" commence!! When I get home tonight, one girl friend will already be there and three others will be arriving soon after to decorate cookies for tomorrow! One of them made the cookies last night and it will be an awesome night of bonding, sending L out for pizza for us and having so much fun!

Then tomorrow is the shower! I have been looking forward to this for so long I am SOOOOO excited! I hope the games aren't too cheesy and there's enough presents to open. We have about 30 people coming but it seems like a bunch of them have mailed the presents to me ahead of time. I've only heard of doing that when you're NOT coming. I am so excited to see so many people and put out the card we made! It looks great!

On the front of it is Gabby's picture - and it says Meet Our Gestational Carrier (First Name!) Inside is basic information, her age, occupation, husband's and kid's names, and why she wanted to be a GC and why her husband thought she'd make a great GC. Then on the other side is a little bit about gestational surrogacy and a blurb about our journey. That was really hard for me to write about so I ended up doing this instead.

6 losses
+ 5 adoption profilings
+ 4 years of struggle
+ 3 IVFs
+ 2 open heart surgeries
+ 1 gestational carrier

= Our happy ending!

I would venture to say most of the people going to my shower don't know half of what we've been through, so I was a little reluctant this would be TMI. Then I thought, whatever, it's MY journey and I want them to know. And I'll admit a little part of me wanted MIL to see this because she simply does not understand why we "can't get over" baby-related things (this was before Gabby).

Of course, now that I printed this out for the tables, I realize the "formula" is pretty wrong - I totally left out an IVF! (how the hell do you forget one of those?) Plus 3 IUIs, but L was squeamish about me putting that in there. He didn't mind IVF though. And it's been longer than 4 years too. Oh well, it didn't fit the countdown thing I tried to have. The card looks pretty good and I'm so grateful for the suggestion!! I forwarded it to Gabby and she loved it and forwarded it to her family.

There was also an u/s yesterday, but no measurements were taken. They did biophysical profiles though and both girls were 8/8! And best of all - BOTH were head down!! Gabby was so shocked she couldn't believe it. She thought the tech was a trainee and that he might have made a mistake, but I told her that even a trainee should know the difference between head and feet at least! :) I think she's geared herself up for a c-section, which is probably the smart thing to do but now she might be able to give birth vaginally. They say Baby M is not likely to turn again, but Baby N may still as she has more room. If she turns breech again then Gabby will just get a c-section because she doesn't want to take the chance of there being an issue halfway through and having an emergency c-section, but if not...they might induce 2/12 now, when the MFM is there! Since Baby N is the bigger baby, it'll all depend on her. I'm kind of hoping since she's the bigger baby the big ol' head will weight her in the right direction.

The Sunday we're heading over to MA to visit Gabby and the family! We were going last weekend but she had the flu and we were both with bad colds so this works out better (and we have off Monday). Can't wait to see her.

What a great weekend!