Our Baby Shower

I was incredibly grateful to be able to attend our baby shower a few weeks ago. Little did I know, two days later the doctor would put me on modified bedrest and tell me I could not return to work until after baby boy arrives. **All photos in this post were taken by Sydney Sheehan Photography.

The Basics

My mom, mother-in-law, and sister worked together to plan a day that was beyond what I could have envisioned. In a nutshell, I wanted a casual luncheon where my family and friends could celebrate Baby Boy Young by eating, drinking, chatting, and enjoying time together. Yes, our reason for celebrating is Baby Boy Young, but I didn’t want to go overboard with baby stuff. All of the people in the room supported us in some way over the last two and half years, and we really wanted to celebrate that and show gratitude.

We picked one of our favorite local restaurants as the venue, and they did a terrific job with the food. I picked the menu, hence the grass-fed burger option. My mom knew I wouldn’t be down for any sort of games, so she had an even better idea that I loved. The guests wrote in an ‘advice book’ for us, and it is something I will treasure forever. Some of the entries are serious while others are absolutely hilarious.

In an effort to keep me off my feet, I didn’t open gifts at the shower. I usually like to be traditional, and I felt bad not opening them in front of our generous loved ones. That evening, my family helped us open the gifts as I sat on the couch. They broke down all the boxes and even piled everything neatly in Baby Boy’s room. This was tremendously helpful, and I feel like we really had a chance to take our time enjoying opening each one.

What I Wore

I knew I wanted to get a dress that I could wear again. Quite honestly, all the maternity dresses I looked at were either skin tight or too matronly-looking for my liking. I knew I wanted something floor length and comfy. The dress I ordered is from Madison Matthews. Although it is a summer dress, I loved the shades of blue and wanted to match the decor for Baby Boy. I’m confident I will be wearing it all summer! I initially had plans of wearing it with heeled booties, but ended up in sneakers to be comfortable.

The Details

The ‘Over the Moon’ theme happened accidentally after we picked out simple invitations that had a moon and stars. I was never a bridezilla during wedding season, but I was a total momzilla for our shower. I was pretty demanding about my desire for a large balloon arch. My mom obliged and worked with Allyson from POP Studio to create the most stunning balloon arch. My sister coordinated beautiful mason jar flower arrangements with blue and white tones. The favors and place cards were adorned with the cutest moon and start design. My mom’s good friend is a big-time crafter and handled writing the place cards. They came out beautifully! The favors were the most wonderful-smelling shower steamers from BD Provisions.

My Feelings

I always knew I would be emotional at our baby shower, and quite honestly I’m surprised that I didn’t cry the entire time. Last year, there were days where I was convinced it would never be “our turn” to have a Baby Shower. The shower is a dream come true. Just four days before, we received our initial diagnosis of a cervical insufficiency. It really threw us for a loop as we were trying to wrap our heads around what could potentially happen. I still didn’t really grasp the potential severity of the situation as my measurements weren’t as concerning at that point. I had received my first round of steroids that made me restless and slightly more nutty than usual. Our doctor cleared me to attend the shower so long as I took it easy and rested before and afterwards. It’s crazy to think that just two days later, things would take another turn.

I don’t even remember what I said to my guests as I stood up to thank them. There were about a million words in my head and an overwhelming sense of gratitude in my heart. I am confident I communicated that to them. We are so lucky to be bringing Baby Boy into a world with so many loving friends and family members.