A Shower of Affection

Yesterday, I had my first pre-baby baby shower.

Yes, it demands some explanation. E was born almost exactly two months early. It's the only time in his life that he's ever been that early for something. I had baby showers post-baby, but I remember them through a somewhat hazy fog, since by that time, I had other things on my mind (like neonatal ICUs and diapers and breastfeeding and whatnot).

But this time, things were different.

My beautiful little mother offered up her house, and some of my very best friends offered up their time, and together we had a veritable sensory overload of pink, frilly, baby girl items. There were cupcakes galore, a delicious pink punch, cakes, fruits, and dips. There were pom-poms and tutus and tiny pink sneakers. My sister planned her vacation time so she could attend.  My aunt who always hated it when her mother put her in frilly clothes gave me the frilliest dress in the collection.  My sister-in-law and D's cousin both gave me huge boxes of baby clothes, lovingly picked out from their baby girls' closets. My own mother appears to have saved everything I ever wore as an infant, including the outfit my father picked out for me to wear home from the hospital. And that's just a short list of the beautiful, adorable, thoughtful gifts that everyone picked out.

It's overwhelming sometimes to realize how much people care about you.

Thank you, ladies. As wonderful as all of those gifts were, you give me something even more precious every day: your friendship and love. I can only hope my daughter will have such wonderful people in her life.