Oh boy!  Baby joy!

Back in July, when I called my high school BFF and told her that I was expecting a second little munchkin, one of the first things she asked me was whether I wanted a baby shower.  You see, I’m not a particularly fussy girl and I don’t love to be the center of attention… and showers for second-time moms are done, but not as commonly as showers for first-time moms.  As a second-time mom, you probably don’t need a truckload of baby gear and you’re seasoned enough that you don’t need the advice of experienced moms about things like poopy diapers and 3:00 a.m. feedings.  I know this, and I knew I didn’t need much stuff for this kid… but I confessed that I did want a small shower – a sprinkle, really – because that was something I missed out on last time.  When Peanut was born two months early, she happened to show up ten days before the baby shower my mom and BFF were planning.  All festivities were cancelled and I spent that day (like every other day for the first seven weeks of her life) in the NICU.  So yes, I told BFF, I’d like a sprinkle if it can be done.

“You’re not getting a sprinkle,” she said in reply.  “You’re getting a torrential downpour.”

We talked about the best time to have a sprinkle.  I suggested Christmas week, since I was reasonably sure I could commit to still being pregnant, and we were planning to be in town anyway.  And it was a done deal.  BFF and my mom put their heads together and came up with just the very party I’d hoped for – a sweet, simple gathering of the ladies I love the most, all there to celebrate our new little buddy-to-be.

Before the sprinkle started, my mom picked up a dozen blue balloons.  Peanut immediately claimed them all as her own.  (Unfortunately for her, she was going to have to share with the two other littles that attended the party – BFF’s three-year-old daughter, and another friend’s fifteen-month-old son.  Hey, with a little brother on the way, she had to learn sharing sometime…)

Peanut was delighted to have another opportunity to wear her “style shoes.”  And she picked out the dress herself!  Good taste, right?  She must have gotten her fashion sense from somewhere else, because goodness knows I don’t have any.

The shower was, as I said, very simple – no games, no silliness, no smelling anything in diapers or wrapping toilet paper around my midsection thankyouverymuch – we just enjoyed each other’s company, had a yummy catered lunch (complete with cupcakes delivered by BFF’s husband) and chatted.  Perfect!  Peanut logged quality time in any available lap.  Here she is, above, conning my friend A into reading to her from a set of “Frozen” board books she got for Christmas.  (Peanut has patented what we call the “lap-back-up,” in which she motors in reverse, book in hand, into the nearest free lap.)  We think she has some kind of radar for mom laps in particular, because she immediately identified A (who has the fifteen-month-old mentioned above) as a good candidate for snuggles and reading.  A was a good sport about it.

Peanut got extra lucky, because her aunts were there!  Auntie Em and Aunt Grace both came from long distances away to celebrate their new nephew-to-be, and Peanut was delighted to have her favorite babysitters there. (We were only missing Aunt Danielle.)  Auntie Em and Aunt Grace both were victims of the lap-back-up, too.

After lunch and cupcakes, I opened gifts.  Like I said, we really didn’t need much – or anything – but my family and friends wanted to make sure that the new little guy was plenty spoiled anyway!  He got lots of boy clothes (including a superhero cape and a mini professor outfit), and plenty of books and toys – including a set of trucks that I hope he shares, because I want to play with them too.

And this awesome sweater, which I wish came in my size!

It was just a perfect day.  Getting the celebration I missed out on last time meant so much to me – after missing out on the experience with Peanut because of her surprise early arrival, I was so unbelievably grateful to be able to smile and celebrate this time around.  Thanks, Mom and BFF, for a perfect baby shower!