A Girly Baby Shower

When my friends and I began having babies (and even most of my family members) it was all boys all the time. Now my same circle of friends (and one cousin) are having more babies and this time around it's all about the girls!

When Gabe was born family and friends threw me two awesome showers. It's always fun to get new baby things and coo over teeny baby clothes. But, let me tell ya...a girly baby shower takes that to a whole new level of cute!

My sister, my friends Nikki and Nana, and my mom all helped to put together a perfect shower for baby Ellie on April 26th. I told Amy we could host it in my new home. It also happened to be the same Saturday of the Overbrook city wide garage sales, of which we chose to participate in. It was a full out month long sprint getting the house in order and de-cluttered in time for the yard sale and shower. It was a strain for my ever growing belly and there were some long nights of crying because I couldn't sleep through the pain, but we did it and by time of the shower and yard sale I was completely relaxed and ready to celebrate the day with family and friends.

Amy whipped up these invites then printed them on cardstock and mailed them as postcards. Great idea for a budget friendly invite.

Nikki and Nana whipped up an awesome selection of goodies to snack on at the shower. They were pretty and delicious!

Nikki's specialty...cake! Strawberry, moist, perfectly adorable.

These cream cheese fruit bowls in a sugar cookie crust were a big hit.

There's a 31 weeks 4 days belly shot.

The gift table was adorned with a pretty diaper cake made by my mom. I don't think we got any shots of all the gifts together. Ellie was so spoiled with goodies!

Guests brought a book for Ellie instead of a card.

You can see a couple of them in the pink basket behind her name.

We played two games. The first game was to write down as many words as possible in a minute using only the letters used to spell Ellie's name. The second game was guess the baby food in the unlabeled jars. Some brave people tested the food. I only missed one. My cousin's wife Bri, the only one with a child currently eating baby food, got them all right!

Aunt Suzanne won for best facial expressions.

I opened gifts after the shower games. Ellie received so many cute outfits! I can't wait to get her in them.

Mom, Aunt Chele, my friend Theresa, cousin's wife Bri, and cousin's wife Katelyn.

Adorable headbands made by Katelyn.

Pink whale blankie...seriously cute.

There were three pregnant women at the shower. Katelyn is due a month after me and Renana is due about six weeks after me. We're all having girls this time!

Katelyn, me, Renana

And, last, but not least the awesome shower hostesses...minus Mom who was an unofficial hostess. She cleaned my house all Saturday morning to prepare for the shower guests. I had fully planned to have time after the yard sale and before the shower to clean up the house. I was kidding myself, without Mom's help it wouldn't have happened.

Amy, me, Renana, Nikki

I loved having the shower in my home. It was just family and friends together celebrating new life. Just the way a baby shower should be. I wouldn't have changed a thing. Well, maybe one thing. Maybe if I had it to do all over again I would have snapped a picture of all her spoils after the unwrapping. ;-)