Our Baby Shower, 10/11/2008

Kelli threw our baby shower in Mounds, Oklahoma, on October 11, 2008. It was SO much fun! It was a potluck and we had a delectable cake from Merritt's Bakery (Todd's and my FAVORITE!), courtesy of Miss Judi. Susan did all the beautiful party favors/treats as well as the diaper cake, one of my very favorite features of the shower. Teresa, always so much fun, was in charge of games and even got Todd to participate in the Dirty Diaper Toss. He kept sneaking outside to smoke and hang out with Kelli's and Lise's hubbies, so we couldn't get the gift-opening going until he was found!

This is me, all smiles the day before our baby shower! We woke up at 5:00 to go to Missourri for the day as one of our last "trips" before Molly arrives. We had a lot of fun and Todd drove his truck. We ate breakfast at Cracker Barrell, had ice cream later that day at Dairy Queen, and then ate dinner at Olive Garden on the way home. Todd got to shop and browse in one of his favorite stores, Grizzly, while were were there. I was going to do some shopping but was so pooped out I honestly didn't feel up to it! WOW! There's a FIRST!

Seriously, something happened and we thought I might go into labor so we headed home...but not before devouring some Olive Garden and getting some cheap Missourri gasoline for the truck!

I'm NEVER this awake at 5:00 in the morning! Well, except maybe right now...

The picture of Todd, above, was actually taken 10/01/08. We ventured to Los Cabos for Mexican food. YUM!! This is my NEW favorite place to eat. They have 2 locations, one on Riverside and one by Bass Pro in Broken Arrow. Thanks to our friend Pam for introducing this place to us!!!! WE LOVE IT!

...At my insistence, Todd is pictured here working hard on the stroller/travel system combo. Didn't take him very long at all. If it were ME attempting to put that thing together, I would STILL have the thing in pieces, strung out all over the living room floor. Sadly, the same is true even though it came with full instructions!!! LOL... He did it, though, and then had to show me how to fold it up and get the car seat out of it and all that jazz. I'm still not too sure how to buckle the seat in all that great, but I only tried a few times...

...Check out our beautiful shower cake. It's green and yellow, the colors of Molly's nursery! And the sweet party favors were pink, and there's also pink in Molly's nursery! Susan did SUCH a great job on the favors and treats. Kelli bought pink and green napkins to match. The punch was this pink frothy stuff that looked and tasted like a dream. I couldn't drink but just a little bit but it was really, really good! So sweet it made your teeth dance out of your head, but GOOD!! :)

Isn't this the COOLEST thing you've ever seen???! I'm telling you, I've had dreams about Susan's diaper cakes! The pictures don't quite do it justice but there are all these little teeny diapers all layered into a "cake" and tied with ribbon. Sticking out of the cake, like flowers or other fancy embellishments, are baby socks, baby headbands, teethers, baby booties, rattles, bracelets, rubber ducks, pacifiers, pacifier clips, and topped with a baby bottle. So SWEET and SO appreciated!!! Thank you, Momma Susan, for all your hard work on our shower.

This is Kelli, the beautiful and VERY COOL shower hostess with the mostest! In case you're wondering, most people wore pink to honor Molly that day. WE ARE ALL THINKING PINK!!

Now, here's Miss Judi, and she just HAD to be different and wear RED! LOL. I think OU was playing that day, though, and because I'm a fan, I GUESS I'll let her off...THIS TIME!! LOL. Just kidding, Judi. Thank you for the awesome cake, I loved it. It was white cake, layered, with a very, very thin layer of LEMON between the layers. Merritt's Bakery rocks...but not as hard as you, Judi Johnson!! xoxoxox

Just a SMALL sampling of the gifts we were given for Molly...OH WOW! It took us nearly 2 hours to get through all the bags, packages, boxes and wrappings! If it hadn't been for Kelli's grandson helping us and collecting the trash and showing the gifts all around the room to all the guests, I don't know WHAT we'd have done. It would have been a 5 hour shower instead of a 3 hour shower! LOL.

These pictures all were taken of Todd opening HIS gift...the Daddy Diapering Kit. Susan made it for him and it is SOOOO clever! She even included a funny little poem telling how to use the TONGS, the GOGGLES, the RUBBER GLOVES, the CLOTHES PIN and even included a teeny tiny diaper and a travel package of baby wipes in the pockets of the apron. TOO FUNNY, and definitely a highlight of the day for Todd, Daddy-To-Be!

...This is Kathryn! She made two beautiful blankets for Molly and makes the BEST baked beans you'll ever taste...Plus, she's just a real sweetheart. She brought her husband, Don, and their grandbaby Aurora to the shower that day.

This is that OSU-loving girl, TRACI. She and her hubby Mike are grads from OSU and boy, will THEY be in for a rude awakening when Ainsley Cleo grows up and attends OU! LOL. Ainsley was born in May. She is ADORABLE!!!! While I think she looks just like her dad, Ainsley can give this GLARE just like her beautiful mommy! It's so funny to see her do it, too! Aaah, the quiet genius of genetics...

The Gang's All Here: That's Baby Jea, her mommy Lise, Dianne and Ainsley!

Wowza, Ainsley looks SO serious here, doesn't she? :) She is really studying Dianne's face!

Judi, Traci and Teresa:

This is me, preggo and swollen:

It looks like Todd is enjoying the Dirty Diaper Toss game, huh? I rocked the score at 17 until Genelle beat me and won the door prize!! Way to go, Nella Bean! xoxooxox

This beautiful blanket was given to us by Teresa and Joe and Jackie. Teresa had Sharon make it for Molly and she told me at the shower that she's had it for over one year and has been saving it for us! It has a diaper stacker to match, too, and it is also gorgeous. Sharon is SUCH a talented seamstress and Teresa is SO generous. Really, I am so thankful to have awesome women like these in my life. They have all given me advice both sisterly and motherly, and perhaps that is the most priceless thing, right there.

This is my friend, Carol. She lives in Coffeyville and she, like Teresa and Pam and many others, have been SUCH a support to me throughout this pregnancy. Early on, when I absolutely thought I was losing my mind...clear up until now, and here I am only 10 days away from delivering Molly Piper. THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, CAROL! xoxooxxox
Anyway, for the last year or so, Teresa has been "showering" us with gifts almost weekly. One day this summer we received 6 packages in the mail! All were stuffed with baby gifts and clothes! Yes, folks, she has done this for a year! It all started last year when we found out we were expecting. She started the "showering" wayyyy back then, in September 2007. After I miscarried, the weekly surprises ceased, but then in February, well, what can I say? She turned on the shower again! LOL. Teresa, you are the BEST and such a very THOUGHTFUL friend. I can never thank you enough for all that you have done and for the advice and love you've shown ALL of us! Above, this is Teresa and I at a party at her house in July 2007!

Here we are again in August 2007 at our "Ladies Who Lunch" at Moe's in Tulsa.

...And finally, here we are in October 2008, both smiling, both wearing PINK shirts and BLACK pants! What can I say? Great minds think alike! :) Love you, Teresa!!! xoxoxoxox

I was so touched and honored by how many of my friends/family actually made the effort and the drive to attend our baby shower. There were REALLY a lot of people there and although I did not get to mingle much with anyone individually, Todd and I were both delighted and felt so very loved by everyone's presence and sincere wishes to make OUR DAY so very special. WE LOVE YOU ALL. XOXOXOXX

XOOXOX,

Liz