Me with the host, Jody Bergsma and good friend Erin Baker.
I am so lucky to have an awesome group of girlfriends in Bellingham who got together and threw me a fantastic girly baby shower. I’m in a Mastermind Business Group with Jody and Erin and it was fun to work on something besides work with them!
I could have done an entire post on the yummy food at the shower. We even had a cupcake decorating station.
The food was insane – absolutely over the top delicious. In addition to the guests bringing treats, Jody had little mini crepe-y things brought in from a delicious local creperie (Magdalenas in Bellingham). The cupcake decorating station was, of course, my favorite place. The always-fabulous Erin Baker baked the cupcakes using only organic ingredients and love and they tasted delish!
We had a onesie decorating station that made fast and creative friends of everyone at the party. And look at the haul of creative little onesies for our little Bramble Bump! The talent among the group was stunning.
Baby’s first original painting by the talented Jody Bergsma.
Onesies! The “Happy Camper” one is mine =)
Amber from Bramble Berry Marketing made the advice book.
The final station was an Advice Station. I really wanted a chance to talk to everyone at the Shower and have a heart-to-heart to learn about everyone’s advice but time was short and I was worried I’d forget the excellent advice from friends so I got everyone to write their best feedback for us down. I spent the next day reading the advice and was absolutely blown away by the wisdom and grace of my friends.
Baby’s first piggybank! And look, my Mom is back from New Zealand!
Our baby Bramble Bump will be here in about 4ish weeks and we can’t wait to meet him. Buoyed by the excellent fun and joy from the showers, he’s going to be riding high on a lotta love.
cripes, i had meant to ask, my first grandchild is on it’s way (a boy! i’ve just been told.) and i’m really interested in your adorable advice book, but the photo doesn’t quite show enough detail for me to get an idea of how i might re-create a similar one, could you describe it a little bit? (if it’s not rude of me to ask?) i think it would be a perfect thing for my daughter-in-law’s shower. she and my son are young and he’s currently deployed in the middle east, since it’s such a visual thing she’d be better able to share it with him later.
Not rude to ask at all! I love to help when I can. Congrats on the boy, by the way!
The book is technically an accordion book (lots of instructions here: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=how%20to%20make%20an%20accordion%20book&revid=1872108114&biw=1024&bih=587&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=iw ) but each page has an envelope on it that we slipped 3 x 5 cards into.
The baby shower was a HUGE hit because of this activity (and the onesie painting activity – we jokingly called it a crafty cocktail party even though there were no cocktails – the crafts kept everyone busy and chatting even though they didn’t know eachother). If you have more questions, just let me know and I’ll put you in touch with the creator. I’m sure she’d love to make you one too. For a handmade book, I felt like it was a reasonable price.
thanks so much! the search criteria got me on the right track, i’m fairly proficient in paper crafting. realizing those are actually envelopes in the accordion gives me the idea to include extra cards in the announcements for those out of town relatives not able to attend the shower. the onesie project is definitely the perfect ice-breaker, i’m glad you shared that!
This might seem a little left field but one of the things i discovered brining mine home that seemed to make a huge difference is suppressing the urge to utter the words “shh…the baby is sleeping.” I found that the benign instinct to make the rooms they’re in artificially darker and quieter than they should be isn’t the best plan. In the beginning they can sleep through absolutely anything, there’s really no need for adjustment. a little later when they start to sleep less some of them get fussy and that’s when the urge to brick up the windows and pad the walls sets in, don’t give in to it. it will pass as they become accustomed to the natural cycling of daytime light, noise and activity vs. nighttime darkness and quiet and are able to sleep soundly without waking to every pin dropping, while everyone else can skip the eggshell two-step.
I’m reading a couple sleep books right now because a new mommy told me she was so shocked that the baby needed be coached into how to sleep. And one of them definitely said what you’re saying – at night, sure, soundproof, darken the room etc… but during the day, put the baby in the middle of the floor with a million sounds, and things going on around him so he understands that nighttime sleep is different than daytime sleep.
Of course, it’s easy to say that now that he’s in my belly! Ha ha …
PS ~ That icon is NOT my doing in the upper, right-hand corner! Where did that come from?!?!
I think the little icons are automatically assigned, randomly?
Hei A-M!
And Happy Baby!
Just a quickie: In the hospital, ask the nurses to not use a baby bottle for water, but a spoon, gently pouring any liquids into Baby’s mouth. That way YOU will be the only source of nourishment that Baby gets by sucking [artificial bottle nipples are too easy!] and the first few tries at nursing will be successful sooner. It works!
Megaklems from your Mom’s friend ~
Thank you for the hint! I need all the help I can get! I’ll add that to my birth plan ASAP. Since I’m breast feeding, I definitely don’t want any ‘nipple confusion’ or whatever it’s called =) Any other advice you have, I will gladly take!
Anne-Maire,
A few words of advice to make your hospital stay nicer. Some I knew my first time, and some I only learned for my 2nd:
1. bring soft TP – at least 2 rolls – hospital TP is like fine grit sandpaper.
2. Put A&D or petroleum jelly on his bottom starting with the first diaper – not to avoid diaper rash but to help with the meconium – that stuff is like tar and a barrier helps to take it of easily.
3. Bring prunes to eat – and start as soon as possible after delivery – it will make things easier later.
4. USE THE NURSES – if you are going to breastfeed ask for their help every time in the beginning, let them diaper the baby if you are tired, and have them teach you how to swaddle – because they won’t be there when you go home, so take advantage while you can.
5. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water – it helps so much with so many things after delivery.
Good luck!
Seriously Merryn, how much do I love you right now? Thank you for the “been there, done that” advice. I so appreciate it.
I’m breastfeeding and will admit that I am somewhat scared of that but I’m convinced that it’s the best thing for our little boy (and bonding!).
Soft TP. Check. Will go out and buy the most expensive TP I can find.
Petroleum Jelly. Check. Will go out and buy it because we have none in our house. =)
Prunes. I can say we already have that! =)
Water. Check. That’s what husbands are for right? To shove more water in me and remind me to stay hydrated? Ha ha.
Nurses. I am planning on moving as little as possible in the first week because we’re on a flight to DC with baby Renoud 3ish weeks after he’s born (for the Small Business Week in DC for the SBA) so I will totally bribe those nurses (already planning goody packs). Thank you SO Much for chiming in. Any other advice you have, I am totally game!
Great ideas. There will be a baby shower in our family in the near future. I will be passing on these great ideas. I love the onesie decorating idea. The piggy bank gift, I’m getting and filling. What a spread, that is part of the fun of girls getting together for any kind of party, we love good food.
You are simply a radiant mom to be! Pregnancy was one of the best experiences in my life and my baby girl turns 37 on Saturday.
Savor every moment and take lots of pictures and videos, because years seem like minutes.
Love the posts, looking forward to the birthday post.
Wow, you have a 37 year old? I hear time passes so fast once you have a child and I’m shocked at how quickly this pregnancy has gone so far.
It’s an amazing experience to be pregnant and to be incubating a tiny person inside me. I am (mostly) loving every minute of it though I will admit that I am antsy to meet our son. =)
Good luck on YOUR baby shower. I got the onesies, FYI, from a wholesale onesie place (I googled for it) and got like 40 onesies for $2 or so each (I splurged on a few and got organic so those were more).
The onesie decorating station was a brilliant idea, but right now I’m thinking more about the *cupcake* decorating station!! It looks like it was a wonderful party. Congrats :0)
LOVE the new blog design♥
Thank you! We had a great time designing the new blog and were so happy when it came to fruition and worked out.
The onesie decorating station was definitely my favorite and was such a good way to get everyone to chat it up with eachother, even if they didn’t know eachother well =)
I got decorated onesies with baby #3 and I loved them! They weren’t nearly as elegant and the one by your artist friend but I loved using them. There were even a few “kid art” ones. Enjoy those lovely personal gifts!
I can’t wait to use them on our little boy. And I know every time I use them that I’ll smile and think of the love and support of my friends and family. Now, this little guy just needs to arrive! =)
The onesie decorating station is a great idea. Congratulations!
Thank you. It was SO great to have such amazing mementos of the special day =)
Anne-Marie,what a wonderful blessing for you all. What a beautiful shower. You’ll have an explosion of fun new ideas, especially with the new baby. Thank you for all of the hard work and videos. After watching most of them I went shopping!
Thank you! I’m so glad that you’re finding the videos and blog posts helpful. We couldn’t do it without awesome friends and customers like you. =)
I agree – the second this little boy arrives, it will be a whole new world for us and hopefully, with a whole bunch of new business ideas to build upon and share. We just can’t wait for him to get here now.
Anne-Marie, this looks like so much fun! You will have the best-dressed little man on the West Coast! :0) It’s so generous of you to share your pregnancy experiences with all of us. Thank you! I hope your last few weeks of pregnancy are fun!
You are so right – best dressed little man on the West Coast with all the kind and loving friends that contributed to his wardrobe =) I am the luckiest gal to have such a strong support network.
Last few weeks of pregnancy seem to be dragging but it might just be how uncomfortable I’m getting that’s making it drag…
Just beautiful! The setting, the food, the crafty talent – what a blessing!! And fun, too, I’ll bet.
Super fun – lots of laughter and lots of heartfelt advice that comes from great experience. It was definitely good memory time. =)
What an amazing shower! I am so excited for you! Loved the “I’m with the MILF” onesie. How funny! They are all wonderful, though. What a great idea.
What gracious and supportive friends you have and talented! The ideas are grand and the onesies are so darling. Perhaps after they are used they could be made into a quilt for posterity.
That is a fun idea – the quilt – I’m framing 5 of them that are too good to use (there are double what you saw in the photo) =) And yes, the most supportive friends – I am very lucky.
What a great memory to cherish!!
Looks like a wonderful time and I am sure your mom was so happy to be present….
It was really nice to have her here. She was gone for 3+ months to New Zealand during a lot of the pregnancy so it’s been reassuring to have her (and my Dad!) back. =)
AM, what a fabulous day you had 🙂 Love the onesies, and what wonderful family and friends. How wonderful you Mum is back!
So thrilled my Mom is back. I missed them terribly while they were in your neck of the woods =) And yes, the Onesies are adorb!
Awwww, what wonderful friends you have! You are continuing to look fantastic! Glad to hear that your parents are back safe and sound. 🙂
The onesies are all so clever! You and all your friends are very talented.
I love the new look of your blog, BTW!
Thank you! We had a lot of fun re-doing the blog and dreaming up our ‘perfect’ blog. We hope it will prove more useful for everyone to really be able to dig into projects because they are better arranged now.
Agree – some very talented friends. =)
Four weeks! Where did the time go? I’m so happy for you guys 🙂
And that “MILF” onesie is killing me!
Agree! Where did the time go?! It is insane that we are going to be parents and meet our son in the next month. I just cannot believe it! It seemed to drag so slowly in the first few months (when I was sick! ha!) and then just lightening fast in the last trimester.
It looks like you have so much wonderful support and love! And those onesies are hysterical: “I’m with the MILF”! LOL
My friends have a funny, dry and wry sense of humor =)
I love the new blog design!
Your shower looks like so much fun! The advice book… very creative! Everything looks wonderful and perfect. I want to jump through the screen at get my hands on that food!! I’m glad you had a great time at your shower.
The food was INSANE – like in a good way – and I’ve read about 1/2 of the advice thus far and it is so kind and so heartfelt – absolutely loving, amazing advice.
Looks like such a fun party!
Love the new site also!
Thank you! We worked really hard on it and are so excited to see it come to fruition.
You have GREAT friends who really
know how to throw a party!
I love all the creativity present here!
And, so glad your Mom got to come too.
This is a very very special time in your life!
XO!
I agree; for our next little one, we’ll be so busy with the first that we probably won’t get to celebrate quite as much! =) Ha ha.
What an AMAZING shower this is! Great ideas with the little stations and what not. I may have to steal these for the future. Very cool. Thank you for sharing.
I love crafty fun stations (of course, I’m a crafty girl!) and they also really help to break down any “I don’t know you” barriers too. =)
I love the third photo with the glass shelves. Where was this hosted? It looks like a creative and well thought out baby shower and what a great way for guests to get involved.
It was hosted at my friend Jody’s house. She has a beautiful home and very good taste with her design. I’ll be sure to tell her that you said so =)