A Hometown Baby Shower.

I feel spoiled rotten. Last weekend, Stevie & I took a quick trip down to Atlanta to celebrate our two wonderful friends marrying each other and we snuck in a super duper fun couples' baby shower, too. The weekend was jam-packed, beginning with a most-necessary, 11pm post-flight visit to the Original Chick-fil-A Dwarf House (I was craving those nuggets!) before heading to the in-laws and dropping directly into bed. Over the course of the weekend, I had the privilege of spending some much-needed one-on-one time with my mom that included fish tacos, pedicures and maybe a bit too much laughter. My mother. Ugh she's just the best. I got to see some sweet friends from our time living in Boston, as everyone congregated to celebrate a glowing wedding. And one of the most memorable parts of the weekend? The delicious, decadent baby shower that my best friend, sisters-in-law and mother-in-law threw for me & Stevie. It was a smash, to say the least.

Dinner, Drinks and Bewitching Dessert.

My mother-in-law Lindy and sister-in-law Lauren know how to throw a party. These brainy women could probably do it in their sleep, with their hands tied and their eyes blindfolded. They are geniuses at planning, estimating and producing an immaculate event at a moments' notice. All the years they've invested into putting on mega church events and conferences really paid dividends, I can selfishly say, in this party, because it was just AWESOME. On their dinner menu? Yummy taco salad with all the fixings, some kind of fun alcoholic beverage for the non-preggos and fancy sparkling limoncello for me (and the 6 other pregnant gals who were there!) Dessert was pretty much enchanted. My sister-in-law Katie baked a multi-layered blueberry-lemon cake that was truly TO DIE FOR. I can't wait to get the recipe from her. It was seriously magic cake. Magical and beautiful, because she decorated it showcasing Everett's sweet name. Thank you, Katie!! And Lauren! And Lindy! The women in my family, whew, they are where it's at! They're party girls.

// Hey party people. Look alive! //

// There she is. The master of the dream cake. //

The Hostess with the Mostess.

My BFF Tricia is truly a gem. She is the kind of friend who takes notice of the little things, always keeping her eye on the details that transform an event into the truly spectacular. Along with caring for her precious daughter (whom she proudly wore in her fancy Ergobaby carrier!), she took care of me all night long. She made sure I always had a fresh drink, had eaten enough, and was getting quality time with all the guests. While we opened the gifts, she constantly (and inconspicuously!) kept arranging the presents so that they were easily within arms' reach. She did all these tiny little things that made such a huge difference and made me feel so special and loved. She continues to amaze me with her generous heart and constant servant-hood. I want to be like her when I grow up. Her biggest flaw? She skillfully avoided the camera all night (for the record, I am NOT PLEASED.)

// The fancy baby monitor. I like to call it our newfangled spy machine. MOMMY IS WATCHING. //

// Sweet REI baby backpack. I guess now we have to take this kiddo camping. //

Oops.

Somehow, I didn't get pictures with anyone! Oops! We were having so much fun... but I realized at the end of the night that I didn't get one single photograph with any of amazing ladies who threw the shower, our parents (both sets were in grand attendance), or our siblings... how silly. Well, we just all REALLY enjoyed ourselves. Thankfully, Tricia ordered my dad to take some pictures on our camera, (in his words, "The little one told me to take pictures!"), so we came away with a few great shots of the action :) Bless her, that little one.

// How cutie are these burp cloths? It's a really good idea to make gross, necessary items extremely cute. Baby spit up? Not so adorable. Graphic whales and mustaches on burp cloths? Geez so mega cute.  //

// Practicing his "hold". //

Thank You!

Many, many thanks to everyone who joined us in celebrating our sweet Everett's upcoming arrival! We LOVED seeing so many dear-hearted friends and getting the pleasant opportunity to open his presents (one of my favorite things to do IN THE WORLD)! We can't wait to bust out all this sweet gear and get to using it - but we will wait. Well, except for the baby monitor. I think that we've gotta play with this little spy machine a bit before E's arrival. Watch out!!!