Bb is for Baby--the Shower

So here I sit ready to type another post 2 days in a row. Go me! I really didn't think it was going to happen, I have been nursing my sick little boy back to health. Oh how my heart hurts to see him suffer.  I guess this is real life love on Valentines Day....snot on my sleeve and coughs in my face. But you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. I am in love with the life that God has given me, snotty or not.

I am trying to find a good transition from talking about snot to a baby shower....and since there really doesn't seem to be a way to smoothly combine the two I am going to just pretend that the two mold perfectly together.  Well, actually I guess the shower is kind of when it all began.....

It had been a pretty stressful week trying to perfect a shower in one weeks time is a difficult task. My mom and I have something called "detail perfectionism". My mom also likes to have everything planned to the 'T' at least two months in advance. And while I usually plan ahead of time for some reason I struggled. I think it was partly do the fact that I couldn't really buy many things in advance since I would have to pack and cram it into a suitcase and lug it to my parents house. Then there was the being pregnant, tired, sick, and mindless. And finally, I think my main issue was the fact that this was a very very special shower to plan. I wanted it to be beautiful, perfect, girlie, and encompass how special my sister's miracle baby really is.  I could sit here and cry thinking of all the pain and heartache her and her husband have gone through to get to this point. So it had to be nothing short of special.

A few days before the shower my little boy starting getting a bit of a stuffy nose. It didn't seem to phase him much so I didn't think much about it. Then came shower time. My horrid insomnia kicked in full bore the night before (seriously?!) I slept soundly from 10:30-1:30.....and....that....was....it. Then Cole woke up and it all went downhill very quickly. He developed croup, an ear infection and was teething something awful. Thankfully my little sister works for a pediatric medical office and was able to squeeze us in on a Saturday which is always crazy. Our appointment was at 12:45 and the shower started at 2:00. we arrived home with antibiotics in tow with less than a half an hour to finish up. My parents were rock stars and pretty much pulled off much of it on their own. My mom graciously reminded me that this is life.....unpredictable, and not always convenient. There were so many other things that could have been disastrous but we ended up just tossing our hands in the air and putting them behind us.

So here are the final results of much blood, sweat, tears and hard work. Everything stemmed from our theme Bb is for Baby.

My mom found some beautiful vintage alphabet printables, that we strung as garland using mini clothespins.

We then tried to incorporate some vintage pieces throughout the rest of the decor such us the pretty teal mason jars and assorted milk glass. Tea lights were scattered throughout which created a really pretty glow and added a dainty element to the table. Here are a few more close-ups of the table scape.

We also wanted to highlight baby Kara by painting a big wooden 'K' brown and using in the center of the table

We had decided very early on that we would serve brunch foods....because really, who doesn't like brunch? Usually the food is my baby, I like to spend all week long baking, cooking and preparing fun things to eat. I am proud of myself for recognizing my limits and making the decision to use Trader Joe's as my caterer. Up until that point I hadn't even been able to set foot in the kitchen unless it was to grab a plain bagel with cream cheese. I did however honor my sister's one request for my White Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberries. 

And while it doesn't have the raspberries (they were fuzzy and moldy that morning) it also almost didn't make the cut. See, I have made this cheesecake a bazillion times.....and for some reason I decided to accidentally triple the amount of heavy whipping cream.  I thought for sure the cheesecake was beyond repair and almost dumped it out right then and there. But thanks again to my sweet mom she encouraged me to just throw it in the oven and see what happens. I had to bake it for an extra hour.....but guess what? There wasn't a single crack, and it had a smooth and creamy texture....enough that I just might through in an extra cup of cream next time! Praise the Lord! Dessert wasn't a disaster after all.  I will share the recipe with you tomorrow. Promise.

We carried the B is for Baby theme throughout the food table by using signs to tell what each item was. My mom made 3 amazing quiches, a cinnamon swirl bundt cake, and my favorite cream wafer cookies. We also served yogurt parfaits, and small bites from Trader Joes. We also had a cookie, milk, and donut table.

And here is the beautiful mama.....

Overall the shower was a success, we were able to celebrate with amazing family and friends and shower that sweet baby with all kinds of love. I am so excited to meet my new niece!!!