The Nursery

Last weekend Mom helped me paint the nursery while Sean was out of town for work. We also hung a wall paper border that matches the "Farm Yard" bedding set we got. Should anyone bring their measuring tape into the baby's room they'll find the border exactly 16 3/4 inches down from the ceiling all the way around the room - thanks Mom. Well, except in that one pesky spot!

Shower #1: pictures!

Jen and Mom threw a fantastic shower for Amy and Baby Niner on Sunday, July 17 at Toast in Huntersville. Toast is one of our favorite breakfast places, locally owned and operated by a guy we've met a couple of times, so we love supporting it. It was really cool that the restaurant was completely shut down and the staff was there just to serve Amy and the ladies who gathered for the shower.

I found it odd to show up and see all these gifts that everyone bought for us ... it's the same basic concept as a wedding shower, so why'd I think of it any differently? I guess it's because all these people came together not just to celebrate Amy and I, but to welcome and support the little guy before he's even here! Dad and I stopped by just in time for dessert and we got to say hello to everyone and thank them for coming; and, of course, the women needed our innate hunter/gatherer skills to move the presents from the restaurant to the 4Runner.

I brought everything up to the nursery when we got home, and Mom, Jen, Am and I (and the pobbies - notice how Daisy makes an appearance in the pictures, shocking eh?!) looked through all the gifts again. I got out a box of stuff Nana gave me a long time ago - probably when I graduated from Salisbury - with my christening outfit, some of my baby clothes, my baby book, and a bunch of toys I had in my room as a kid. Nana - see the picture of me holding up the train puzzle?!

All of the gifts are amazing and we're truly thankful for everything, but a couple of my sentimental favorites: Jen's "Where the Sidewalk Ends" 30th anniversary edition, and Monica's labels for Baby Niner's books. I was a bookworm as a kid, so these gifts make it especially neat to think of reading to our little boy one day. I put together the high chair late Sunday night and put it in the dining room across from the one I had as a kid, and I'm pretty sure that was Amy's favorite moment - walking into the dining room the next morning and seeing his chair ready to go. Now all we need is a little boy to put in it!

Here are pics from the shower:

Baby Shower 7/20

The baby was 'showered' with so many nice gifts at the brunch given by Mom and Jen last weekend. In attendance were family: Aunt Ruth Ann, Stephanie, Cindy, Bethany and work family: Sheila, Katie, Monica and Kelly. We had the whole restaurant to ourselves and enjoyed some great food from the menu Jen put together. Then it was present time...

The baby is going to be very well dressed after getting so many cute outfits and shoes and we received so many items off of our registry it was almost scary, like he can come soon, we're almost ready! Some of the big items we got were the highchair, infant stroller and regular stroller and a pack-n-play which will be great for traveling. There were even gifts from Nana all the way from Maryland. Everyone who came brought a book to help start the baby's library, and Monica made special labels to go inside each one.

At the end we had an amazing German chocolate cake and Dad and Sean arrived to help cart away all the gifts. It was so nice to celebrate the baby with so many great ladies and also fun to watch Sean go through everything when we got home!