Baby Shower!

My two sisters and best friend threw me an incredible baby shower.

My oldest sister, Michele, holding the camera (friend Jenna in the long skirt)...

My next oldest sister, Lara, working her butt off...

And my best friend, Ravyn.

The spread was really beautiful. There were so many vases of flowers in every room that I kept spotting them even after everyone left!

They made a beautiful cucumber-mint water, 2 kinds of mimosas and herbal iced tea...

They borrowed huge potted plants to place throughout the house, creating a beautiful garden theme (Francie is enjoying our beach wedding album before the fun gets started).

They made stratas and egg casseroles, beautiful fruit salads and dips, and they had delicious croissants and pastries. In the background is a table set up where everyone painted a birth bead for my labor - I will string them together and carry them around for good luck (or throw them at Erik for knockin' me up :)

They framed very sweet pictures of Erik and me as children (thanks for your help with that, Nancee!). And there were very special photos of me and my mom included. Behind the photos on the right is a meaningful gardenia plant, my mother's very favorite plant and scent. A huge effort was made to have her all around me as we celebrated. We even ate on her china. It was so painful not having her there, but she felt so close with all of these things reminding me of her. I know she would have really loved it.

We gathered to eat all the delicious food...

And then we had delicious (and beautiful) cake while we played funny games and opened presents!

One of my favorites... Can you believe how perfect?!

I had lots of help from my nieces (they even took these photos of present-opening)...

And they decorated my head.

Thank you Ravyn for recording who gave us what and for clearing the trash as I tore through all the great presents!

And thank you to my beautiful sisters and friend who threw me such an amazing shower. It was a really beautiful welcoming for Firecracker, so beautiful it looked like a wedding. I am so touched by all of the effort and time that went into planning and throwing this event. I will never forget that day and how special and loved I felt. Love and support are such great things to be feeling right before I do one of the hardest and most amazing things I've ever done: give birth to my child (at home). I really feel the love and support surrounding me and I can't think of anything better to prepare me for this experience.

Thank you and I love you all!

California and Other Updates

We had a lovely visit to California for Erik's grandpa's surprise 80th birthday party. Lucky us, a baby shower was thrown for us as a cover for the surprise b-day party!

Beautiful quilt handmade by Erik's Aunt Shirley!

Sweet presents from Erik's Grandma & Grandpa Whalen

And from the secret agent cousin in the background (don't listen to her, Firecracker - you're not to be a future agent...).

Erik's grandpa (in the patterned shirt) - lookin' good at 80!! Boy was he surprised when 50 of his family and friends showed up after the baby shower!

And we had a lovely day at the beach the day before we left.

Fed Firecracker a yummy sandwich on the beach.

Saw a sweet little seal below the long pier on which we were standing (he was stealing fish off of people's rods...not everyone was a fan of this seal but we were!)
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The beginning of the pier.

And we saw an awesome demonstration of a rescue with lifeguards in training! While we didn't successfully film the super awesome helicopter that swooped in over our heads and did a sample rescue of someone in the water (like Superman!), we did catch the lifeguards jumping off of the pier into the very cold and deep ocean.

Then we went for an awesome dinner on the beach with Erik's mama and her husband, Kim.

She just had back surgery right before we got there, but you'd never know it by how she looks!

What wonderful hosts - we had such a great time.

Then it was back to Austin to celebrate a very special someone's 30th birthday!

But first, some eco-friendly painting (does anyone else paint in their apron?).

And then the party (20 people gathered to celebrate)!

The happy birthday boy with his new present (action shot) :)