Tomorrow is our baby shower. It’s surreal to be in this moment — so far along, when there is still a part of me that feels stuck in time, forever reliving the late October morning I saw a second line appear.
As an introvert lurker on pregnancy apps and forums, I know most other moms-to-be share my anticipation and excitement for this day, our showers. We made it. We’re almost to the finish line. And now it’s time to celebrate and get ready for this little life that’s about to stake its independence.
My mom has been planning every detail for months, with the help of certain family and friends who have been so generous and devoted behind the scenes of it all (I am endlessly grateful and feel so so loved). And as blissful as it has been to not be in the weeds of all the details and logistics, there were a few things I did have a hand in.
First, I knew very early on that we’d want this to be a true family affair. Dad, grandpas, and uncles welcome just as much as the mama and the grandmas and the aunties and girlfriends. Our wedding shower was the same way: a celebration of us as a couple and a family and how far we’ve come, rather than a “bridal” achievement.12
And in the spirit of this baby boy and a co-ed gathering and not trying to make the party setting feel too precious, our theme is “Baby on Board” — skateboard, that is ;) I know my husband, and this kid will be in Vans and on a skateboard the day he starts walking.3
Finally, I believe in sacred settings. We’re having this shower at the very park where my husband, stepdaughter, and I had our first outing as a trio, all those years ago. It’s the place I snapped my first photo of A going down the slide with her dad. It’s where we practiced our form on our new skateboards and where Adam and I witnessed in amazement A’s Olympian stamina on the monkey bars.
I can’t wait to share this place with our next little one, soon.
That’s not to say I don’t also love a “for the girls” moment when friends do choose to host a women-only affair 💅🏼
And I did still insist that my name come first on invitations since I’m carrying the kid and will be writing all the thank you notes.
Ollie was a top contender for boy names. Sigh.