My Online Baby Shower...

I had baby showers thrown for me while I was pregnant with both Eleanore and Charlie. I had in-real-life friends, back then. Eleanore's baby shower was at my best friends Mom's house in Portland, just a few days before I made the move from Washington to Texas. Charlie's baby shower was at my friend Kristen's apartment, back in the days of my employment (I worked at Lane Bryant for about a year, when Elie was a toddler), when I actually left the house to do something other than mow the lawn or go to Sam's Club. These days... I spend most of my time in my house, and communicate with those that I love and care about, from behind my screen.

I feel like I should be embarrassed, about my lack of in-real-life friends, but- I'm not. I'm happy the way that things are. I've got my routine (which is obviously about to get all sorts of shaken up once Evelyn comes), and its nice to be able to check in and out whenever I please.

Oh, I'm feeling anti social today? Well then I'll just turn off the desktop and slide my netbook under the couch. Problem solved.

Oh, I'm chatty- well hello everyone on Twitter, get ready to be flooded with my countless 140 character run on sentences about all of the things that I'm baking this afternoon, along with every random thought that pops into my head in between.

This works for me. I'm happy like this.

And while I was saddened, at first, about not having a baby shower for Bean- really, what do we need? We've already had two babies, both a boy and a girl. Everything that we needed (which was very little, since we had saved mostly everything), we picked up at garage sales or from the local children's consignment store. Not having a baby shower was no big deal.

But then these last couple of weeks, things have started coming in the mail for us? Things that we didn't ask for, just... gifts. Almost like somebody had thrown me the online baby shower that I had contemplated throwing for myself? The doorbell would ring every couple of days, or I'd notice the postman putting a larger than usual envelope into the mailbox. Kindness everywhere I looked.

We've been overwhelmed.

So while we don't have any friends or family coming to visit us when the baby is born, and we won't have any help, the chaos is kind of being calmed by an overall feeling of "we care about you", that has been floating over us as our due date nears.

I've taken pictures, along the way, of some of the things that we've received. And this isn't even everything. As I sat down to edit the pictures and put this little viewing together, I kept saying "oh dangit, I wish I had gotten a picture of _________", but then remembered that its already packed away in a box for when Evelyn turns 1 and will be wearing that size (I'm trying to stay as organized as possible).

So in a way. You're all joining me for my baby shower, right now...

Some pretty handmade flower headbands for Evelyn, with similar style bobby pins for Me. Beautifully made for us, by Miss April.



The perfect little pink flower earrings, sent to me by one of my very favorite Twitter friends, this lovely lady.



My Grammy has always been so involved with both me and my babies. Shes sent us countless handmade blankets and burp cloths. She made them for Eleanore, she made them for Charlie, and then this past week we got a box with even more, for Bean. All of which we plan on keeping forever. The turtle one is coming with us to the hospital. It will be in her very first photos, and keep her warm when shes away from me, off in the nursery.


Side note: my hormones have kicked it into overdrive, and I'm sobbing out I-love-everybody-and-I'm-drunk-off-of-life happiness, right now.



This lady, who is also expecting, sent me this awesome assortment of Rainbow Brite magnets. My fridge is covered! This morning the babies were fighting over who got to play with the horse (Neither of you! Hes mine!). A very awesome gift, to get.



Ok, but just a sneak peek of these. A matching set of shirts made for the kids by this awesome gal. I can't wait to dress them all up and take pictures. I'm sort of geeking out over it.




I've wanted one of those cute little flag banners for awhile, and when I saw on a friend's blog that she had made some, I left a comment saying how much I liked them. Well hot dog, she went ahead and sent me one!! I hung it above the window in the kitchen. It looks perfect there. Also, a cute post card that I like to read every time I reach into the fridge for my soy creamer. I'm going to be drinking a lot of coffee after Evelyn is born, haha.



I'd love to show you each and every outfit that we've been so blessed to be given, but... really, would you actually enjoy sitting through that? Lots of pinks, plaids, and polka dots. Lots of CUTE. This outfit, which I especially love, was sent to us us all the way from Louisiana, thanks to Miss Lacey.



Did I mention burp cloths? Not only did my Grammy make them for us (the striped ones there, and the floral ones on top of those- those aren't even half of them), but one of our wonderful sponsors sent us that skull and crossbones one.

Burp cloths are essential to us. Not only for the obvious, but because I have an overactive letdown (which I'm sure I'll be blogging about plenty, in the future). We go through heaps of burp cloths a day. 5 at a time. Burp cloths are always needed, and very much appreciated.

This gal not only sent the cute skull burp cloth, but she also sent the most adorable little pair of checkered Vans that we've ever seen. I wish I would have taken a picture before I put them away in the closet! And, she handmade these cute bracelets for Eleanore and Charlie...



Cute, right??



Those came all the way from Canada! They were made for us by my good friend Vanessa, who I adore more than I can even say. Sometimes I feel like calling her up and begging her to blog on a daily basis, so that I could stalk her. Is that creepy? ...I know. But there, I said it. Our kids are the exact same age (the older ones are pen pals, even though we've totally been slacking), and her and I have a lot in common. I adore them. I can't say it enough.

And oh my gosh, y'all. I cannot wait to show you the matching Rainbow Brite dresses that she made for Elie and June. SLjclklaskr. <--- I'm that excited.



Speaking of stuffed animal friends (since we just saw the plushie above), these little guys are waiting to snuggle with Evelyn, patiently, laying in her pack n play. My Aunt Laurie sent her the giraffe, and like you might have seen a couple of days ago on my "what IS it" blog entry (in which I accidentally held the duck upside down and thought it was a narwhal?), my friend Lindsay sent her the duck.



Cards have come in the mail, too. I've been taking them upstairs, and putting them on the photo board above Bean's changing table. They brighten up the room, and remind me of how much our daughter will be loved.



Bath stuff!!

Some handmade soaps, found at a Farmer's Market (the Lemonade smells so good), and sent to me by this rockin' Mama, all the way from Colorado. And then some LUSH bath bombs, sent to me all the way from California, by this rockin' Mama.

I've officially been pampered. I couldn't possibly appreciate it more.

I never buy that kind of stuff for myself.



Awww, a little binky leash!! I've been meaning to make some myself (y'all have seen that tutorial I have posted over on the sidebar, right? The no-sew binky leash one?), but... I feel like I'm never going to get around to it (and so far, I haven't). When this came in the mail, I was beyond delighted. Its so cute, Pretty Lizzy Lu!



And then of course, we got diapers! Thank goodness. My Mom and Dad wanted to make sure that the babies butts were covered (hah... hahah), so they sent us money to go out and buy all the diapers we needed. There are boxes piled around the house. We're so grateful.

Why is it that the smaller the diaper, the more expensive? And then the larger the diaper, same thing? But the middle sized diapers ...not so much? Anyways-

Something else my mom sent me, was a beautiful locket, that she made herself (kind of a big deal). I know she must have put a lot of time and effort into it, which makes me treasure it that much more...



Right?! I love it when my Mom makes me things. I still have the quilt that she made me for my 15th birthday, on my bed right now.

She made a locket for Eleanore too, but we haven't opened it up yet. We don't have the pictures to put inside just yet.

Ok, and now, the big gift. The one that I totally wasn't expecting. The one that yesterday afternoon came out of nowhere, after months and months of my annoying hint-dropping and hag-nagging. The very best gift of all time of ever ever ever...



!!!

My husband loves me.
He really loves me.

He says its my having-his-3rd-baby present. Something like "and with all of the bread that you'll be making, what with Eleanore being in school and taking her lunches and stuff..."

And oh how I love him.

********************************


Thank you to everyone who has shown us support. A gift, a card, a "congratulations" comment- whatever your support was. We can't possibly tell you how much its all meant to us. Being a military family and living so far away from our loved ones is challenging, to say the least. We didn't choose to live out here in the middle of nowhere, but we're making the most of it. Thank you.