Sunny with Chance of a Shower!

(I know, "FINALLY" right??)

It all started Friday night.. (yes, I'm really late posting - I'm talking 1.5 weeks ago Friday night... lol)

I was sitting on the couch, engrossed in whatever free Nook-Book I had recently found.  E was in the kitchen making dinner (god BLESS that man - I'm so glad he doesn't mind cooking, or we would have been eating frozen dinners and mac'n'cheese the past few weeks!).

The doorbell rings, and I'm all - goddamn neighborhood kids can't leave me alone?! **So, there's this little girl whose parents let her run around by herself (she's just turned 7!) and she comes over alot to play with our doggies... last summer, it was EVERY DAY at 5:30 pm, without fail... it was cute at first, and then we realized she was using us for our dogs, candy and soda...

ANYWAYS - so the doorbell rings, and I'm all, Maybe if I just pretend I didn't hear it, E will answer the door...

But he says from the kitchen, sounding all busy and dinner-making, "Can you get that??"

UGH -so I peep out the top windows, and see a little girl.  DAMMIT - wait, this little girl's hair is darker than our little friend.. who the-

and I open my door and see my niece, K - who lives in MASSACHUSETTS! I'm all, whuck?!

and see my other niece, A - and my sister! AWWWW - they came down for the shower as a surprise, how coo - HOLY SHIT!! OHMYF*%*^(

And here she comes, dancing up my front walk - THERE'S MY MOM FROM TEXAS!!!!

This was so me...

My sister (and hubby) had decided to fly up my mother for the weekend, as a COMPLETE surprise for my baby shower, and had orchestrated the whole arrival with E:

Mom flew into Boston, and after my sister picked her up, they hit the road and headed 3.5 hours south to NJ and arrived Friday night, just in time for a big dinner that E was secretly cooking - chicken parm for 6!!

I have never been more surprised in my life, and it was so freaking awesome to have my sister and mom with me for the weekend... We spent Saturday at a local thrift shop checking out their goods (nothing like shopping with The Girls!) and trying to come up with a plan for Sunday....

See, I knew - but nobody knew that I knew - WHEN my baby shower was... (hellooo - I've had outfits (and options!) picked out for months!)

BUT the tricky part was, I wasn't supposed to know my sister and mom were here until AT the shower (because otherwise, I would know something was up - and people would know that I knew - confused yet?)

So I had to act surprised, not only at the fact that I was walking into my baby shower on Sunday afternoon, but that my sister, nieces and mother were there... I am NOT that good of an actor - so we came up with the story that Sister and I had chatted a few weeks ago, and she leaked it that Mom flying up for shower ("whenever that is, hee hee") had been in the works...

Sooooo - I spent Saturday night trying on every. single. item. in my closet because the dresses (2!) that I had intended for a baby shower were inherently NON-FLATTERING, according to E AND the girls...  *sigh*

I literally was about to cry, as my mom and sister spilt red wine on my carpet (it all came out fine - GO Woolite carpet cleaner!) and I tried to keep the floor clear of fashion cast-offs, and said f*ck it.   I chose a cotton sundress I had found at WALMART a few months ago, for (probably) less than $5. I wonder if I can still return the two intended dresses....

And without further ado, The Shower:

Go pregnancy brain - I saw the cute little bags and stickers (close up below) and still didn't realize it was a candy bar until I walked past it again 5 minutes later... or it could just be the fact that I'm a natural blond, pregnant or not...

The Girls (Sister from MA and Mom from TX!)

Can you tell we're related??

My awesome SIL - who, with MIL, threw the entire shower...

(One of the best "Bump" shots of the day, we never really posed for pics...)

Aside from an awkward moment during the Surprise entrance, when MIL greets me with a hug and a "I know you knew, but I did my best..."

the shower went AWESOME.  Weather was gorgeous, I got alot of great gifts (did you see that pile?! and how CUTE is the little adirondack chair and umbrella??)

Mom and Sis (and nieces) had to drive back to MA directly from the shower (booo) but I was so grateful for the unexpected two days with them (Mom had to fly back to TX Monday night from Boston...)

*~*~*

Nursery updates: I have everything washed, and put away (now that I got the drawer liners put in).  We are waiting for our changing table to be delivered, and waiting for the final word from my parents on a crib (they're buying, and I just want the GreenLight before I order the crib from PBK).  We have a glider picked out, it just needs to be ordered.  So while we're getting closer and closer, the nursery still just feels like a storage closet with boxed items and a dresser...

*I've also been crafting/nesting (you're welcome, Michaels!) with things for the nursery - will post pictures another day...

Bathroom  updates: The plumber is coming tonight to install our toilet (sooner rather than originally scheduled) because - hello - I NEED A TOILET on the same floor as my bedroom... I don't have to get up during the night (YET) but I have a feeling that's because baby's head is not down pushing on my bladder...

The vanity cabinet will be ready tomorrow, and will hopefully be installed before this weekend, and then we can get measured for our counter top...

*I want to get some clear "before/after" shots from the same angles to post, those will come soon...

(BTW - these posts, the shower and the nursery and the bathroom, have felt like they've been looming over my head - and damn does it feel good to cross at least one off the list...)