Baby Shower!

So this past Sunday, my sister-in-law Amber threw the most intense shower I've ever been a part of! It took me a good day to recover my cramped fingers from hours of unwrapping really amazing gifts from such a great group of ladies!

I wanted to include photographs of the gifts baby (and I!) received, but quite frankly, I think I would exceed storage space on here! A lot of people got us very wonderful baby clothes (in a variety of sizes, too! Thanks!). My great-auntie Diane, auntie Bev, aunt-in-law Michele, mother-, Connie, & sister-in-law Laura; friends Sue, Christine, Eddie, Mike & Shira; family friends Bonny, Garet, Chris, Karen, Louise, Ietje, and Mary; all contributed to a very complete baby wardrobe! Packing all the gifts up at the end of the party meant there were two bankers' boxes filled with colthing (and blankets, too!).

Sister-in-law Amber bought a fantastic keepsake set and some wonderful bath stuff for when baby gets dirty (they get dirty?)! Cousin Shauna tracked down some great finds including a Peruvian fair trade organic cotton monkey (which is supposed to be for the baby; we'll see), some great spoons, and gDiapers. I am so grateful for these diapers as they are such a fantastic idea. Friend Sue not only provided us with a warm one-piece (with baby hat!), she also found some great books for baby and sweets for me. I can't express how thrilled Grae and I were at such a wonderful start to the baby's library. Bonny not only made us a beautiful sweater, hat and booty set, she also gave us an adorable bank to start saving for baby's first college or baby's first cell phone bill that he or she can't pay (hahah!) and a circus pattern bin that was a great help in transporting a few items back to Vancouver. My mom and dad, excited for the first grandbaby, went over the top in offering us baby's travel system (stroller/carseat combo) as well as my mother's super soft handmade blanket. Amber's parents packaged up an adorable pack with blankets, bibs and books (I love alliterations!). Friend Erin/Eddie not only helped dress the baby, but tracked down the stacker toy that I remember fondly from my youth (or maybe it was my brother's youth; either way, it's a very cool toy). Even though the sales lady was pressuring her to buy the pink & purple Barbie version, Erin stood her ground! My auntie Shelley was extremely generous and bought us this amazing little bouncer seat from the Rainforest collection. It's rated amazingly high on Babies R Us's reviews that I can't wat to see how baby reacts to this party chair (I'm thinking they should make these in adult sizes, too!). She also got us a teether that I had never seen before (and I've looked at A LOT of baby things this year); it's a little yellow duck with chewable appendages. Family friend Chris bundled a unique gift set together that included a crinkely elephant toy, a pacifier, washclothes, squishy spoons, bibs, a book, baby washing supplies, onesies, and an issue of Parent magazine (a great reminder that we're not just having a baby, we're actually going to be... parents?!). Graeme's aunt Michele (and family) also provided clothing alongside a chew/rattle toy of a puppy and some more reading material for baby. Family friend Chris (a different one!) tracked down two CDs with lullaby versions of modern music (Radiohead & the Ramones) and packaged it with a great towel and Sophie the giraffe. Sophie the giraffe is really one of my favourite items out of the lot; made from natural rubber and food paint, this squeaky giraffe has a fantastic vintage feel (she should, she's almost 50 years' old!) and is remarkably soft. "Auntie" Rachael added to the gDiaper stack (hooray!), and included a set of mismatched booties (that shows her inability to effectively predict how much of something she'll need at any given time). Graeme's family not only stocked baby's closets, but the basket also included a plush bunny (that Rachael was unable to steal), a temperature-sensative pirate rubber ducky, burp pads, a leather pink pig, hooded bath towel set, and a couple books! Family friend Karen also made sure to keep baby clean with a safety bath spout and some wash clothes. Family friend Louise was thinking safety and got us plug covers and door latches along with a fantastic book and a cute sleeper. Family friend Ietje (and family) provided a very full basket topped with clothing, blankets, bath foam and wipes!

I would've written out all the clothing, but there is A LOT to go through. We're quite excited that baby's going to have his/her own full load of laundry to him/herself!

We've also gone through the online registry and added most of the big items we received and marked them as such.