Showering at Church

The second shower I was given was a "surprise" shower hosted by the ladies at my church and organized by Brandy Green. It was held last Sunday afternoon at church, but I almost didn't make it! Friday night I came down with the stomach flu and ended up making a trip to the ER for dehydration. After being sent home around midnight, I got maybe an hour or two of sleep before numbness and pain in my arms and legs sent us rushing back to the hospital in fear that a blood clot had developed. After determining my potassium and magnesium had been depleted, they admitted me and did an ultrasound to check for clotting which came back normal. I was released Saturday evening exhausted from the hospital stay and with a great deal of swelling as a result of the seven bags of fluid they'd given me via an IV over the course of about 24 hours. Despite not having ankles the next day and being wore out, I made my way to the church Sunday afternoon and had a wonderful distraction from my health issues.

The shower was incredible! The women at the church put so much thought and detail into each aspect of it that I was overwhelmed when I walked in and tried to take it all in at first. Here are a few of the special items they brought:

Jennifer Breeden made the owl cake on the left and
Teila Ledford bought the giant cake on the right.

Close up of the owl cake - I was impressed!

My mom was also feeling the cake fever and made
pretty cupcakes that were delicious.

Jessi Vandall tried her own hand at cake making, using
diapers to create this three layer masterpiece.

Dawn Kennedy turned a stack of diapers into a artsy wreath!

Other special touches included owl themed tablecloths and
a beautiful vase of flowers that I've been enjoying all week.

While the thoughtful touches made the shower even sweeter, the people there were what was important. I had the opportunity to celebrate with my dad's family at the previous shower; however, this one included my mom's side, my friends from church, high school friends, and family friends.


There were plenty of games Brandy had in store for the group. The first involved guessing how many pieces of candy were in a giant baby bottle. The second dealt with melted candy bars inside diapers; the guests had to determine what candy bar was "digested" in each. The third one was by far my favorite game though - a baby bottle chugging contest.

Chloe and Debbie wondering what's inside those diapers!

Yuck! It probably smells better though than the
ones I am used to changing. :)

I love how Shannon is posed here in the middle with her hand
on her hip like this is a normal activity she does every day.

Natalia and Susie, watch out you may get a stiff neck!
Diane, how's that juice taste?

Heidi gave us a nice profile pic while my
mom and Jessi chugged away.

Keeping a straight face and getting it all down was difficult.

Out of this large group of juice guzzling ladies, my mom took
the prize as a result of her secret breathing method. Go,
NaNa, go! Caleb would have been impressed. :)

After the games it was time for presents!

So many nice things waiting to be opened!

Baby Girl's first Bible (from Grandma Nora Ann)

With a growing belly, I was running out of lap
space to hold some of the gifts.

There were so many thoughtful items I was thankful for.
Bonnie Hoffman and Amanda Ramey Heavner bought the baby a
play gym that I wanted with Caleb but never got
around to purchasing.

My grandma Nora Ann bought this pink housecoat for me as
a baby. It was one of several clothing items my mom saved and
gave me at the shower.

An outfit from NaNa

Many of the women at the church and/or in my Bible study
group also went together to purchase a gift card for the bigger
purchases we still need to make which was greatly appreciated.

I had a wonderful time and am so thankful for the thoughtfulness of all involved! God blessed me so much through your love and generosity.