Showered with Love

Cake made by Mary Reis of Hilmar; lavender-scented bath salts made by the fabulous Amber Tucker.

I have the most incredible bunch of friends and relatives, all of whom have blessed me beyond belief for my entire life. Having them come together for my recent baby shower was so much fun, I can hardly stand it.

Brian's family hosted a shower for us on Thanksgiving, which was a great way to remind us to be so grateful for the blessing we're about to receive in the form of our first child. Then my best friend, Amber, hosted a shower at the beginning of the month that was absolutely perfect. We had an amazing mix of people present: Former coworkers from the Tracy Press, college friends, UC Merced friends and colleagues, Mary Kay friends, family, and just about everyone else I've met along the way in life.

We had amazing food. Amber's spinach quiche (find recipe in Comfort Foods post) was devoured in about a minute. My mother made sure we had an impressive selection of Hilmar cheese with crackers. For those who didn't need to watch their sugar intake, Amber also made a sausage-and-egg casserole, cheesecake bites, macadamia nut coffee cake and baked french toast casserole. We had cake, too!

The best part of the day, though, was being able to see people I hadn't seen in ages. My AXiD little sis Amy Lee was there with her 15-month-old twin boys. I hadn't seen Amy since she got married! Her boys are so adorable. My college roommate, bridesmaid and all-around-amazing friend Allison Buck brought her mom, Claudia, who I hadn't been able to see since Allie married Brook in Riverside close to a decade ago (boy, do I feel old!).

Nothing compares to the feeling of love and joy you get when surrounded by an enclave of women who love and adore you -- and the advice they each shared was invaluable.

I've been too way too many baby showers that have morphed into parenting gripe fests or worse, labor horror story share-a-thons. Mine was far from that. I was surrounded by a room full of women who focused on sharing positive tales with me.

Here's a brief round-up of my fave bits of wisdom:

• Soothies are the best pacifiers ever! -- Amy Lee
• Don't get caught up in perfection; what works for you is perfect for you -- Amber Tucker
• Breastfeeding is cheap and easy; give it a try -- Hannah Chevalier
• When all else fails, just love your baby -- Stacy Escobedo
• Give God thanks daily -- Edna Overstreet
• BumGenius Organic Bamboo Diapers are great -- Wendy Sparks (via Allison Buck)
• Get rid of all the chemicals in your home; they aren't good for you or the baby -- Aunt Bina
• You're going to be the best mom ever -- Debbie Luiz (would you expect anything different from my own mother?)

It's exciting to know that I have such a phenomenal network of women to rely on when my little one makes his/her entrance into the world. We're already so blessed!