Baby Shower #3 - Month 8

32 weeks!
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb.

Can you guess who got a hold of the camera? Picture taken by Karl...duh!

OK...this was one heck of cool, thoughtful baby shower. Karl's mom (my mother-in-law Judy) wanted to have a shower and invite all her neighbor ladies who are also in a book club together. They even read a book by Sophie Kinsella, Shopaholic & Baby in honor of me (this was seriously my kind of shower). Judy and her neighbor Angela decided to plan something for us on a weeknight that would be fun. Boy...did they ever. I'm still blown away by the awesomeness of this shower.

Judy and I walked over to Angela's house. Jim (father in law) and Karl soon followed. My mouth dropped when we walked in. Angela spends a lot of time in Amsterdam (she's a flight attendant) and her house shows this. Everything was so modern and put together. From the bottles of water glowing, to the wine (there was a special non-alcoholic wine from IKEA set up just for me) to the entire special Amsterdam cheese spread to the decor, I couldn't even believe it. I was blown away.

The appetizers were insane!!! All brought in from Amsterdam.

Yes, this glowed a really cool shade of blue! Way to make water interesting (and cool)!

A little wine station in the corner. That's my wine chilling on ice. WOW!

The table set up perfectly! Can't forget the tulips! Lots of fresh tulips!!!

Then Judy added her personal touch to the shower. These are the cutest things ever!

Me and Judy and her diaper cake!!! Look at all those diapers!

This awesome baby carriage is back! So yummy!!!!

Then we sat around and played some fun games. I still have yet to play the same two games at my showers. The first game I had to decide which traits I want baby to have... Either Karl's traits (hair color, driving skills, ears (duh!), chin, nose, sense of humor, etc.) or if I want baby to have mine. That was fun. Then everyone had to guess who I'd pick. Karl of course won AGAIN. He dominates at these baby shower games.

In the meantime it began to snow... a lot...

Snowing on February 20

The second game was a little like Scattegories (one of my fave games). We had three minutes to come up with boy names that began with a C and girl names that began with a K. Then we read them off. If anyone had the same, we had to cross off the names. There were some fun creative names like KeeKee. I actually liked a bunch of them and might have to use one or two.

As Angela and Judy put dinner together, I sat around and talked to a lot of the neighbors. They are the coolest women ever! I'm not kidding. I'm getting so used to everyone sharing their horror stories with me, but these woman kept telling me how awesome motherhood is going to be. I could just tell how much they LOVE being moms and how becoming a mother changed their lives for the better. I knew they were good moms! I SO needed a night like last night.

Listening to all the cool, fun stories of motherhood!

Can you guess how many gummy bears are in this bottle?

An amazing Greek salad. I'm telling you...dinner was awesome!

After dinner, Angela poured everyone an after dinner drink (from South Africa)

After eating a delicious meal of baked pasta, Greek salad, garlic bread and fruit. Angela opened a bottle of this awesome liquor we drank in South Africa!!!!!! I even had a sip! Then the dessert came out. Yeah, there was EVEN more food!!

awesome cheese cake and strawberries. Hellloooo!!!

Then it was time for the gifts! Angela first handed over a photo book covered in cute little African animals to match the nursery. In the photo book was an ultrasound pic of baby Koester and then all the women wrote a piece of advice for me, which was the BEST EVER!!!!!!! Next to their advice was a card full of money. Jeesh!!!!!!!!!

Everyone's advice was spot on! Love love love this!

Then Angela handed over a bag full of goodies. The first bag was a diaper bag full of baby items we'll be using. And then...the best part. BOOKS!!!!!!! Lots and lots of books!!! Like...The Giving Tree!!!

Cutest diaper bag with African finger puppets!!!

Then Judy gave me her gift! She's spent almost an entire year knitting a beautiful blanket for Baby Koester!!!!!!! The blanket is GORGEOUS!!!!!

A beautiful blanket made by my mother in law - Baby K is going to LOVE it!

I can't even thank these women enough for the fun evening, and my mother-in-law and Angela for all the work they did putting it together. The night was soooo meaningful and special. Made me wish Karl and I lived in a neighborhood with super cool people. But most importantly it made me see that I can't go into this alone - people WANT to help and I need to accept that help. Amazing friendships bloom that way! I am just getting so excited for everything!!!!!! Thank you! Thank you!!!!!