Baby Shower Love

After years of going to baby showers, then a couple years of avoiding them, I was incredibly blessed to have a several given in mine and Daisy's honor. 

My intention for this post is to share how loved I felt over the last few months as women from my different parts of life chose to come together to celebrate what God has done in creating Daisy Love. I also want to showcase these women and their creativity in throwing showers! The time and effort given by all the hosts blew me away. I don't want to come across as showing off or bragging about getting baby showers. I seriously don't deserve any of it.

My sweet mother-in-law threw a joint baby shower for my sister-in-law and me, who are due within a week of each other. These baby girls are the first grandkids on Zane's side, so Vicky is doubly blessed as a first-time grandma!

It felt like Christmas growing up, where my sisters and I would wait to open presents together, since we knew we were getting the same thing. Daisy and her cousin will have a lot of similar things, including matching outfits!! Can't wait!!

Vicky prepared the entire shower herself! She did the all the invitations, games, decorating, and food preparation! I forgot to get a picture of the final food spread, but it was gorgeous and delicious. I got to take home some yummy leftovers too!

The afternoon was so fun, and I felt blessed to be part of Zane's family. Daisy is already loved so much. 

Here we are with our brother husbands. 

I can't believe how awesome it is that we're having kids at the same time! That was always one of my dreams in having a baby, that she would have a cousin the same age. God waited for the right timing to answer that prayer. 

After that, my sister and mom also threw me a shower. This shower was another huge blessing for me. I got to celebrate with the women in my family and close friends who shared the burden of suffering during my days of infertility. Their joy and anticipation of Daisy's arrival compounds my own joy. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the planning and "normal-ness" of being pregnant, and being with people who remind me of what a miracle this is makes me remember God's grace even more. 

I continued to feel so humbled and loved. I can't wait to bring Daisy into the world to meet all these people who love her already. 

This shower showcased my father's creativity! He carved this amazing baby carriage fruit bowl out of a watermelon!

And my sister made these beautiful and delicious cupcakes! 

The rest of the food was also delicious, and I enjoyed those leftovers too! Shower food is the best!

The ladies in my department at work also hosted a shower with the women of the office. I've heard of workplaces where a woman has to hide her pregnancy for fear of her job security or being treated differently, but my office is so different than that! From the moment I announced my pregnancy, I've only received support and excitement from my coworkers. I love them so much, and I feel so loved by them. 

They hosted a beautiful shower! It's kind of surreal that all this kindness was for me. I just can't believe it. 

More delicious cupcakes! And so cute!

They decorated the conference room with live gerber daisies, which I got to take home and plant in my garden. 

Lastly, as if I hadn't experienced enough love and showering, the ladies of my church threw me a shower. This was kind of a rite of passage for me, since I had been to (and avoided) church baby showers in the past. There are a lot of young families at our church, and the babies keep coming! I'm thrilled to finally get to join the "mom club." (Not an actual club, haha). 

Photo by Tonya Travelstead

This shower was another time of feeling overwhelmed by love! The decorations, food spread, devotional, and generosity of everyone was all so sweet.

Photo by Tonya Travelstead 

My favorite part was a tradition that our church does at baby showers. One of the hostesses creates cards with various Bible verses and inserts the family's names where appropriate. They pass out these cards at the shower, and the guests all pray for the baby using the different verses. 

An example is: 

Proverbs 3:5-7 We pray that Daisy Love would trust in the Lord with all her heart, and not lean on her own understanding. We pray that in all her ways she would acknowledge the Lord, and You would make her paths straight. Help Daisy to not be wise in her own eyes, to fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 

It was crazy to think of Daisy as more than a baby, as a person who will have an impact on the world. It was so special to have so many women praying for her in these specific ways. I cried a lot during that part. 

Photo by Tonya Travelstead

The hostesses and me and my mom and sister. These ladies did an amazing job!

Thank you to everyone who hosted these showers! Thank you to everyone who came to them and blessed me with your presence! Thank you to everyone who couldn't come, yet still sent me gifts! I have been incredibly blessed with baby gifts and hand-me-downs. 

For so long I clung to bitterness in my infertility and didn't share in the joy of others' pregnancies. I would never have sent a gift if I didn't go to a shower, and I didn't go to that many showers either! I have been treated in exactly the opposite way. It's a picture of God's grace that we get such good things that we don't deserve. 

I hope that in the future I can bless others in the same way. Thank you to everyone who has been so gracious and forgiving to me. 

Finally, thank you to everyone who has been praying for Daisy throughout these nine months and even before her conception! She's a blessed girl, and I trust that the Lord has a great plan for her life. I'm excited to see what that is.