Mom & Baby are Good

I am relieved I finally got to talk to the new mommy today for more than 5 minutes. Anthony was down for a nap and she was up to chatting on the phone so I called and we chatted for45 minutes. Shan sounds fantastic and says everything is going good so far. Last night was the first night at home and no major mishaps occurred. Her dogs are interested in the new noise maker but are very well behaved and actually one of her dogs, Tyson, guards the bassinet.

I have to say that Shannon was and is still so calm about being a mom. I have seen new moms freak at everything or some that worry too much but not her she seems like she has been a mom for a long time. Maybe working with 1st and 2nd graders for the last 6 years has trained her to have patience but whatever it is, when I was talking to her it was just like any other day. She did say its so new and a little overwhelming but nothing too major. I still can't get over that she is a mom, I have known her since we were in 9th grade and sometimes I think we are so young but really life has flown right on by. If you were to ask us when we were younger how our lives would be when we grow up, we would have said that all of us (the brain) would live on the same street with our families and have weekend BBQs etc. Life has taken us in different directions but our friendship has never wavered. It has only gotten stronger and we know now that it can withstand anything, including distance. Thank goodness too because I wouldn't know what to do without my two rocks that is for sure. By the way Shan, Anthony is the perfect name for your perfect baby!!

Here are a few more pics that mommy shared with her friends and family.

Welcome Baby Anthony

Congratulations to David and Shannon for their new bundle of joy, Anthony David!! He was born yesterday at 11:37am, he is 6 lbs, 13oz, 19 inches and has a full head of black hair.

Thank goodness for technology!! I am a few states away but felt like I was there with all the text messages of updates and the picture I received 30 minutes after he was born via the cell phone. He is absolutely adorable and I can't wait to meet him in January. The coolest thing about the hospital Shannon is in, I can log onto a website and watch her and the baby anytime she wants me to. We can instant message each other while I am watching or talk on the phone so I can see her and Anthony. I would be in the dark with out technology.


So Congratulations again to the new Mommy and Daddy!! Love you all!!


PS... Happy Belated 29th Birthday to Carrie, too bad he wasn't born the week before :)

Baby Shower

After a lot of planning and hard work, the baby shower for Shannon went off without any major problems. It is a tad early for a shower since the baby isn't due until December but this was the only time that she was coming home to visit before the little guy gets here and it was a must that we throw her a shower. Personally, I love planning events, especially for people close to me. As soon as I mentioned to Carrie that I wanted to throw Shan a shower, she pitched right in and together we got it done. I couldn't have done it without her. I wish she could have come into town for the party, it isn't the same without her but we did have a good time.

The day started as usual for me. My alarm went off at 5:30 am and I was up out of bed, getting ready for work. I figured I should get there a little early since I was leaving at noon to finish getting all the items for the shower later that night. We were holding the shower on Friday night, at first we were not sure how this would work, but it turned out it was perfect. I had to pick up the favors from Fowlers Chocolate, pick up the balloon order from Balloon Masters ( the balloon rattles), the balloons from Party City (for a game), put the favors together and get all the decorations and balloons to the restaurant before 5:30pm. The party started at 6:30 but I needed some time to get the room in appropriate baby shower motif. I enlisted my younger cousin Brett to help me transport all the balloons and decorations to the restaurant. Thank goodness he was around, he saved me about an hour of driving from my house to the location multiple times.

Balloon Masters - Rattles

When I got to Frank's (the restaurant), I was not happy at all with the way the room was set up for the party. They had tables put together so they formed one long table for 30 seats. How does that makes sense? It looked more like the Last Super than a baby shower. I found the waitress and waiter that greeted me when I came in and asked them to adjust the seating. They were very helpful and broke up the tables as I asked. I started to get some of the balloons untangled when Shan walked in with grandma and Becky. Right behind them came Betty (David's mom), and his aunts. I was happy to have some help arrive but felt a little rushed. I was hoping to have the room all decorated and babyish before Shan came in. Betty finished untangling the balloons while the rest of us finished all the details. Our friend Linda came early and really helped keeping me on track of the tasks and always making me laugh. AHH the room was finally done, the cake (provided by Betty) was in place and people started to arrive.

Final Product for the Favors

(buggy, bottle, foot and carriage cookie cutters filled with chocolate and "It's a boy" chocolate cigars)

Shannon was glowing and everyone was excited to be able to see her in her pregnant glory. Everyone was chatting, socializing and really enjoying themselves. Carrie and I decided that we were not going to play any games at the shower. I am sure at some time in your life, if you are female, you have gone to a baby or wedding shower and were forced to play the same lame games over and over again. We did get enough balloons filled with pieces of paper that had words printed on them that were related to newborn babies (Rattle, booties, bottles etc..) to tie on each guest seat. After dinner was over, Linda and I passed out thumb tacks and asked everyone to pop the balloon on their chair. The lady that had "baby Acosta" tag in their balloon won the first prize. (all prizes came from Bath & Body Works). Kelli was the winner if that game and picked the travel bag filled with a few items. We had more prizes to give out so we had everyone fill out their name and address on an envelope (for Shan's thank you cards) and put them in a box. Shannon then picked out of the box one envelope at a time and who's ever name was on the envelope, got to pick a prize.

Shannon (left) and Linda

After everyone was finished with dinner, we cut the cake and served it to the guest. The cake was so good!! Half was chocolate with strawberry filing (mommy-to-be request) and the other half was yellow with custard filling. It was time for Mommy to sit down and open the gifts her guests brought her. Everyone was really good at getting her items that can easily travel back home with her and the people who got her bigger items shipped them to her house. It was great watching Shan open all the baby items, she was so excited about each item. Betty's gift was so thoughtful and adorable. She made a diaper wreath that had items pinned to it (wipes, pacifier, toys, etc) and a poem went along with it. I wish I could share the poem, but I can't remember all of it. Anyway the diaper wreath is a great unique gift.

The shower lasted for about 2 1/2 hours (usually they are 4 hours long on a Sunday afternoon) and I was exhausted by the time I got home. Linda, Shan, Betty and family stayed and helped me clean up a little and transport the left over balloons. Betty took the balloons home with her and used them the next day for her b-day party. They stayed full over night and looked great the next day.

I really enjoyed planning and throwing this shower for one of my best friends. She smiled from the moment she arrived to the moment she left the restaurant, which made it worth all the work. Shannon--I hope you enjoyed your party. You have a good start on the items you will need when the little guy comes.

I AM NOT Weird!!

Ok I have to take a moment and vent. I usually keep my posts upbeat and informative but I have to get this off my chest.

I AM NOT Weird ( or whatever people seem to think) that I am not married, do not have kids and I will be 30 this year. I have had enough of other women ( usually) asking me when I am going to have kids or get married. This happens to me more often then I have ever imagined. Especially now that my best friend is having a baby. Whenever I mention S having a baby or used to talk about my friends getting married, I'd get the same reaction from most women "When are you getting married" or " when are you having kids" or my favorite "Don't you want a family?" Of course I do you idiots!! I just didn't know that all had to happen before 30. Now I understand the biological clock thing but I am assuming if science can clone a sheep or a 60 year old woman can give birth, I can still have a family after I turn 30. I almost feel like the people who ask me this think I am weird or something. When this first happened to me ( 3 years ago when S got married), I would say something sarcastic like "I don't see a reason to get married", just so the person asking me wouldn't ask me again. Actually one time I told my supervisor that I couldn't have kids after the 100th time she mentioned having kids to me. I know that is really mean and maybe unlucky to say something like that but I get offended when anyone ( outside my my dearest and closest friends) ask me that. Now when people ask me about kids and marriage, I get angry. I mean lets logically think about this, one it's the guys job to ask me ( no J, this isn't a hint, just a fact) to get married, two in my world, school, career, husband and house comes before starting a family. So forgive me world that those things haven't happened to me yet. It seems to bother other people more than it bothers me. I am happy with my life for now and I don't think its weird or unusual that I am not married or have kids. If you know me, those are events I look forward to but I don't stress about them at all. Well until the 5th woman in one day asks me why I don't have kids etc...

Sorry for the venting but I have had enough. Come to think about it, I would never ask anyone besides my closest friends anything personal like that so I don't understand why I get the questions.

On a much happier note, I saw S today for the first time since she announced she is prego and she looks beautiful!! She is 5 mths along and looks like a glowing healthy, pregnant woman. Tomorrow is her baby shower.. more to come on that :)

It's a BOY!!!!

We can now call Baby Acosta, baby BOY Acosta!! I just got the call, a few hours ago from S, to tell me her and her husband are expecting a baby boy. I am so excited to know what she is having, I already know what I am getting the new bundle of joy. S and D didn't really have a boy's name in mind so we will have to wait to find that out. I am sure between the parents, grandparents and us friends, we will come up with something fitting for the new little boy. I think S was hoping for a girl to offset the men that already live with her but she sounded really happy when she told me the baby is a boy. Her brother-in- law lives with her and her husband while he gets situated in a new state and both her dogs are males so a little girl would have evened out the house a little bit. Either way, the new addition will be loved and spoiled.

CONGRATS!!!

I can't wait to meet the little guy!!

Meet Baby Acosta

HOW VERY EXCITING!!

I see some fingers :) Not sure if it's a he or she but does that really matter as long as he/she is healthy? It's only the end of the 1st trimester and it is so big already. If you can't tell, I am very, very excited about my best friend having a baby!!

Baby Acosta

It's official there will be a baby Acosta arriving this year. I have known for a few weeks but I wanted to wait to blog about it. My best friend Shannon ( 1/3 of the brain see post "Friends") announced she and David are expecting their first child and the estimated due date is December 15th. I was excited just to hear she was prego but more excited when I found out the due date is just 4 days before my b-day. I have already given her the heads up on having a baby so close to Christmas. You have to make sure to ALWAYS buy the child two distinct gifts, one for the b-day and one for the holiday. You don't get to combined gifts just because it's easier. I know from experience that you feel cheated when you get one big Christmas gift and they say "well it's for your b-day too". Birthdays are special days meant for celebration, so Shan always throw the baby a b-day party ( I know u will) and make sure they don't feel overlooked :)

Anyway I am getting off on a tangent, back to Shan being prego. It is hard for me to believe my friend of 14 years is going to be a mom. She will be an amazing mom but still a mom. It's crazy how time flys and all of the sudden you are all grown up. I am so happy for Shan and Dave and I can't wait to meet the new addition. How exciting and I am sure terrifying becoming new parents. I am a little sad that I can't watch all the stages Shannon will go through during the pregnancy and not being there to greet the new one when he/she enters the world but hopefully I will get to meet the little one soon after. The new addition will be the first great-grandchild on Shannon's side and David's mom's 1st grandchild so it will be spoiled and rightly so. I told Shan, think of all the little cute outfits you get to buy ( we love to shop) or the cute little blankets and toys etc.. She no longer will have to make excuses on why to shop ( just teasing). Besides all the clothes, she gets to decorate a whole room and she loves to do that. So along with all the greatness new ones bring you, Shan, you get bonus on doing the things you love to do.

As soon as Shan told me they were expecting, I started to think about throwing her a baby shower. I wasn't really sure how it was going to work out since we do live in different states but it turns out she plans on coming home in July for another event, which makes it perfect for me to plan a shower. The other third of the brain, Carrie, lives close to Shannon but said she wanted to help plan and throw the shower for her back home so we are in the midst of doing that. So many cute ideas when it comes to celebrating babies. I know July is early to have a shower for someone due in December but we have to have it when she is home so that her family and friends can celebrate her and the soon to be baby Acosta.

Shan, I am so privileged to watch you go through another stage of your life and I am very lucky to have you as a friend. So make sure you keep your blog updated so us back home knows what is going on. Congratulations to you and David!!!