Sunday, August 28, 2011

The VMA's

Ohhh MTV- do you even play music videos anymore?
I do not know, but I do know that I owe the VMA's alot.
In 2004 I invited a friend from college over to watch them and pig out with me- it was my tradtion back then. He had just returned from Tennessee for sophomore year of college and was hungry for real food so he came. As we sat and watched Jessica Simpson and OutKast preform and eating pizza and wings and catching up on everything that had happened over the summer, something happened. Before he left that night he asked me if I thought I was ready to date again (high school boyfriend dumped me during spring semester), and I joked back "Why, do you know any nice single guys who arent total jerks?" He said, "Give me a few days and I will." I assumed he meant he would check around on campus and find me a nice guy...I didnt realize he was going home to finally break it off with his on-again/off-again casual dating girlfriend from home and would ask me out to a movie that weekend. Where he would open my car door for the first time, pay for my dinner for the first time, and hold my hand and tell me I was the most beautiful person he had ever known before he kissed me.
This picture is from the next weekend, when he took me to my first Pirates game.
A little over six years later, I married him.
So tonight as I watch the VMA's and wonder what in the hell some of these people are on....I realize I owe a heck of alot to MTV. But goodness what I wouldn't give for some Jessica Simpson- at least I knew the words to her songs!

All Star Baby Shower

Wow- so I've totally managed to suck at blogging. I figured I have a bit of an excuse, with a baby bump that has reduced me to having to hold onto something to put on pants, a renovation on Mr. Man's room, and trying to prep to go back to school only to leave again after 3 weeks- its a bit hectic over here. So tonight as the hubs is out of town for work (3 weeks before I deliver, thanks boss man...not. This year for Christmas, you get nothing.) I figured Id sit down and relax and share some images from the baby shower.

I knew I wanted my husband to be there- he's so beyond excited for his little man it wouldn't be right if it was just my shower. Don't tell him I told you this, but he talks to my belly every night and sleeps with his hand on my bump to feel the baby moving as much as he can...which is super cute and WAY un-expected for this tough guy. So, knowing I wanted to have him there we decided that we were going to go with a co-ed All Star Sports theme- think 'babys first party' rather than 'cutesy baby shower'.
We went with a red, white and blue baseball, basketball and football All-Star theme- because the plates, napkins and the like were 75% off at the party store- score!! Food was what you would find at a tailgate party...hot dogs, nachos, hot sausage, friend chicken, salads, fruit salad, pasta, chips, cookies, iced tea, pop, and even some beer for the men folk who braved the party. The invites encouraged sports attire and we had paper footballs and baseballs hanging from the ceiling. The corn hole boards were set up outside in the parking lot, giving the guys a place to retreat to with their beer and food. Games were not the norm either. I came up with two games the first was called Famous Sons a matching game that had people matching the names of famous TV sons with the shows they were on (that was a good hour of Google time to come up with shows from all eras, but it was a huge hit) and Mommy, Daddy or Both where I had facts listed and the guests had to figure out who we were talking about. I.E. Who had more cravings during the pregnancy? (Daddy, totally), or Who had to bring a bucket on any car ride until age 10 because they suffered from horrible motion sickness? (that'd be the mama- and that outgrown habit re-reared its ugly head in pregnancy too!). Our favors were sugar cookie baseballs on a stick, and we had napkin diapers filled with things like sour patch kids and chocolate covered raisins on the tables along with the wish cards for the little man that allowed people to recall favorite memories with mommy and daddy as well as give predictions for the bean and their well wishes.
I was a little worried that inviting 70+ women and 20 some men to a shower like this would result in strange looks- but ya'll they LOVED it. People told me it was the best baby shower they had been to in a long, long time. Even the men had a good time (but the beer probably really helped them out!) Sure we had some traditional baby shower things, like the pictures of Mommy and Daddy and a coming soon shot of our little guy. Check out Daddy's FAB comb over and Mommy's cue ball....hopefully this kid pops out somewhere in the middle lol.


Quick shot of the food table...drool.


My sweet friend Julie made the cake- shes not a professional baker, but goodness she could be!
This was my single favorite part of the shower, I cried when I saw it...and drool whenever I think of how good it tasted. It was a vanilla cake with fresh strawberry and butter cream filling. And no, I know what you all are thinking- we didnt eat the baby...I couldn't bare to cut into him (he even had a belly button for goodness sakes!). I left him for my dad and his poker buddies to cut into later that night- but even they couldn't do it.
We had so many generous gifts...it was insane to us how much this little man is loved. It seriously took two of us over an hour to open them all. I couldn't believe how generous and amazing all of our friends and family were. We even ended up with 15 BumGenius cloth diapers that people brought instead of cases of disposables....I have no words for how grateful we were.
Me and the hubs, hes so cute, if this kid looks like him I'm screwed. He was sweet enough to help plan this shower with my Mom and his cousin to make sure it was exactly what he wanted for his little guy and to make sure it was a fun party. We totally didnt try to match, it just worked out that way. Actually, when I tried the dress on at the store my darling Momma said 'Holy Cow, you're huge!'...I so hope her grandson pees on her the first chance he gets for that one.
I think my other favorite part of the shower was taking this picture with my childhood best friend. We always did everything together growing up, and even though we were not trying we both wound up being pregnant at the same time. Seriously, shes due today-three weeks apart- with her little girl, Marley.
Call me crazy, but I'm sensing an arranged marriage in my little guy's future ;)