The Baby Shower

My sister came up from Atlanta last week for a visit. Not only was I excited because I hadn’t seen her in over a year, but it was going to be the first time I got to hold my nephew. Once I finally pried my sister’s, very overprotective, fingers off the baby, I was able to cradle my nephew. A cute bundle of rolls and smiles, I could have kept him forever. As I smelled in that sweet baby smell I was brought back to the days when my kids were so small and adorable. How I missed those days. Then later that night, as the baby woke screaming, was brought back to the days when my kids would keep me awake for days on end. How I don’t miss those days.

One of the highlights of her visit was the baby shower. As my mom and I scurried around in preparation for the great event, my husband, son, father and brother-in-law all ran around with a look of fear on their face as they plotted their escape plan. Why is it the mere word of “baby shower” sends all men I running for the hills?

Is it the cute cake that scared them away? All of the baby themed games? Maybe it was the little rubber duckies we had floating in the punch bowl. I don’t know for sure what it was. All I do know was it was so horrifying my son wouldn’t even come down for a plate and food and that’s saying a lot since he is a teenage boy who never turns down a meal.

Okay, maybe every woman there did squeal when the baby was brought out. And perhaps we did look a bit dorky because we all had baby pictures pinned to our shirts for one of the games. Even I cringed a bit when the whole room ooh and awed over the onseies, stuffed animals and blankets she unwrapped. Still we weren’t that scary were we?

Well maybe my mom was. She ran that shower like a drill sergeant, barking out orders and expecting her demands to be met. At first I snapped to it and obeyed, but after a while I retreated to the kitchen to hide out. That was where she found me and approached with one of the baby pictures in her hand.

“You need to put this on.”

“Why do I have to?” I whined like I was a kid again. “I’m helping to throw the shower so I wouldn’t be right if I won.”

“Oh, don’t worry. It’s not one of the winners.” She held it out. “Now stop being a baby and put on the baby.” She laughed like a loon at her own joke.

“Next time we go shopping you’re buying me a Mocha latté,” I grumbled as I clipped the picture on. It poked my cheek. “You owe me, woman.”

“Have fun, relax, this is a party,” Mom advised right before she launched into another long list of tasks for me.

By the time she was on item number fifty, I was looking longingly up the stairs to the room where the men had hidden out in. Unfortunately, she caught me.

“Don’t even think about it. You make a dash for it, I’ll tackle you down on the stairs and drag you back by your ankles.”

I glared at her, aghast. Surely not even she would go that far. She gave me an impish grin and stuck her tongue out at me. The grandmother of my children actually stuck her tongue out at me. Yeah, I decided she would go that far and then some.

“You are way too old to be sticking your tongue out,” I told her.

She stuck it out again before she left the kitchen. I decided that I would strap on my big girl panties and do this for my sister and nephew. You want to know a secret? After a bit I started to even enjoy myself. Not only was our baby there, but there were three other babies and I had fun holding and cooing over all of them. The punch was really good and the cake wasn’t half bad either.

By far though the best part of the shower was when I went into the bedroom while my nephew was changed. I was away from the group and I got to take my time, playing and cuddling with him. He smiled at me and that was it—I was in love.

“I guess you were worth it, big guy.” I leaned forward and kissed his soft cheek. “But when you get old enough you owe me a Mocha latté too.”

-Stephani