Today I participated in my first-ever baby shower. Growing up these events were usually off limits for the men of the house and we were often subjugated to a smaller room in the house, or, more commonly, out of the house entirely. This morning I went to a “Jack and Jill” shower where there is a mix of men and women. The shower was organized by LZ who is a friend of J and N and she did a wonderful job. The shower was hosted at a restaurant in the Old Town section of Alexandria and we took part in the establishment’s Sunday brunch buffet with a great selection of food items that were never in short supply. Immediately after walking in, it was made clear that what I would be posting today might appear to be read almost like a critic’s review of the event, but that will clearly not be the case. I thought LZ’s organization of the day was most evident and her quirky Mad Libs game was a lot of fun as it involved everyone in the room.

I must admit that I did not know what to expect. I had heard about games that take place at showers and really dreaded the thought of having to open diapers and taste the melted chocolate in it to guess the flavor. Yes, I am not making that up, it is an actual shower game that some of you who are reading this entry may have done at a recent shower you attended because I got this example from you. You know who you are. Nasty. Pure nastiness. That was my fear and thankfully no game like that materialized. Thank you, LZ!

One of the things I appreciated was the low-key tone of the shower. It allowed all of the guests to mingle and talk and have a good time. We all placed our best guesses on the weight of the baby at birth (my guess was 11lbs, 9oz) and the projected birth day (due the first week in May, but I guessed April 30th). Winners of each category will be mailed a prize…I hope its a puppy!

I was able to take some photos of the event, including the cake which came from a shop in the Georgetown section of DC. It was nice and light with a sugary cream filling. I know T would have really enjoyed the cake…too bad I didn’t grab an extra piece for when he comes home next week. Anyway, I did grab him a favor that was at each seat – little baby feet shaped cookies, each foot representing one gender since J and N have chosen to wait until the baby is born before finding out if its a boy or a girl…and I am still holding strong to my twins theory. I’m sure T will enjoy the cookie treat in place of the cake.

Back home, photos uploaded, I’m about to light a fire in the fireplace and wait for N to give birth to 11 pound, 9 ounce twins on April 30th so I can grab BOTH prizes…woo hoo..two puppies!!