April's Shower & Baby Emery

I just couldn't wait until the end of this post to show you little baby Emery... hello cutie pie.

In July I went to April's baby shower and it was adorable.

I love the tables pushed together to make one big square, it was perfect for talking to each other.

They did a really fantastic job with the little details and it was a perfect day outside.

I'm not sure what was yummier, the food or this little one.

Best behaved baby ever.

Something about him really reminded me of Peanut.

I had the chocolate chocolate cupcake and it was fantastic.. I must find out where these came from!

I love the sprinkles and toppings around the edges.

This is April about a month before she was due.

Can you believe it?

At that point I looked like I might explode.

She just looks adorable.

Although Kelly has 3 kids of her own, this little binky isn't hers.



This is little Ivy!  Remember her from here?

Last week, I finally got to meet baby Emery.

She is the sweetest thing.

Oh how I love her little feet and her soft hair.

And momma April looks incredible, no?

You'd seriously never know she had a baby.
Or that she's actually had 2 babies.

I can hardly believe Peanut was ever that small.
Actually, he wasn't that small.
She is just a tiny bit smaller than he was when he was born.



It sort of gives me baby fever.

And then we have another sleepless night over here and I take it all back.

For now, I'll just have to see Emery more often, so I can love on her instead.

Gina's shower and baby Ivy

You see, when you lag on your posting you end up with both the shower and the baby in the same post!

What is it about baby feet, baby toes and even that little bit of baby peely-ness that gets me every time?

Last month we all gathered together to celebrate the upcoming birth of her second baby girl.

The decorations were perfect with pink flowers and owl accents.

I took my owl home, you know how I love owls.

We had dinner outside and enjoyed the southern California night.

The food was all fantastic and I had more then I should have.  But I think I say that everytime.

I have to find out the recipe for that watermelon salad.  

It had feta and mint and it was so refreshing!

I love these cupcakes.  I love the papers, the owls and the decorated stand.

It's all those little details that really make everything stand out.

And this is the lovely Gina.
Do I not have the prettiest pregnant friends ever?

I know, she is totally adorable.

On Friday I went over to Gina's to meet little Miss Ivy who was born just 12 days earlier.

Oh baby fever.

Holding her made me feel like it's been forever since Peanut was this small.

Despite the fact that Ivy was actually 8 lbs 9 oz when she was born, which isn't that small at all.

I'm not sure how Gina, who is barely larger than that, gave birth to her.

Ivy's skin is so soft and her little froggy legs are pulled up tight.

That girl is a squeaker, making little noises as she sleeps.

She is just so sweet I wanted to take her home.

Congratulations mommy Gina, baby Ivy is gorgeous!

PS.  I love her name.  I have a thing for nature names.

Erica's Baby Shower

We just got home from a lovely shower on Balboa Island.  It was absolutley gorgeous today and in the mid-80's at the beach.  I looooove Erica's parents house.

It was packed on Balboa Island today but I made a mental note to head down there during the week.



Erica had a great co-ed shower with bar and a man making 3 different kinds of tacos.

I can't believe I didn't get a picture of that.  I find that I'm really bad at taking pictures when I have the Peanut by myself. 



This is Erica and she's due in about 7 weeks.  I love how Peanut perches right on top of her belly.  He can be so sober faced when we are in a crowd.  Smile Peanut!

Look at those cheeks!



Joanne and Mia and sharing a pooping story.  See how animated Joanne's face is? 

That's what we've come to- animated stories about baby poop.



Now there is a boy who will smile for the camera!

Ryan has really found his voice and is doing that screeching thing that Peanut was doing for a while.  It's so adorable.

Regardless of the fact that I didn't take many pictures at the shower I feel triumphant that I managed to get Theresa. :)


Baby sunglasses.

Need I say more?



This is just a shot of Erica's present- it's my first arts and crafts project :)  She's a big fan of owls so I decorated her gift bag at the last minute while Peanut was napping.

Hope you are having a great weekend- we need to head off to bed so we can rest up for brunch in the morning!

Peanut's Red Egg & Ginger Party

One of the things I find amazing and exciting about B's family are the cultural traditions. This is a perfect example.

In February B's parents threw Peanut a Red Egg and Ginger party.

Traditionally this party is thrown when the baby turns 1 month old. It was at this party that parents would introduce their new baby to family and friends as well as announce the name of the new baby. In some families it was normal to all decide on a name together at the party.



In ancient China (as in many other places) infant mortality rates were high and many babies didn't live long. It was common to withhold naming the baby until they were sure s/he would survive. It was thought that if the baby survived to 1 month they were likely to make it.

This was also the time that the mother, who would have been resting and taking care of baby indoors for the first month, was able to step out. After a month it seemed that both mother and baby were recovered from the birthing process.

This was cause for a big celebration!



Why Red Egg & Ginger? It was customary for the hosts of the party to give the guests eggs dyed red. The egg is a symbol of fertility and new life, where as the color red is a symbol of happiness. The shape of the egg shows unity and harmony.

I didn't get a picture of it but B's cousin led me thru the process of rubbing the egg on Peanuts brow and face to bring him fertility. I seriously love things like that, when he has his own baby I'm going to tell him it's because I rubbed that red egg on his face!

Ginger has to do with bringing balance to the yin (cold) and yang (hot). Ginger brings a touch of heat to the dishes served in order to help the mother. After giving birth the mother is often tired and weak (too yin) and needs the added heat.

The soup shown above is called Gai Jow and is made with chicken, wood ear mushrooms and Chinese whiskey. It's said to increase milk production.

It was really, really tasty. I suppose for the next baby, I ought to eat this for the first several months :)



What you see in this bowl is tim suen gee guerck which is basically sweet and sour pigs feet. It's made with a special, very dark, sweet black rice chinese vinegar.

This is to help flush the blood and also rebuild strength. The calcium from the bones is also supposed to be very good for you.

I'll be honest, I had some of the pigs feet but not too much.... but I loved the sweet and sour broth-y part. I drank quite a bit of it.

Both dishes were made by B's aunt and mom. Traditionally both would be eaten daily for the month following birth.



At the restaurant there was an incredible amount of food. (Of course there was.) It was all so incredibly good that just thinking about it makes me salivate.



There was Filet Mignon medallions, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Garlic Green Beans, Chicken with Black Mushroom, Vegetable Spring Rolls, Fried Rice and the star of the show...



Roasted Suckling Pig. This was really incredible. I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of it once we started eating it. The skin was so crispy and the meat was sooo juicy. I have no idea how they got so much flavor in every bite.

My favorite part of the picture is the crispy little tail!



Most of B's family along with family friends were able to make it. There were just about 100 people there to welcome our little Peanut into the family.

It was an incredible experience to be in a room with so many people who are so genuinely happy for you and want the best in the world for your baby. We're lucky to belong to such a family.



Little Peanut did wonderfully! We were there for about 4 hours and he was passed around the entire time. Constantly in other peoples arms, surrounded by unfamiliar faces and he didn't fuss at all. The kid loves being social.

In the picture above you see him with his Great Aunt Mabelle. I recently found out that she is 94 years old. I was completely floored, you should see the way she hopped into the Highlander. I still don't really believe it.



Another tradition is the giving of Lysee or "lucky money" and Peanut was very spoiled. I mean, when is Peanut not spoiled?

We've officially started his college fund.



B's aunt made thee little booties as favors and sent them from Boston. Our niece made all these little thank you cards with the red eggs on them.

So much time and effort went into the planning of this party.



Thank goodness that B's mom and dad are so good about taking pictures. I forgot my camera about 15 minutes into the party and they managed to take pictures of every single table!

I love this picture of B and his cousins.



Here are the next generation of cousins!

Peanus is one lucky boy. It was an amazing time full of fantastic tradition and I am forever grateful to be a part of this family.



A huge thank you to B's parents!

Joanne's Baby Shower

On the 17th I went to yet another baby shower! It seems that a good portion of my high school dance team got pregnant at the same time. Joanne is in the middle and is due on December 20th (about 31 weeks along), Theresa on the right is due on December 12th (about 32 weeks along) with her second and Jen on the left just got married.

I'm in the process of getting some engagement and wedding pics from Jen so we can swoon over her gorgeous details.

Celeste was also on the dance team with us as well as 3 other ladies who had/have due dates between July and December. It's an epidemic.



Theresa made this display (she is super crafty) that had our name tags and table assignments.



Loved these little diapers AND they had a bonus. One of these diapers was dirty and the person with the dirty diaper won a prize.



I was at table Rubber Ducky and we each received these little cinnamon rolls with a "thank you for showering our 'lil bun in the oven".



There were salad and sandwiches galore....



and a dessert table. All the desserts were adorable and sported little labels, which I love.




Holy moly, I had a bite of these and nearly died. Go make these immediately.

I asked Jen and she let me know they were a Bakerella recipe, found here.








I love dessert tables. I'm sure you aren't surprised at all.



This is just evidence that I steal all your ideas. I used the clothesline idea from my shower and then sewed some burp cloths like Elle Bee and LeAnna.



Hey hot mama. You see, I'm not the only one sporting non-maternity dresses and high heels!

Joanne is just one of those super stylish people. Darn those naturally stylish people.



Speaking of stylish, this is Jen (who you've met) and Annamaria (fellow dance teamer) and her baby girl.

This child didn't make so much as a peep. She is the poster child for mellow kids. Plus, she has the most adorable thighs.



Here are the 3 preggos! Some of us look like we are about to explode.

Congrats Joanne and Theresa!! Can't wait to meet your winter babies!