A Rainbow of Colors

Ugh... I am alive. Sort of. Not sure if I could have said the same thing a few days ago. See about a week and a half ago I woke up a sniffling, coughing mess. One strep throat diagnosis, lots of antibiotics, a late night trip to the ER where they wrote my stats on a paper towel (yeah, don't ask), and I'm feeling a bit more human these days...well, human rolled under a truck and recuperating that is.

But before I got run over by the germ fairy, I got to experience awesome baby shower numero dos. Yes, I promise this isn't just turning into a baby blog but let's just say that at 8 months pregnant I've got babies on the brain lately.

Baby Shower 2 was hosted by my awesome coworker Lindsay who threw the partay for us Rainbow gals. (I work at Rainbow School hence the party's theme) Here's the buffet table decked out in all it's multicolored glory...

Don't worry, one of those bottles is just for me--nothing like sparkling apple cider to really get a party rockin' you know. 

And those scrumptious looking cupcakes in the background? Yeah, those are rainbow chip funfetti cupcakes--frosting carted in from the States and everything. I just about fainted from all my swooning over those (obsession with funfetti cupcakes is probably not too strong a word). 

And aren't these cupcakes freaking fabulous as well? I guess you can taste the rainbow... Oh and for anyone wondering why the random penguin in the middle it's because our classes have animal names; I'm the teacher of the penguin class. (or was before they sentenced me to a life term of bed rest)

Haha this scene cracked me up...who knew that Playmobil makes maternity ward action figures? Looks like our baby is gonna have a full head of hair... 

I even got some clothes for baby to wear... or her future barbie...

Here's the whole gang, minus one coworker. Did I mention that it's a small school? 

And that's my boss there in the middle...

Oh diaper cakes... never mind that just after this pic was taken it toppled all over my neighbors...

And onsie cupcakes with socks for the 'topping'...can ya get much cuter than that? 

Here we are in all of our rainbow glory (ok I missed the memo, but still)... 

Now if this baby would just hurry up and come already! 

ps. one more week until baby is at 37 weeks, or full term. Aka one more week and then bring on the old wives tales for labor inducement! I can guarantee that I will have buns of steel by the time I'm finished with all those stairs... 

Bébé Shower!!

I am convinced that baby showers were thought up to help us prego women not lose our sanity completely and do something really stupid (i.e. finally strangle that person in the grocery store who can't resist giving you unsolicited advice, slap the person at church who tells you how fat you're getting, declare to the world that you'll never be pregnant again, put out a hit out on the supermodel of your choice, etc). I thought I'd take a moment to write about a few differences between an American and a French baby shower. Oh wait, just kidding. They don't exist here!

Well, let me clarify: in Paris, baby showers are one of the American phenomenons that are slowly making their way over here but I have yet to actually hear of a real French woman who's done one. Mainly I read about them occasionally in parenting magazines as this glamorous and trendy thing you can do to impress all your Parisian girlfriends with how anglophone you are. Yes, they rank up there with "brunching", bagels, cupcakes, and smoothies (pronounced in Paris as smooties...). Go for one of those and you're ever so trendy.

I was lucky enough to have some fabulous American friends of mine throw me one this past weekend. There were all the usual goodies to nosh on...plus cute decor (I consider it a sign that the baby will be cute too...lol). We skipped the games and went straight for the chatting, eating, and gift opening (some of my favorite past times!). After all, we didn't want to shock the Frenchies too badly (trust me, people forced to eat disgusting baby food = not the world's best combo in France). 

Frankly Baby S was pretty darn spoiled. Here's my fantabulous friend Kelsey who took all these pictures and was one of the conspirators in the planning. Yes, we are that cool. 

Below is just about everyone who turned out for it except one or two girls who had to head out a little early. Please overlook the giant horizontal line running across my belly. We super pregnant women just have to make do with the maternity fashion available to us... (ps like how they have me next to some of the shortest people in the room... I look way too tall for my own good...) 

And here is what my friend Kristine (the one in the middle) affectionately likes to call the Fatty Club. All of us pregos are arranged in birth givin' order (can you tell who's the soonest to pop?? hint: her name starts with a T and rhymes with Balya)... 

Here are the beautiful women who made it all possible! 

Thanks girls, I owe you one!