I thought Saturday was going to be the BOMB because I was going to pick my sister up in Rochester and spend the time between arriving to get her and leaving with her eating every delicious thing in sight at the Rochester market.

Instead, Saturday was the BOMB because I got to do that… and then went to my super secret surprise baby shower.

I can’t even write this up in a witty way because was one of those very rare times in my life when I’ve been reduced to a total and unsnarking pile of mush. I just cannot get over the kindness of my family and friends at doing something like this for me, the biggest anti-baby-shower rant queen, and for doing it up in the absolute most perfect, wonderful, touching, and awesome way.

So I’ll tell you all I can say about it, in this scattered way that won’t make me cry YET AGAIN (because that baby shower undid my hard work at being uncharacteristically un-tearful and un-emotional during this pregnancy), and explain that it was so awesome because…

• My entire family and group of friends here, plus the ever-stealthy Mr. Man,  have been planning this surprise since October and I almost ruined it by putting up a pitched fight last week when I said I didn’t want to go to Rochester and pick up my sister–couldn’t she just take the bus and let me enjoy my mom’s last Saturday at home before going to Puerto Rico for Christmas?  Their “get me out of the house” plan came perilously close to failing, but in the end they still managed to convince me; however, I think I seriously scared them by being so stubborn in my dutiful daughter ways.
• I then made a fool of myself by refusing to dress up to A) go to the market with my sister and company, B) go to lunch at a casual Mexican place, and C) drive home to Buffalo.  Seriously, when she asked me to change into one of her nice dresses for the RIDE back to Buffalo, I wanted to scream.  It’s not like I looked homeless or anything… and then imagine how silly I felt in my sweater and jeans when I walked in on the surprise party for me.
• I was SO surprised that, even after I walked through the door and was corralled to go into the living room (instead of going straight into the kitchen with my market goodies), walked out, heard everyone yell surprise, and felt the Silly String launched at me, all I could think was  that the surprise was how they rearranged the living room, because that’s the first thing I saw.  Silly, right?  I was so shocked that I even asked “Why ‘surprise?’” before I saw the people and the decorations and put two and two together.  After getting over it and hugging everyone and still looking a bit train-struck, I ran upstairs to change, and only THEN did it sink in that this was one seriously awesome surprise for me.

• I loved seeing EVERYONE in that room and was surprised and shocked and touched that so many people cared so much to come and take part in it–and by take part, I mean arriving as soon as I left for Rochester at 10 a.m. to help my sister Isa, Director of Operations, set up the house, make all the food, hang up the decorations, and basically do a whole day’s worth of party prep in five hours before my 3 p.m. return.
• I loved the decor.  The way to my heart is through monkeys, and the monkey/jungle decor (adorable without making an adult queasy in any way) was incredible.  I’ll be putting up those cutouts on Miss Young Money’s wall as soon as I arrive in Trinidad.  And the cake with the animals (which was one of the best cakes I’ve ever had–raspberry and buttercream) was the cutest and tastiest thing I’ve ever eaten.

• There were games… and they were so much fun.  We sniffed tiny felt pockets shaped like diapers and guessed the candy inside and the guests guessed the size of my belly, and it was  hilarious.  I had always scoffed at these games, but done in our living room, in the casual way in which we hang out (except for Isa directing the lime), I had a blast.

• OMG, everyone anticipated what I wanted and needed for that baby!  Isa (with our dear friend Becky’s help) had put together two gift registers as suggestions, but I was still shocked by the lovely gifts I got and by everyone’s generosity.  I managed not to cry while opening them… but just barely.

• I got to wear the most un-mommy dress ever to my baby shower.  I knew this dress would be good for a special occasion, and I can’t imagine a better special occasion than this one.  Miss Young Money will definitely be impressed at what her mama wore for her special day.

In the end, I just felt like the most honored and grateful woman alive.  Sure, this baby means SO MUCH to me and my husband, and so much to my immediate family, but I hadn’t quite grasped HOW much until Saturday.  She’s not just the latest crazy thing we’ve done–she belongs to all of us, and that “us” of family and friends is just so much larger and deeper and meaningful than I imagined.  Having been away from Buffalo for so long, I didn’t think of myself as having enough friends in the area to come to ANY kind of party like this, but I’ve realized that I have more wonderful friends than I thought before (uh, Isa’s friends that I’ve known since they were seven years old–twelve years younger than me!– and who we now hang out with regularly are just one example).  And they are AWESOME…

… As are my mom, my husband, and all my sisters, especially Isa, who organized this entire thing during her toughest semester at college yet–she put together the guest list, ordered cards and decorations, planned  the menu, and directed everyone that helped during the frantic few hours they had to put the whole thing together at the house.  I suppose I am a grown woman and I still (mistakenly) think of her as a college kid–but there’s no way I could have done anything like what she did, both before the day and during the actual party.

I should also note that, between Isa and the awesome Becky (who did more than if she were my sister, making me realize yet again that she is, in fact, my real and honorary sister), they sorted out so many details, from how many punch bowls we needed to the baby registry list, that they make my head spin.

So that was my baby shower.  Excuse me while I go wipe my sniffliness.  I need to stop–if I keep up this mushiness over the shower, my family will never do anything nice for me again.