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As we are getting ready for the twins to come home it was finally a good time for a baby shower. Dee had planned a surprise shower in October but with me going into preterm labor the shower was canceled. Then with a rocky beginning we didn’t feel right having a party, but NOW we are looking like chunky monkeys who want to come home. So Saturday was the day!

Saturday was a bittersweet day as we went to Baby Eli’s memorial service in the morning. There were so many people there to say goodbye. We sat in the very back but I could see the large picture of Eli up front and just couldn’t stop crying. Sometimes we forget how fragile these little guys are and the memorial really brought it home for me. When it was over all we wanted to do was hold the twins in our arms. Tadd and I spent 30 minutes by their side and I breastfed Loen. We felt so fortunate that Loen and Derby have made such progress. Derby had been taken off the ventilator that morning (finally), so I felt a little better when we saw them. Tadd had to drag me out of there so we could make it to the baby shower on time. I didn’t want to leave them.

We got to the house on time and were just amazed. The house was decorated beautifully and the food was wonderful. Not to mention the homemade sangria!

There was so much food left over we ended up taking lots home with us. That worked out well with all the people that were staying with us, it cut down on having to eat out. Both of our mothers came out as well as my brother and Tadd’s aunt Tracie. As usual Dee took a simple thing and kicked it up a notch. Check out diaper cakezilla. Instead of being made from just disposable diapers it was made with burp cloths, towels, bibs, receiving blankets, pacifiers and spoons.

She also had games I had never played before at a baby shower. Like scratch and sniff diaper cards. All except one smelled like baby powder and the poopy diaper one won a prize. It was a wonderful shower with friends and family, not to mention all the gifts that the twins will soon be putting to good use!

Andrew has always been competitive when it came to games. He was shrewd at 4 playing Candyland, so you should have seen him playing the clip game. Everyone started off with a clip but you were unable to say the words “Babies” “Derby” or “Loen” if you did the person who overheard you could take your clip. At the end of the shower the one with the most clips won a prize. Even though he wasn’t ‘eligible’ to win a prize (what would he do with a bottle of wine??) he was in it to win it. Michelle ended up the real winner.

One of my favorite stories about Tadd was when he was in Elementary school. He kept getting in trouble and the teacher said she thought Tadd was a little slow. Tadd was tested and the results came back that he was (drum roll please) a point below gifted. That is like being behind the guy in line who buys the winning lottery ticket. So close, yet no cigar. Don’t get me wrong Tadd is very smart, which is evident when he can kick your butt playing cribbage while drinking. I can barely calculate gratuity after a glass of wine but Tadd can formulate a mathematical strategy while buzzed. There is a little tip for you. Opt for a trivia game vs a math game if you want to beat Tadd. Anyways our friends Kurt & Jeni got the twins a shirt to let the world know their dad’s point status.

McKenzie tartan blankets. They gotta represent you know (Thanks Jeni)

Brent and Grant (They look so much alike, especially when Brent has his tongue sticking out)

My mom and Iain made the twins bedding. It is beautiful in chocolate and pink or blue with linen. My mother sewed everything and Iain silk screened the animals on the linen. I will post pictures once we have it all set up.

My mom said our home was so adult before and now it is baby land. Looks like it is going to be baby land for a loooonnnnnggg time.