A Very Betty Celebration (complete with Ravens WIN!)

The grossest game I have ever witnessed in my life was at a baby shower. Personally, I opted out of playing because I HATE HATE HATE shower games with a passion, but the memory of watching my friend microwave miniature bars of chocolate in tiny diapers and then having people identify them is forever seared into my memory. The day I find random peanuts in my newborn's diaper is the day the pediatrician gets an alarmed phone call.

So when I found out that my sisters-in-law and my stepmom wanted to throw Betty a baby shower, I was SO excited, but also a little terrified. What if I had to play the candy bar crap game? Or any terrible game? Plus, though you might find this a little hard to believe, I'm not very good at being the center of attention and parties that are focused on me make me feel very nervous and awky. Throughout my pregnancy, people have been telling me to soak it up now because once baby gets here it will be all about her, but what they don't seem to understand is that I will be GLADLY handing over any and all attention to Betty. Even in school plays growing up, I always did better as an auxiliary character. I never wanted the lead.

Fortunately what I must have forgotten in my panic is that these people are my family and they know me. Hence, the theme for the party that day pretty much became laid-back awesomeness with close friends, eating delicious food, chatting, only playing ONE shower game (that somewhat humiliating one where people cut a ribbon to indicate how big they think my belly is, and then everyone with the exception of two people grossly overestimating and making me feel like even more of a house), and mostly doing one of my personal favorite things...gathering around the television to watch RAVENS FOOTBALL!

It just so happened that our playoff game vs the Texans fell on the exact same date and at the exact same time as my shower. At first I thought this might be a tragedy and that no one would want to come because of it, but almost everyone did come and the fact that the game was on kept some of the attention off of me. A HUGE win all around.

Not only did all those guests come, but they also completely spoiled my daughter, which I suppose is just a taste of things to come in her life. (Only child, plus the only girl in either of our families? We'll take care to make sure that she doesn't turn into a brat, but little B is going to be spoiled whether we like it or not.) For the most part, we have everything we need now and I'm pretty much completely overwhelmed by the generosity and have about a million thank you's to write this weekend.

And of course to top it all off, the Ravens won! Thanks for the gift, guys! Did I mention how much Betty would love it if you won the Superbowl this year?

I wish I had pictures to share. Actually I do have a few, but I look like a cow in every single one of them so I will leave you with a few pictures that don't involve me.

Such a gorgeous cake, right? I love the idea of putting alphabet letters on there. Of course, I think maybe ABC or even EAE (B's initials) would have been a little more appropriate than BAD, but I am not a cake artist, so what do I know.

Just some of her presents! I told you she got spoiled.

Food is always the best kind of party favor. How cute are these little personalized M&M's my stepmom ordered? My answer? Too cute to eat.

Photo credits go to my friend, Kate. My brother was also acting as photographer for the day, but I have yet to see any of the pics he took. I'm sure they are great too!