Surprise baby shower!

On the Thursday, 2 days from turning 29 weeks I received a message from one of my friends saying that they’ve organised a lovely afternoon tea at the place she’s planning on having her wedding reception, The Norfolk Mead. Ryan had arranged to take Charlie out for the afternoon and I was excited to have the opportunity to have a snoop around the venue.

That afternoon I booked myself a haircut for the Saturday morning to make sure it was looking nice for my afternoon with the girls, and also I wanted to get my haircut as close to my due date as possible as I knew it would be a while before I would have a chance to get it done again. I also created the biggest floordrobe and nearly threw a tantrum trying to decide what to wear.

Saturday came around and I got my hair done, picked an outfit and got ready to be picked up by one of my friends, we then made our way to our other friends parents house as she was still “getting ready”.

I walk through the front door completely oblivious and none the wiser until I saw my nanny sat on the sofa along with my sister, other friends and my mum standing in the middle of the front room! It was at that point I froze, avoided swearing and felt completely overwhelmed with happiness, I felt really emotional, speechless and rather hot and flustered. To see all my friends and family in the same room as each other and completely surprise me really was incredible.

Walking through the front room I saw all the lovely decorations, banners, balloons, baby pictures on doors and a lovely table spread filled with all sorts of homemade goods, cupcakes, sausage rolls, nostalgic chocolate oatcakes from our school days and the most beautiful pink baby shower cake.

My mum had arranged for my bump to be painted by the lovely Tania from “Skin Kanvas by Tania”, so that was all set up and ready for my bump to be exposed and decorated again for the second time in a week. When I was pregnant with Charlie I had my bump painted at a Paintopia bodyart Festival by the very talented Jenny Marquis, so it was fantastic to be able to have it done all over again, definitely something I can show both children when they’re older.

Multiple games were played which were baby bingo, guess the baby food (I never fed Charlie jarred food and now I know why), guess the baby photo and a nursery rhyme quiz. Guessing the baby photo was such a fun game, some were easier than others but with some of my friends children being the double of their mums it was somewhat a little easy for me, but still fun non the less.

Now I’m one of those people that doesn’t expect anything from anyone especially gifts, I much prefer and value peoples time, effort and company, so to be surprised with such beautiful gifts completely blew me away. Baby received plenty of gorgeous items from Boots, Cath Kidston and Pumpkin Patch; she also got a gorgeous baby bangle, lots of Johnsons toiletries, Pampers nappies and wipes, a nappy cake, a gorgeous hand knitted blanket, beautiful crib bale from Babies r Us and an ever so useful and fabulous changing bag from Cath Kidston. I simply cannot wait to finally be able to use them all soon. It was also decided and arranged that instead of cards which either get stored away or put in the recycling, that each guest gives a book for the baby which I personally thought was a really clever idea. I love reading to Charlie and he’s now started to read independently, so its a lovely idea that both myself and big brother Charlie can read to his baby sister.

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Now it wasn’t a posh afternoon tea like I had originally thought it would be, but it was definitely something more fun and special for everyone that I will definitely remember and have amazing memories of. I’m so happy and grateful to have the friends and family that I do; it also means that we can do afternoon tea with the littlest lady with all her lovely clothes too!

Danielle x