Baby Shower: Online Edition

Question: What do you do when you move to a new town and into a congregation that is so large that a new baby is born just about every week, and you are on your third child and are having trouble feeling special about your new baby and don't have any in-town friends who know you well enough to throw you a baby shower?

Answer: Your awesome mom throws you a surprise "e-shower."

The QB's mom sent out a secret email to a few out-of-state friends and family members in mid-January inviting them to send well-wishes in the form of cards or small gifts to one of our friends houses here in Lubbock. Then she sent a care package with decorations and a few gifts of her own. Two Sundays before Baby Boy was born, I picked up all the packages and brought them home. I wrapped some of the gifts that needed wrapping and stashed them in the garage--a fairly safe place to hide gifts from my 9-month-pregnant wife.

The QB had no idea what was coming.

The next Tuesday night I had just finished putting the boys down for the night and was trying to figure out how to get the QB to disappear for a while so I could set up the surprise party. I thought she was going to be at a Church meeting that night, but it didn't end up happening, so I had to come up with something else. I suggested she might like to run to the store and pick out a new baby outfit she'd been talking about getting. She said she'd rather stay home, and she grabbed a book and went into our bedroom to lie down.

As soon as she looked good and comfortable I went out to the garage and got the gifts. I hung up the decorations, got out a cake and sparkling cider I'd bought earlier that night with the boys, connected the laptop and the Skype Cam and called Cristi, who was set up at Amy's house with their laptop.

Then I called in the QB.

She was very surprised by all the gifts and had a good time opening them on Camera with her mother and sisters looking on.

Thanks to everyone who sent gifts and cards and chocolate. Especially the chocolate. The clothes and baby supplies are all great and we bought a baby monitor with gift card money. Thanks to Cristi for organizing everything, and thanks to everyone for showing the QB and I so much love as we have prepared to welcome our new addition (That post is coming soon...). You are all wonderful!