You may remember Carrie’s pretty face from her wedding pictures that debuted on the blog earlier this year. She and her husband Dru are expecting a baby boy in January and we’re so excited for them!
This was actually the first baby shower I’ve ever been to, so I loved seeing what actually happens at one of these babies. <—Pun! 
Carrie’s baby shower reminded me a lot of a bridal shower, but with baby fun instead of wedding fun. We played games, ate yummy food, chatted and watched Carrie open gifts.
The food at the shower was delicious! I ate a bit of everything!
I loved the make your own yogurt parfait station.
I topped my vanilla yogurt off with fresh berries, chocolate chips, coconut and granola.
Croissants make the best sandwich bread. So buttery! I really enjoyed the chicken salad and tasted a hint of curry which I’d love to try to duplicate at home sometime.
Games of the afternoon included “name that baby food.”
We had to guess the different kinds of baby food based on smell.
I totally failed that one.
One thing I can tell you is that if I were a baby, I would be all over apple cinnamon baby food. That was the only one that smelled appealing to me. Keep the peas away from me!
We also did a baby word jumble before Carrie opened gifts. Can someone please tell me what a boppy is, because I had almost every word unscrambled and got stuck on that one!
Now it’s time to head out to dinner with Ryan and my father-in-law. Ryan’s dad arrived in town last night (we had a great time at Horse & Hounds restaurant) and I’m anxious to squeeze in some more quality time with him before he leaves tomorrow.
P.S. The Fashion page was updated today.
We did a baby food taste test at one of my childhood birthday parties! My mom came up with the idea– but now that I’m older I’m going to fill her in on the fact that it was probably intended for baby shower use haha
Brittany @ Itty Bits of Balance
i love boppys! they’re like the shape of those airplane neck pillows, but much larger to aid in breast feeding or something.i am not too sure of the real use, but my sister had them and i just know i like to use it as a way to prop my arm while sitting and carrying new borns. i am a NERVOUS newborn baby holder. lol.
erica
oh yah…and we just had a baby shower for a friend and we made everyone actually taste the baby food. it was hilarious!
erica
Boppys are amazing! A mom-to-be can first use them to help her sleep (put between her knees since you have to sleep on your side after about 20 weeks), then once baby comes they can be used to help with feedings as well as to prop baby up in a sitting position. They’re really versatile!
I have a challenge for you! I am 4 months pregnant and my Dr. has advised me to keep my HR at 130 or below while exercising (they say anything above that directs the bloodflow to your muscles instead of baby…eeks!) I’ve tried to be diligent about it.. wearing my HR monitor and checking it often. But I’m starting to get frustrated because my runs have gone from 8.5 min/miles to 12:30min/miles, eliptical gets boring, and even strength training gets my HR going. I’ve done some research online and most mommy-to-be workouts are for women who just start working out during pregnancy so they aren’t very challenging.
I’m still experimenting… but your workouts are creative, too. Do you think you could create a great workout that keeps your HR at 130 or below?
Amanda
Look to the fitnessita’s blog. She is preggars too and has some great workouts!
mel
I recommend reading the book Exercising Through Your Pregnancy by Dr. James Clapp.
Also, this is from the Mayo Clinics website:
If you exercised regularly before pregnancy, there’s no need to focus on your heart rate for exercise during pregnancy.
Years ago, some experts recommended a heart rate of no more than 140 beats a minute for exercise during pregnancy. Today, however, heart rate limits aren’t typically imposed during pregnancy. For healthy women, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity — preferably spread throughout the week — without any specific heart rate limits.
I exercised until I was 9 months pregnant with my son (who is now 2 and a half) and just wore a heart rate monitor and listened to my body. And obviously listen to your dr. if there are any other reasons he feels it is safer for you to stay in that range. Good luck!
Tracy
I loved my boppy pillow ( my iPod auto corrected boppy to nippy – funny) I used mine for nursing, arm support, and then as a tummy time pillow.
Glad you enjoyed your first baby shower!
Heather H. @ Run Eat Play
Peach baby food is actually delicious. My dad used to give it to me in my Christmas stocking growing up:)
Lindsay @ biking before bed
Looks like a good time. All my friends have kids and they all have boppy pillows! They are the best to help with supporting the baby while you are holding it or for breast feeding. To be honest I lay down on their boppy pillows all the time cause they wrap right around your neck
Laura
I love baby showers – how fun! The yogurt parfait idea is so cute. I agree on the baby food – ick! Most of them sound and look the least bit appealing.
Ashley @ My Food ‘N’ Fitness Diaries
Aw how fun! I would not do well with the “name that baby food” either – AT ALL.
Cait’s Plate
Boppys are all purpose pillows. I’m preggers right now and recently bought one, can’t wait to use it!
Lindsey
boppy visual!
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dSB3MOABht8/Tdu5aPcbGWI/AAAAAAAACh0/lSHT2lLShM0/s400/boppy3.jpg
ashley
makes so much more sense! i’ve definitely seen those before… but for neck support on an airplane.
peanutbutterfingers
Haha, a boppy is something new moms use to help with nursing mainly i think. But when my sister had her kids i would use it to help cradle the baby. Its like a firm pillow that wraps around your waist and the weight of the baby can rest on the pillow while you cradle him. They work great!
Ashley
I love the dress that you wore! Super cute! And the make your own yogurt parfait is a great idea!
Hilliary @ Happily Ever Healthy
Fun!! I love baby showers. Well, I really love any opportunity to hang out with friends, eat good food, and celebrate a special occasion!
No clue on the boppy … but it sounds like some other people have a better idea!
Kristen @ notsodomesticated
I think a bobby is a breast feeding thing??
Sana
I’ve never been to a baby shower, but it seems like it would be a lot of fun to get together with girlfriends and celebrate!
Tracy @ Tracy’s Treats
haha we did “guess the baby food” at a shower just by LOOKING at the colour…and I won!! I couldn’t believe it. I was surrounded by mothers and I’m childless so I was shocked lol Some of them don’t sound very appetizing
OntarioGirl
I made all of my daughter’s baby food and it all tasted soooo good! I definitely recommend that. It isn’t very time consuming either, especially when you make large batches and freeze it!
Kate
that sounds amazing!
peanutbutterfingers
Looks like fun!! I love your dress
Lauren @ What Lauren Likes
Those sound like fun baby shower games! I’ve had to play some pretty lame ones. Looks like fun!
Jessica @ Sushi and Sit-Ups
i loved my boppy after my boys were born. it definitely helped when i was breast feeding (which lasted for 30 minutes or more in the beginning and would be about every hour or so). so as you can imagine, your arms get tired and the boppy helps to hold the baby at just the right angle.
love the build your own parfait idea…i will def use that at a future party!!!
colleen laquay urbaniuk
Julie~ I’m pretty positive I saw your written feature in Oxygen Magazine! True- is it you? Did I miss your blog post talking about it?
Shannon
yes! i’m so glad you saw it. i still need to blog about it, so you haven’t missed the post.
peanutbutterfingers
Congrats on being featured! It was during the first sentence that I thought “hmm….this bio seems suspiciously familiar!”. lol.
Can’t wait to read your blog post about it.
Shannon
I just saw it too! Congrats!
Stacey
I’ve been to a baby shower only once and I think they are adorable. I’ve never heard of a boppy? I would LOVE that make your own yogurt parfait. That is such a great idea!
Brittany
LOVE the dress!! You are so fabulous
Totally about to be a buzzkill here – but you better start stocking up on peanut butter!!!
http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/14/markets/peanut_butter_prices/index.htm?hpt=hp_t2
Nadia
terrible news!
peanutbutterfingers
I’m going to my first baby shower over thanksgiving, I hope it has such cute foods! I love the make your own parfait idea!
Katie @ Peace Love and Oats
Oh the boppy! A mothers best friend. I used it with both kiddos. It’s a perfect pillow to use to cradle the baby and give your arm support while breastfeeding. It helps too with tummy time and helping the baby sit up unassisted. I also used it as the pillow to sleep with on the floor when it was one of those nights with the baby.
Glad you had fun at your first baby shower!
Roz @ fit blogging for profit
Did you ever hear of the Baby Food diet that was once the craze in Hollywood? I get that they were aiming for portion control but surely there are other ways to do so which actually maintain the appealing aspect of food!
khushboo
Not a mother but a boppy came in so handy when I used to babysit a cousin of mine. I just could not get her to sleep without holding her and my arms would get tired. Boppy on my lap, baby on boppy, out for the night, woo hoo!
Danielle
aw, that’s adorable!
peanutbutterfingers
oooO I loooove baby showers!!! You know, when you get to bathe the baby? haha jk!
But seriously, everything about it is just so fun and joyful. And i love the name that baby food game. It’s especially funny when men play it. (I’ve been to a baby shower that was co-ed) Your friend Carrie is glowing! she’s so beautiful.
Ellie@fitforthesoul
I’m also super clueless on everything baby related… Guess you only learn from experience?!
Laura
Carrie is gorgeous pregnanat!! She is glowing & she is ALL bump! I love it
Holly
Aw this looks like so much fun! I love that one of your guesses was “veggie risotto with cheese”… gourmet baby food!
Erica @ For the Sake of Cake
Am I the only one who couldn’t stop looking at that croissant picture? Gah. I love them!
Hillary
congratulations to carrie! what a fun afternoon
baby showers are a blast… so much love and excitement!
kathleen @ the daily crumb
Congrats to your friend! The shower looked so cute.
I love baby showers. They are so fun.
Hope
What a fun shower! Looks like it was a delicious blast. I love your dress-so cute!!
Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife
I can’t believe you have never been to a bbaby shower and dint know what a boppy is lol! For awhile tthere every girl in my Sunday school class had babies so I have been to a lot of showers!
heather
Wow I can’t believe you’ve never been to a baby shower! I just went to my cousin’s shower, and she definitely took the cake for “Grossest game”. You take a diaper and put a chocolate candy bar in it… and then melt it in the microwave for 15 seconds. Rub it all together so it looks like poop! And then you lay out the diapers and people have to guess what candy bar it is. It’s hilarious to see grown women shoving their noses into what look like dirty diapers!! It’s even funnier if the ladies are brave enough to taste it!
Sammy Jean
you’re lucky you got to smell them! at my SIL’s shower, all we got to do was decide based on color.
Tamara