My First Baby Shower

Paul Morrone |
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By Paul Morrone CFP®, CPA, MSA

I always enjoy baby showers, mainly because I don’t have to attend them. They are generally a ‘girl’s thing’ and that means the guys can get together, unencumbered, and do something fun. This weekend was different, however, as we had Jill’s baby shower (I guess mine too?) and that meant I didn’t get a free pass for the day because my attendance was required.  My parents transformed their house overnight and were generous enough to host us, our family and friends. Before I say any more, I owe a huge thanks to my mother (and father), sister, aunts, cousins and in-laws who went all-out and handled the preparation so that Jill and I could just show up and enjoy ourselves.

Once the day got rolling, there was no stopping it. Food was flying, drinks disappeared and the pile of gifts quickly grew into a mountain. The biggest takeaway for me was the overwhelming showing of love and support that we received from friends and family. While everyone was beyond generous and got us more than we could have ever asked for, we received a couple of sentimental gifts that are utterly priceless. Others went out of their way to hand-make clothing, bibs, hats and booties with a level of craftiness that I could only be jealous of.

I have no basis for comparison, but I genuinely feel that everyone went above and beyond to create an unforgettable event. The overall presentation was incredible and I had flashbacks to our wedding where hours were dedicated to what appeared to be, in my mind, trivial details.  Most of these things are wasted on me as I’m usually too wrapped up in the moment to take notice of the decorations, photos or anything else for that matter. However, what I’ve learned is that these special touches are what bring a tear to someone’s eye, put a smile on someone’s face and are responsible for making the day memorable.

As people started to leave, I had to hover around the leftovers to make sure that we didn’t accidently give away the last chocolate peanut butter cupcake that I had my eye on for the past hour or two. I was also looking at the trays of pasta, chicken and eggplant that I knew would provide me with lunch and dinner for the next week. At the same time, the practical side of my brain kicked in as I looked all the decorations, food and stuff around the house and realized what a task it was going to be to clean up. I couldn’t believe it was already over! The party isn’t over for me, however, as it now seems that I have an endless number of things to put together, boxes to collapse and stuff to organize. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to read the directions first!

A special thanks to the Everyday Gourmet (Hamden, CT) for supplying us with their (always) delicious food courtesy of the Puglia family. No event is complete without good food!

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