Surprise!

Ok, so the weekend after Thanksgiving weekend, Nicole's family and my family got together and threw a baby shower for us.  Now, some people have been speculating that I knew about the shower ahead of time, and to some extent, that is correct.  I knew there was a shower coming, but I didn't know when or where it was going to be.  Now, I was absolutely CONVINCED that I had figured out that the shower was going to be on a Sunday afternoon.  "How?" you ask.  Well, Nicole has never been that great at keeping secrets, or least keeping surprises.  She's the kind of person who gets so excited over gifts she has bought people that she gets this ridiculous Cheshire Cat grin that begs the question, "What the hell is she hiding?"  Anyway, that is the rationale behind why I did not let her seek the ultrasound to find out if it was a boy or a girl.  There's NO WAY that secret would have been kept until d-day (aka delivery day).

Sorry, I strayed for a bit.  Let me get back to the story.  So, I started suspecting that the shower was going to be on Sunday early on the week before because of one question that Nicole asked me.  Now, before I tell you what the question was, I will tell you that it was a harmless question in and of itself and may not have triggered a whole lot of red flags in another context, but, for me, it was as if all the red flags, bells, and whistles in the world all got set off at the same time.  "What was the question?" you ask (and tough if you didn't ask, because I'm going to tell you what it was anyway).  The question was, "Do you want to go to brunch on Sunday?" DING.  (Bell one).  First of all, she asked me this on a Tuesday.  That is far too far in advance for us to be making plans to do anything unless it involves more than just me and her.   "Brunch?"  "Yeah, sure.  Brunch will be fun!" DING (that's number two).  Why would that be bell two?  Well, a couple of reasons.  One, we have never, in the whole time we have been together, ever gone to brunch with the exception of when her family took everyone out to celebrate her getting her masters degree.  Two, brunches are often done in a buffet format and, as much as I enjoy a buffet (even more so now that I'm pregnant), Nicole absolutely hates buffets.  And then there was the question of, "So, what are you going to where to Brunch on Sunday?"  DING! DING! DING!  This was a crazy amount of bells and whistles and flags happening in my head now which almost made it difficult for me to think.  First of all, we had no idea where we going to go to brunch, so how in the hell am I going to know what I'm wearing.  Secondly, brunch is still several days away.  Now, while I love Nicole immensely, planning things in advance is typically not one of her strong suits.  Finally, Nicole is fully aware, as I'm sure most of you are as well, that I have absolutely NO CLUE what I am going to wear from one day to the next (probably because I'm such a slave to fashion.  HAH!  That one even made me laugh!), never mind what I'm going to wear to "brunch" five days from now.

So, with the evidence mounting against Sunday, I started to get really cocky and started making smart ass comments to her about Sunday's "brunch".  With each question, I would chuckle a little to myself  and a little out loud and Nicole would make this pouty face as if to say, "Oh crap.  Did I let that slip?"  Now, the reality of the situation is that the shower was not on Sunday at all, but on Saturday.  That day, I was expecting to go to a friend's baby shower as she is due 4 weeks after me and the invite said the shower was going to be at the same place where her bridal shower had been, so it made perfect sense in my head.  So, when we got to the hall where CARA'S shower was supposed to be, we started walking down the hall and I spotted Nicole's best friend from college, Meredith, who was sitting next to her mother.  At that, I turned to Nicole and said, "You son of a bitch" in the most loving way possible.  As we turned the corner, I saw my mother standing there next to my sister-in-law and niece and again turned to Nicole and said, "You really are a son of a bitch" (again in the most loving way possible).  The rest of that day is a bit of a blur, but I do know there was an open bar AND I WASN'T EVEN ABLE TO ENJOY IT!!!!  OH THE HUMANITY OF IT ALL!!!  Anyway, for those of you who might be interested, my brother compiled a video of that day and has posted it on you tube.  Just search, "Jen's baby shower" and "chrisa65" and it should pull it up.  Oh, and for an added bonus, you'll be able to see the exact reason why I am not able to put on my socks without assistance anymore.