My best friend of around 14 years Annessa (who've I've mentioned a few times on the blog before) called me up towards the beginning of the year announcing she was expecting baby number three with her long term partner and father to her middle daughter A. Me and Annessa met as young 10 year old's in Junior school nearly 14 years ago, and our friendship quickly blossomed, I'm proud to be able to say Annessa is my best friend and I love her to pieces.
As Annessa's pregnancy blossomed on, in due time she found out her and her partner James was expecting a little boy, having two daughter's already, Annessa was overwhelmed at the thought of being blessed with a bundle of blue, but just concentrated on having a healthy baby after health problems with her middle child. Annessa's due date was the 31st of August, and of course, being the best friend, and with tradition the mother should not plan her own baby shower, I soon stepped up to the role and started to plan Annessa's shower.
With myself living in a flat, we discussed idea's of where we could have the baby shower take place, although Annessa lives in a house, her home is not much bigger then mine and we soon arranged for the baby shower to take place at one of Annessa's favourite restaurant's The Spice Oven in our home town Reading. The Spice Oven is a buffet style popular restaurant seeing many visitors through their door's each day hosting event's from Hen nights to Christenings, although the restaurant does host it's own function room, with the baby shower being a small private event we decided to just reserve a table for the expected guest who confirmed they would be attending the shower.
With my trusted source of contacts, I was able to receive a good 75% of the baby shower items in return for coverage on Unique Young Mum. I've got some excellent companies involved and could not of been more pleased with the unexpected response I received! From table wear to favours, gifts for both mum and baby, and even personalised cards and wrapping paper, I think, if I say so myself I done quite a good job of organising my best friend's baby shower!
Part two of this post is going to be filled with idea's on how to organise and successfully have a great baby shower, whether you chose to host the event yourself, hire a hall at a local community centre, or do what we done and reserve some tables at you're favourite restaurant, I hope too of got it all covered down to a tee!
Annessa's baby shower was on the 26th of July, we had the table reserved from 7:30pm, but I got there a little bit earlier to decorate and set up everything that I somehow had successfully kept a surprise from Annessa! All she knew was where the baby shower was taking place, what food we was going to be delving into and what guest was coming, the rest she was clueless too, much to my surprise as I was so excited at the over filling boxes being held in my flat filled to the brim with beautiful items!
Whilst at the baby shower, with a few guest short, Annessa kept mentioning a severe pain in her lower back, being monitored throughout her pregnancy by specialist consultants, she knew there was the risk of little man appearing at any time, however she told us more then once that she was able to attend her baby shower with little man still warm and holding on inside. All of the guest ourselves was all mother's, and sympathised with the pain Annessa was feeling, however, none of us was to know that this was the start of little man's appearance as he had over a month left until his due date.
Me and Annessa fortunately live just one road away from each other, although you would never believe this as we see each other less now then what we did before when we lived further away from one-another! James, Annessa's partner picked me and Annessa up from the mean and dropped us back home, we both said our thank you's to each other and spoke again later that night on the phone.
The next morning Annessa was due to attend a family member's Christening, so I knew to not call her and instead wait until she was home and free for her to call me. It was Sunday 27th of July the day of my big sister Paula's 30th birthday, so I too was kind of busy that day, but did drop Annessa a text message. Although we don't see each other much, we do talk on the phone every single day, there is never something not to talk about, and nine times out of ten, our phone conversations are filled with laughter of some sort.
What I did not expect was to receive a message on a instant messaging app from Annessa later on that night to tell me she was in labour and that her waters had broke! Once I replied back to Annessa, and she knew I was awake she called me from the hospital and told me what had happened. The pains she was experiencing at her baby shower the night before quickly developed into a more hard to control pain, worrying about her baby boy, she called the hospital after the Christening and they told her to go down, within minutes of arriving at the hospital, Annessa's waters had naturally gone and so little man was officially on his way.
After spending nearly a week in hospital, away from her other children, Annessa was given an induced date from the hospital of the 4th of August. Annessa's middle child's 3rd birthday was on August 2nd, and so Annessa was a little bit pleased that there would be a few days apart from her children's birthdays. On A's 3rd birthday, she was brought into the hospital by a relative and opened some of her presents with her mummy and daddy, she spent a few hours there with her parents and then was dropped off to her auntie's house who gave her a little party to make her birthday as enjoyable as possible.
Meanwhile, back at the hospital, just after 2pm, a midwife entered Annessa's room and told her they was taking her down to delivery to be induced, on her daughter's 3rd birthday, two days before the planned induced date. Annessa was soon induced and baby E was born on the 3rd of August in the early hours of the morning.
Both mother and baby are now recovering at home, and he is beautiful, gorgeous and just perfect! I've only met little man twice, once being a chance trip to Asda just 15 minutes after Annessa was released from the hospital, and the second time a proper introduction to baby E at Annessa's home on Friday last week. I am so proud of her, and thankful for blessing me with another nephew!
I'm waiting for permission from Annessa to see if I can add a snap of baby E on here, until now, you'll just have to take my word for it on how adorable and truly remarkable he really is!
If you're pregnant, or organising a baby shower for a relative or friend, be sure to check out part two of this post for some excellent idea's for a baby shower!
Until next time,
x