Blessed Already!

So it started even before Ryan & I were even thinking about trying to become Mommy & Daddy... my Aunt Robin (lives in Nashville, 3 adorable kids, if you needed a refresher) gave us these three baby items "just for whenever" because her youngest, baby Jack (Ryan's birthday buddy) had outgrown them. Our first items of baby gear, then, for those of you less familiar with such things, were a bouncy seat (VERY useful because you can bounce a fussy baby with a foot when all else fails), a boppy pillow (for nursing), and a sling. I already know I'll be a baby-wearer, so I'm pretty stoked to try out the sling...

Our friends Jenny & Aaron supplied our first baby furniture-- a bassinet! Their baby Jane outgrew it right about the time we told them we were new parents, too! Perfect timing, huh? We've set it up in a corner of our bedroom, and are using it to store the little things we're already receiving for Baby Szrama.

Like... BOOKS! My mom ("Nina" as she will be called) has already started a library for her first grandchild. The Baby Einstein book is in five languages (plus an Esperanto translation by Lyle) and "Le Petit Prince" is an abbreviated version of one of Ryan's and my favorite books, in French! Mom knew how much Ryan liked it and picked it up last time she & my Dad were in France. The Valentine book is one Ryan gave me our first Valentine's Day together... or rather, apart. I was in Italy at the time... :)

Fun bath stuff-- the sign homemade by a very craftsy Tia Nicole (my middle sister), and the washcloth set a Valentine's Day present from Nina. :)

This arrived just last week from my mom, with contributions from my mom (and some picked out by Nicole), my grandmother -"Mama Peggy," -Aunt Robin, and my Aunt Virginia (my Mom's youngest sister)... it's so cool to have aunts who have just now finished having kids, because they are so generous to pass on cool stuff to me! So far I've worn two of the pants... one pair is currently my favorite pair of pants ever! Whaddya know-- Nicole picked 'em out! I was AMAZED at how much Mom crammed into that little box! It was like my birthday or something!

And our baby's latest gift, from his/her Aunt Kendi & Uncle Greg --Ryan's brother & his wife. Kendi is a BIG-TIME crafts woman, and surprised me with this wonderful baby afghan by mail yesterday! It was especially touching because I'd spent quite a miserable day due to Baby the day before, and was still not feeling well. When this came in the mail, I remembered WHY I'm going through all this: to have a sweet little Szrama to wrap up in blankets like this. And that makes it all worth it!


We are so blessed! Praise to the Giver of all good gifts!

--the 3 Szramas of Louisville

p.s. See more pictures at my Facebook album.