Now that was a good weekend. Very busy - I could sure use another day to rest - but good.

Despite our fears, Matt's mom did not make any "helpful" picky comments about the nursery (such as pointing out the few places where the paint isn't quite perfect, or tell us she'd read that another crib was safer). She was, in fact, aside from one little moment when she mom-ified about Matt, very nice and enthusiastic and happy.

So we had a nice evening on Friday, and Saturday morning was relaxed and calm. We took Jill and Rachael to the Cheese Shop for lunch. I'm not sure what brain cells spontaneously switched off to make Matt suggest it and me enthusiastically agree. We wound up in the place almost smack at noon, and it was so packed we could barely move.

But eventually, we got our sandwiches and drinks and chips, and found seats outside and had our lunch. And then when we'd recovered from lunch, we drove over to Braz and Kris's complex for the shower.

The shower turned out to be lots of fun. Just about everyone who didn't already live in Williamsburg got stuck in traffic and was a wee bit late - it was thick both in Newport News and up by Richmond - but I had a great time. Emma was there to entertain the masses (I swear, I've never seen such a good-natured little kid - even the little temper tantrum that signalled the Need To Nap was cute) and Kris and Elizabeth had obviously enjoyed planning everything.

The games were cute and fun (and didn't drag on too long like some party games do) and our friends and family were very generous. I don't think we even got the obligatory Gift In Really Bad Taste. Piles of cute clothes and useful items and just wonderful toys. I can't wait until I have enough time to start sorting through everything and organizing the nursery.

Keep your eyes open. Sometime today or tomorrow, I'll get all the pictures put up in my photo album. (I'll probably announce it with a specific link in the blog.)

After the shower, we carted everything home and kidnapped Karen to spend the evening with us. We went out to eat at La Tolteca. (My first thought was Outback, but it was Saturday evening - the wait was going to be long, and I was hungry. Anyway, despite having no tolerance for spicy food lately, I really like La Tolteca.) After dinner, we went back to the house and chatted a little, and watched Shrek, which Rachael hadn't seen before.

Sunday morning we took things slow and easy. It was after 1 before we were all dressed and ready to go out for lunch - in part because, when I went upstairs to take my shower, I got diverted into the nursery to look at some of the cute little clothes, and it was only a matter of minutes before Matt, Jill, and Rachael had joined me. We stood around looking at things and talking for almost an hour, there, before I finally gave in and went to shower.

After we dropped Jill and Rachael off at the airport, we stopped at my parents' house. My aunt Sharon was in town (though she hadn't arrived in time to come to the shower) and she's leaving again Tuesday, so I wanted to take the chance to at least say hi for a little bit.

She, too, had brought presents for the baby. There's a mission or something (I didn't get the whole explanation) in Thailand, where she and my uncle live, that (among other things) train Thai prostitutes how to sew, and sell their things for them, in the effort to give these women an alternative means of income. So Sharon had brought us some wonderful hand-made things.

There was a little dress, in blue gingham with pink flowers and elaborate smocking (I was so happy she remembered I don't like huge quantities of pink), and a quilted cloth book for little babies to look at, and older tots to practice things like buttons and zippers and ties, and an adorable little farmhouse with doors and windows that opened to reveal animals inside... And then Matt's favorite: A doll with which you can tell the story of Little Red Riding Hood.

Held one way, you see Red. Flip her over and pull the dress down, and it turns into Grandmother. And then if you flip Grandmother's cap over her face, you reveal the Wolf. It's too cute!

But alas, we could only spend about an hour visiting there before we had to run back up to Williamsburg and go to our Lamaze class. I actually kind of enjoyed that, as we learned some techniques for dealing with the pain of back labor (mostly massage techniques from our coaches) that felt just lovely. And one of the women in the class who's a massage therapist had brought rice socks for everyone. (Rice sock - cloth filled with uncooked rice. You microwave it for a minute or so, then drape it over/around an aching muscle for heat relief. I've been wanting to make one for my shoulders and neck, but now I don't have to!)

We didn't get to bed until quite late last night, and this morning seems far too early, but it was a really wonderful weekend. And although clouds threatened for a bit Sunday morning, I don't think it rained even once!

--Liz