Get ready to ooh and aah!

The wonderful folks at work gave me a semi - surprise shower Friday. I say "semi" surprise because they did clue me in just a few days in advance. They were buying me lunch as part of the event, so they decided they needed to be sure I was going to be available that day (oh, yes, I certainly was!)

At lunch they gave me some lovely gifts for Rachel. Look at this beautiful Christmas dress complete with hat and tights. The red shoes with bows are actually part of the tights, so we don't even have to strap on shoes to have her dressed head to toe in seasonal finery!

I can't wait to get her first Christmas photos taken in this adorable outfit. It won't matter if she doesn't have any hair if she's wearing that sweet hat, will it?

For more casual gatherings, Miss Rachel Shu-Ting will be a vision of loveliness in this sweet top with embroidered snowflakes.
She also received two nice books. -- a collection of readings for 1-year-olds, and her very own copy of "Goodnight, Moon." Each person had written a little note to Rachel in the front of "Goodnight, Moon," which will make it that much more special for me in the years to come as we read it over . . . and over . . . and over.

And I can't wait to see her in these bright red corduroy pants. According to the label, they are "boot cut." Don't you love the litle hearts along the bottom and on the back pockets? The details don't show up as well as I'd like in the photos, but trust me, she will be stylin' in these cords.


And at the end of the day, when she's ready to go to sleep, little Ting Ting will still be able to make a statement with these lovely jammies.

I'm blessed to work with such a wonderful group of people. The uncertainty of the past year has been tough on me, and that made the situation difficult for them as well. But they were as excited as anyone when I got that call. They even conspired to get me out of my office that afternoon for just a few minutes so they could string up, "It's a girl" banners, tie pink balloons to my chair and hang up some festive garlands.

I can't wait to bring Rachel by to meet them one day soon -- you know she'll be well-dressed for the occasion!