They say it takes a village to raise a child but I've never had one until now and I must say, my village definitely showed up for my baby shower!

I've heard that the 3rd trimester can feel like a drag but on the day of my baby shower, I was up early and ready to go. My make up appointment was at 10am with V who did a fabulous job. My face was naturally beat! I loved it! Thanks again V!

PHOTOS BY LUCAS-MURRAY PHOTOGRAPHY

I whipped my hair up into a high, braided bun and felt like I had an instant facelift, LOL. I was ready! We headed towards the event location but unbeknownst to me, my husband was instructed to stall me. I was getting upset because I didn't want to be late! We ran some last minute errands which got me EVEN MORE UPSET! Like... why am I purchasing juice at the supermarket when I'm supposed to be in my Luxe suite (aka the nursery room), getting dressed?!

Woosahhh...

An hour later, we arrived and I was anxious to get into my custom made Hadassador gown. I must say, when I went for my fitting, I was panicking because even though we had a vision, I was unsure it would be executed the way I saw it in my mind. Hadassa has never disappointed me before and she sure did deliver the day of my baby shower. I looked like a pregnant fairytale princess!! Do you see the details on this dress?

I was too excited. I couldn't get myself to sit down while I waited for my cue to come downstairs. My girl, Zakiya aka Lucas-Murray Photography distracted me with am impromptu photo shoot.

Finally!

I heard the host announce my arrival so I skipped down the stairs, forgetting just how pregnant I was, with the assistance of my husband, of course. As we walked into the room, we were greeted with a standing ovation. I was overwhelmed with love and appreciation so I blew kisses to the crowd. [Side bar, I need to give contacts a shot again because everyones faces were a blur, LOL! I was not about to ruin this ensemble with my glasses.] I couldn't believe how many people came out to celebrate and usher us into parenthood.

I was super psyched to see my JennyJam (you remember her from our work out videos, right?) who came all the way from Cali to celebrate with me just before running off to assist with her own sister's baby shower. #TrueFriends xoxo.

My fellow fashion blogger babes Cindy aka OhSoCocoa and Lissa from I Am Plus came to slay as per usual! Friends from childhood, high school, college and new ones were there to offer their love, support and parental advise.

The Ambiance

I was seated on my custom park bench and was finally able to take in the decor. It was as if my Pinterest board came to life and beyond! Lucha from Designed by Lu outdid herself. I gave her the theme "Olivia's Garden Baby Shower" and she transformed this plain off-white room into just that. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much and my eyes ran ramped around the room admiring every detail like a kid in a candy store. See for yourself!

Brunch and Munch

As a West-Indian, I was tired of every event being filled with 3 types of rice, 4 types of meat, barely any greens and an overflowing abundance of starch so I decided to make my shower a brunch.

We started off with Haitian patties and danishes baked by Chef LeBlanc, (no, not me, my dad... he's a pastry chef), a traditional appetizer we eat call bouche and some fresh fruits. For the main course, my guests had a choice of either chicken and waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, eggs with turkey bacon and sausage, meat lasagna or veggie lasagna (I couldn't forget my veghead friends and fam). The 1st 2 choices were freshly made by Chef Vee in the kitchen as the guests arrived. So good!!

In addition there were 3 sides, potato salad, mesclun salad and seafood salad (which my God-mother apparently put her foot in). We had my favorite permissible bubbly at every table, Trader Joe's Sparkling Pink Lemonade. And of course there was tea, coffee, orange and cranberry juices. Nice and simple.

For dessert, we cut my beautiful garden cake by Chef LeBlanc, had some tasty cupcakes from Chef Jeff (thanks again love) and molded chocolate lollipops. Our goodie bags were a variety of gourmet cookies by Chef LeBlanc. Apparently, I also had a cheesecake with strawberry toppings that my dad made for me but I never saw or tasted it, LOL. I guess his treats speaks for themselves.

Men in Diapers...

To be honest, I don't like the games played at baby showers because they're pretty redundant. Guess the size of the belly, guess the gender, etc. BUT my host Kervens, pulled out a game I had never seen before and it was my favorite. 5 couples had to race against each other as one significant other helped the other into their adult diapers, run back to their seat and the big baby had to crawl back to them. Hilarious!

The rest of the event was spent playing more games, taking selfies with my SnapChat Baby Shower geofilters, dancing to the great DJ E Bless' mix, eating, laughing and...

How could I forget the tear jerking speech my father gave?! I wonder if anyone recorded it. He talked about how, as a newborn, I would cry and drive my mom nuts but the moment he'd come home and put me on his chest, I'd be sound asleep! I hope my daughter doesn't do that to me, LOL. Then he advised that I love my husband and child equally, making time for both their needs and never allowing one to push me over the other. Thanks for everything dad! I love you! XOXO

My Utmost Gratitude

To everyone who played a part in making this day possible, whether you contributed your time, energy, resources, support, service and more, THANK YOU. We are so grateful to call you our village. Your outpour of love has reassured us that we will raise a wonderful child. God bless you all! XOXOXO