The One About where I was Surprised...

The weekend started as we'd planned, with a shopping trip to the Trafford Centre after work on Friday for some Christmas shopping.  We had thought that it would be quieter than going on Saturday or Sunday, but actually it was still really busy, but even so we got lots done.

Saturday morning we did the weekly shop, ready for when our friends came up.  It was planned for A & N to come up for the weekend.  Unfortunately N was really poorly and stayed in London, but A came up on the train by himself instead.  M had wanted to show him the Christmas Markets in Manchester, so went to pick him up at the train station, then parked up and went round the markets.  It was so busy with so many people, and I got a bit claustrophobic.  But I got what I went for (secret Christmas surprises, can't share it yet) and M & A tried the sausages off the markets, and I had some mini-pancakes.  (Have I mentioned previously that I've got quite a thing for pancakes at the moment, sometimes I wonder whether Baby will come out wanting pancakes rather than milk!)

When it started to rain, M said 'we'd better get home before the rain starts to get too heavy'.  This was quite plausible to me, and given that I was shattered from all the walking about, I was quite happy to call it a day, and head home to curl up on the sofa with m hot water bottle.  Little did I know that there were other plans afoot.....

On coming out of the car park it was one way and we had to go a completely different way to the way M wanted, and he ended up not knowing what he was, so I had to navigate us home using the sat nav on his phone.  He was getting into a bit of a panic about it, and I kept saying 'it doesn't matter, it's not like we have to be back for anything, and you know I like magical mystery tours' trying to calm him down a bit.  He seemed set on getting home for his cup of tea of all things!

Anyway. we found our way home, parked up, and M unlicked the house, turned the livig room light on,  and in I went.  The first thing hat I noticed was that the dining room light was on, which was strange because M is so keen to turn lights off when we're not using them.  Then all of a sudden all I heard was 'Surprise'!  And got the biggest shock of my life!  Because in my living room was my mum, Marks mum, my sister and three of my friends!

They had put together a surprise Baby Shower for me!  Somehow I'd managed to walk past all of their cars outside, and the balloons without even noticing them!

My sister and M had organised it all between themselves and apparently it had been in the planning since August!  IT was only afterwards that other little things made more sense, like why M had received a text from my sister earlier that day, but wouldn't let me read it, and why he was in such a panic about getting us home!  Apparently my sister had them all sitting in the dark for 20minutes waiting for us to arrive home!  M had texted to say how long we would be, but because of our little detour we were late!

My sister had decorated with balloons and ribbons, and put a pretty banner up, and had been baking all morning, with her sister in law making all sorts of chocolatey cakes (I discovered later thats what the the text had been about!).

Everyone had been really generous and brought pressies, (even N who couldn't make it and sent pressie with A, which was really lovely) and so I spent ages opening them all, (by the way the boys had taken themselves off to the pub after they'd got me settled in) with my Mum and sister on camera duty!

Then it was on to the food in the dining room, and showing people round the bits of the house that had been done up since they'd last been over.  Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to play any of the games that my sister had put together, that were all baby related.  I've been told there was baby Taboo, and a quiz as well where you guess who the celebrity baby is from the clues that were given.  Then all too soon everyone had to go home.  It was so lovely to see everyone together, and in particular to see my friend C who I'd not seen since her wedding in February.  It was such a shame that N couldn't make it, and my friend J couldn't come either as her little boys both had tonsillitis.  But I know that I will be seeing both of them soon :)