Surprise Picnic Baby Shower

Can it get any better than this? My dear friends at work planned a secret picnic baby shower for me!

They hooked me with an email request to a gang of us to go to lunch at Moe's Southwest Grill -- just about my favorite lunch spot -- they know me too well. So my buddy A.K. and some of our interns snag me, but I was going to drive separately since I had to run an errand. Although this put them in a tizzy, they covered well and insisted I follow A.K.'s car. Moe's is like 1 mile away, and as you now know, I am VERY well aquainted with how to get there. So I said "Follow you? Why? Do you think I'm going to get lost?"

Next thing I know adorable interns Amanda and Liz come running after me: "Can we ride with you? A.K.'s car is too messy." So they start getting me to chat about stuff, while we're following A.K. down the road. I start to turn towards Moe's, but A.K. doesn't. Quickly, Amanda says "Oh, we found a shortcut. Follow A.K." I'm thinking ... a shortcut past the turnoff to Moe's? But I follow.

I stop for a yellow light. A.K. didn't. She pulls off the road to wait for me. Then she keeps going and going and going. So Amanda's saying "Oh, I remember, A.K. had to drop something off!" Next thing I know, we're turning in to Oak Hollow Lake and this cute little park, and there's everyone from the office with a picnic lunch in the shade by the lake. Is that not the cutest thing? Here take a look:

So, since I have gestational diabetes, Mary Leigh and Aleasha and the girls planned foods I could eat, even making me a special cake that had 15g of carbs per serving with sugar-free cool whip frosting!

But here's the really cool part. They all think it's really hard to surprise me and thought I MUST have known something was going on. On Monday, I gave Mary Leigh a picnic basket I found out in the garage when I was looking for Tory's old baby clothes. I knew I would never use it and she collects them, so I gave it to her. I remember she was acting weird about it. "Why are you giving me a PICNIC BASKET?!" but just thought she was surprised and wondering if there was some occasion. She thought I knew about the party and was playing with her. Then when I asked Aleasha yesterday about doing a lunch for a coworker next Wednesday, she snatched up her Treo to make sure I couldn't see calendar information about my shower or get any other clues. She says I barely missed seeing her with pink balloons and a present when I was coming in to work. Then when I didn't ride in A.K.'s car today -- she thought I knew for sure and was giving her a hard time on purpose! When they found out I was totally clueless and totally surprised, there was a report that they all felt a certain sense of triumph.

I just felt a certain sense of gratitude that I have such good friends who would go to such lengths to throw such a special party. I know I will never forget it.

Sugar, Sugar

I used to wake up to my local AM station playing Adult Contemporary hits as a kid. The radio was in my parents' room, but we had it loud enough to provide background music to get ready. One song the morning DJ loved to play back in the 70's was The Archies' "Sugar, Sugar" which suited me fine since I also enjoyed the Saturday morning cartoon.

But now I am on a hunt for sugar. Or rather, on a hunt to find food without sugar. And carbs. Gestational diabetes is back in the picture for me on baby two, so I'm upping protein, lowering carbs, and AVOIDING sugar. It's not that its hard exactly. Read the labels, make smart choices, use Splenda. Follow the special diet -- the hardest part is eating all the snacks I'm supposed to eat, while checking my blood sugar at the right times at work. Which always happens to be during a meeting with a client or in the middle of a conference call.

Things I snuck into my diet: Low Carb Breyers Ice Cream Bars. These things are pretty yummy for just 9g of carbs! Sugar Free fruit bars from Edy's -- tasty! Things I have to add to my diet: more protein!

A snack before bedtime is supposed to be something like ice cream, right? My nutritionist suggested I eat protein at this time. "You could have a little rolled up piece of ham or roast beef, some string cheese, too. And have some carbs, like 4 Triscuits." I like party food as much as the next guy, but I'm not sure I'm ready to eat some ham and Triscuits at 10:00pm. It's surely a smart snack for someone in my condition, but the thought of nibbling on some ham before bed just doesn't do much for me.

Which brings me back to the song that's stuck in my head:

"Oh, honey!
Oh, Sugar, Sugar
You are my candy, girl
And you got me wanting you ..."

I'm at the point where the Tums I've been ordered to eat for extra calcium to avoid leg cramps are a true delicacy because they have 2g of carbs from sugar! Do try the Cocoa N Creme Smoothies if you get the chance!