The trappings for this baby shower were like those held for any expecting mother: fruit salads, balloons, tables meticulously covered with clothes and cut sunflowers in vases.
But the luncheon held in Chicago on Tuesday was about more than loading up the guests of honor with blankets and cakes fashioned out of diapers. It was about thanking the 40 wives of military men for dealing with pregnancy while their husbands serve during wartime, said LeAnn Morrissey, the founder of the group that hosted the party.
“We’re looking for moms that we can help who might be going through a little extra stress during the pregnancy,” Morrissey said.
Tuesday marked Operation Shower’s first event in Chicago, and moms from around the city and surrounding states dined on BLTs and goblets of sparkling juice and given armfuls of onesies, diapers, crib blankets, teething rings, tote bags and more. A highlight of the party, at the Northern Trust headquarters, was the distribution of a “shower in a box” to each mom. Each box, big enough that it had to be carried in both arms, contained at least $500 worth of goodies for a newborn.
“It’s literally everything that a mom should receive at a baby shower,” Morrissey said.
Some of the guests of honor have husbands who are overseas, while the spouses of others were gone during parts of the pregnancy and are home now but carrying burdens related to their service.
For 23-year-old Hazel Jana of Hayward, Wis., 21 weeks pregnant with her first child, the gifts were a welcome way to get started with the huge task of preparing for her baby, due by the end of the year, she said. Her husband, Jacob, an Army combat engineer, has been in Afghanistan since November but is expected to return during her last trimester, she said. Jana smiled when she won a tower of diapers in a raffle during the party but became somber when asked about her situation at home.
“We’re getting through it,” Jana said, wiping away tears with her lunch napkin. “Him not being here to go to appointments and watch our baby grow.”
Many of the moms attended the luncheon with their own mothers or with recently born sons or daughters on their laps. Organizers for the shower also invited women with military husbands whose children were three months or younger, and pregnant women whose husbands may be at home but were injured or wounded while deployed.
Kelly Abbott, of Lake in the Hills, who is 31/2 months pregnant, fell into the latter category. She said it’s helpful for military moms to meet each other and get the chance to talk about their situations.
“They can sit around and tell stories and they can understand,” Abbott said. “I remember friends, when they had their babies, and how hard it was. It’s really nice that they actually do this.”
The parties and gifts are funded by sponsorships and other donations organized by Operation Shower, Morrissey’s nonprofit group based in St. Louis. Aside from the gifts, an important part of the event is making the families feel appreciated, she said.
“It’s not just the product and what they take home with them, but just to hear from the sponsors, from the individuals, ‘Thank you,'” Morrissey said.