A year ago this week we returned from our fabulous honeymoon on Maui. We both returned to work and got back into the swing of things. I always had a long list of housekeeping type things in my head that I needed to do now that I was married: get new driver’s license, change name at social security office, change name at bank, get joint accounts, change name on insurance.

I can’t tell you the last time I saw my mom on Mother’s Day. It always makes me a little sad that I don’t ever get to celebrate my love and appreciation for her in person because we live so far apart.

This Mother’s Day she and my dad are on an Alaskan Cruise and then going to Los Angeles for a couple of days. Must be nice!

We have always had a very special relationship and I can see a lot of her in me. I can also see a lot of my dad in me. I remember a big argument that we had back when I was in high school and I asked her why she couldn’t just be my friend. Her response was, “Because I’m your mother. I’m not here to be your friend.” And she was right at the time.

But now things are completely different. I go to her with everything and she is my best friend. I still need advice and I ask her. If it’s decorating advice or relationship advice, I go to her. She is an amazing woman of God and I learn from her every day. Her patience and desire to give and provide for everyone she comes in contact with are truly inspirational.

She is the first person I call when something funny happens or I’m upset about something that happened at work. I know she’s always going to listen and because we’re so similar, she’s going to give me a response that either makes me laugh or gets me fired up! I’m sure she is driven crazy by the insane amount of times I call her every day.

So here’s to all of the mothers out there!

Do y’all see the pregnancy ticker right up there? Right above this post? Does it really say 35 weeks and 0 days today?

Just a little FYI: there is no way that I’m going to be pregnant for five more weeks. I’m not going to show you a picture of me to prove it, but I’m freakin’ huge. I know, I know. I’m going to get bigger. There’s just a really big baby in there already.

I go for my 35 week appointment tomorrow and the only big event happening at that time is my Group B Strep test. Awesome. Some of these routine pregnancy things are really disgusting and I’m so glad that our wonderful nurse at the child-birth class told us about this test because I would be in for a world of surprise tomorrow at my appointment if she hadn’t.

My normal routine for going to the doctor is 1) check in at the front desk, 2) walk down the hall where Todd waits in the “Waiting Womb” and I go to leave a urine sample, 3) go in to have my blood pressure checked and weigh in. Right now, I’ve gained about 35 pounds. There, it’s in writing for everyone to see. I’m sure, by the end it will be at least 40 pounds. Oh well.

TMI alert: (stop reading if you don’t want to know a little too much about me)

On the way to the doctor’s office every time I’m thinking to myself, “I don’t even have to pee. How am I going to leave a urine sample?” Then as soon as I step into the restroom and lock the door, I feel like I’m going to wet my pants.

I start doing the pee pee dance and frantically try to unwrap the plastic wrap around the plastic cup and then pull down the giant maternity pants. There’s always a little bit of a question in my mind about my aim and if I’ll actually make it into the cup, but there was never a problem. Until the last visit.

My stomach has gotten so big that it’s physically difficult for me to hold the cup in the line of fire and make it around my belly. The toilet at the doctor’s office stands up really tall, but because I’m so “front heavy” I’m always afraid the gravity is going to pull me forward onto my face while I’m trying to balance and hold the cup in the correct position. So at my last visit, I really had to go. I miraculously made it into the cup, but as I was pulling the cup back up, I hit my belly, stumbled, and dropped the entire cup in the toilet. Toilet water filled the remainder of the cup and my “sample” was ruined.

The worst part was that I had to retrieve the cup from the toilet so I could throw it away. Then I had to ask for a bottle of water so I could “try again” at the end of my appointment. Of course I didn’t tell them why I was unsuccessful on my first try. I’m sure I’ve psyched myself out now and I’ll struggle with this for my next four visits. Lovely. It’s a good thing they have amazing soap and scalding water in those restrooms.

I am co-hosting a bridal shower for one of my best friends. She is getting married in Charlotte on August 1 and I am beyond happy for her!

Her shower is in Charlotte, too, a few days before my due date, so I’m only hoping that the baby hangs in there for a few more days so I can actually be there for the shower. Because I wasn’t positive how much I could help on the day of the shower, I volunteered to coordinate the invitations.

We decided that we wanted to do a picnic theme shower in yellow and navy. Then Ashley Brooke Designs found me.

Remember when I hosted the giveaway for Ashley? Well, I decided I had to not only have something for me, but I was so inspired by her Kentucky Derby themed invitations, that I knew that Christina’s shower invitations had to be done by Ashley!

I sent her the following images for inspiration that I found on Once Wed via Chelsea Fuss.

And a few hours later, Ashley sent this to me:

The drawing looks just like my friend and the invitation fits the inspiration perfectly! I can’t wait for the shower! Thanks, Ashley!