I put all of the entries into a random number generator. Those of you that posted your baby and/or back to school pictures got a second entry. I loved looking at your pictures! So much fun!

And the winner is… Julia from My Life in Transition!

The other good news is that everyone is a winner because you can get free shipping at Monograms and More until August 28. Click on the button below to visit the website and entire the coupon code “FALL SHIP” at checkout!

Happy shopping!

A friend of mine has an adorable business called Monograms and More and she sells the cutest gifts and monogrammed outfits to babies and kids.

To celebrate the back to school season and the upcoming arrivals of Lyndsey’s baby Addison, Emily’s baby Cate, and another former blogger’s baby boy, we’re doing a giveaway!

The winner will receive a choice of a baby gift or a back to school shirt with a maximum value of $28. So go shop around on Monograms and More. If you don’t have a kiddo in your life, be thinking about your next baby shower or birthday party of your best friend’s child that you will be attending.

Here are some of my favorite items:

To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me which item you’d want most.

For a second entry, we’re going to have a little bit of fun. If you have a blog, do a post with either your favorite baby photo or your favorite school yearbook photo. Be sure to let me know in my comments that you’re posting your photos.

ETA: Deadline to enter is August 20 at noon. The winner will be announced on August 21.

For some laughs, I’ve done both. Here’s a picture of me at 3 months old– just a couple of weeks older than Hudson is right now– and my 3rd grade picture. I’m pretty sure I was considered “not cute at all” once I hit 4th grade and those teeth came in.

yes, my ears were huge. they still are, but fortunately my head has gotten bigger and my hair is longer.

So get moving! I’d love to see your old pictures!

Isn’t the last day of vacation so depressing? My dad has been saying all morning how sad he is. I haven’t spent much time down at the beach because of my first day sunburn, but it has been nice to just be here and be away from the house.

My parents have been such an amazing help this week and I know it will be sad to see them go again. We’ve been eating at the condo most nights since we’ve been here, but this weekend I got out to go catch up on my movies. I’ve missed going to the movies all summer, so I was excited to go see The Proposal and Julie and Julia this weekend.

Last night, we decided to take Hudson down to the beach and then go to a little area with lots of outdoor entertainment and ice cream. Hudson did fine for about 45 minutes then he was just upset and was inconsolable. We hopped in our rental mini van and came on back to the condo.

He has been such a trooper. He’s such a big boy that I often forget that he’s only 2 months old. I’m sure he’s ready to get on home to see his Daddy. I plan to spend our last day at the beach watching more HGTV, spending a little bit of time on the beach, and packing.

… my final wedding dress fitting? No, I didn’t tell it then because I was so humiliated, but I’m telling it now. Something about having a baby takes all of your shame away.

I purchased my wedding dress from the most charming and beautiful little shop in Highland Park Village in Dallas called Warren Barron Bridal. I honestly think that if I had not found my dream dress there, I still would have bought my dress there because I was so impressed by the gals that own the store, Elle Warren and Cecelia Barron. You’ve heard Kate mention them before, too, I’m sure.

I came back to Dallas about four times after I bought the dress for various fittings and I had my final fitting at the end of April in 2008. My dress had a pretty snug bodice with all of that boning and I was standing there wearing my seriously awesome gold wedding shoes. The fantastic seamstress was crouched on the floor working on my hem while my mom and the girls were hemming and hawing.

All of a sudden I got really hot. The noise around me (my mom’s loud laughing) starting to sound muffled and I got tunnel vision. In my wedding dress. Finally, I said, “I’ve got to sit down. I feel dizzy.”

They let me sit down and brought me some water. They told me to put my head between my knees. So I’m sitting there in my dream dress… my HUGE dream dress… with my head between my knees and dripping in sweat. Someone pulled my hair off my neck while someone else held a cold water bottle to the back of my neck.

I started to feel better. Then I felt worse. I just knew I was going to be sick. But this is horrible. I’m in a gorgeous bridal salon, wearing a gorgeous gown, and I’m about to have to ask them where their restroom is so I can go puke.

What?!

What if it gets on the dress? What if I don’t make it to the bathroom? What if they tell everyone who ever comes to buy a dress in here?

So I told them. “I’m going to be sick.”

The girls came up with a plan to hurry me to the dressing room. One of them would strip the dress and my super snug bustier off while the other held up a robe and put the robe on me. Then they would rush me to the restroom.

So that’s what we did and it worked.

My mom came in there and held my hair and told me not to be embarrassed. She was sure it happened all the time. Right.

When I got back out there we decided to take breaks and let me sit down every once in a while. But I have to say that I was completely freaked out on my wedding day that it was going to happen again– only this time in front of 180 people. Fortunately for all of us, that did not happen.

I hope I’ve sufficiently made you laugh rather than gross you out on this lovely Friday afternoon.