Hi, all! (Emily here.) A big thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU to Katie Bomar for all of EOH’s amazing blog posts and keeping us current on Facebook! We at EOH are definitely a team and we are so thankful for sweet Katie B! I’m inserting a little post here while Katie is getting back from some sunny days at the beach.

So, what am I going to show you?… photos of me in all my pregnancy glory!! Y’all, I was swollen everywhere, and I mean eve-ry-where! My head was bigger, my glasses fit tight, puffy lips, nose, toes, booty… you name it. So, why wouldn’t I show you all these pics!?! I’m actually proud of these pics of me in my swollen state because of the little bundle inside. Our baby girl is now six months old. Yikes!!! {More pics of her 2 mo. photo-shoot coming soon in a birth-announcement post!}

Pregnancy was hard for this gal. And, I don’t mean the occasional nausea and heartburn accompanied by some pain and discomfort while walking. Nope. I’m talking about the daily, hourly, every deep breath type of discomfort. If you’re reading this and you can relate to my experience then hear me say, “I’ve been there, girl.” It is so hard, but you are going to get to hold that precious baby soon.

But, I totally feel you and I’m not going to say, “Oh, but you’ll just forget all about that nausea as soon as you see your baby.” Here’s the deal, I totally remember it! But, I will say that nothing compares to holding your child close to your chest and singing sweet songs into their ear as they slowly drift off to dream. All of that to say, I was VERY aware of baby girl the whole time I was pregnant. It’s like she was constantly saying, “You better get ready to pay attention to me because, ready or not, HERE I COME!!!”

So…what does every mama need while growing and growing in lbs (and confusion!) with all that is happening to her body? A celebration! A party. A gathering. A time to shower her with gifts of love and encouragement. A you-can-do-it/you-are-almost-there party!

The best showers are the ones that speak to exactly what that one, individual mama needs. Let her know that she’s known by throwing her a shower that speaks her language of love most clearly. My closest and dearest knew that I needed a couples shower – men and women – since my hub had been through the ringer with all my pains. He needed to be celebrated, too! And, in case you’ve never been to one, there is a way to throw a fun shower for gals AND GUYS. There was beer for the non-preggy folks (hint: beer…guys now like baby showers), lots of sweets (yum!), dear friends (the best gift), my fam that came in town (love) and gifts upon gifts that were graciously given and genuinely needed.

We could not live without our family + community, not just because of their kind gifts, but much more importantly because of their faithful support and the joy they bring us! Enjoy the pics and click here for some super fun baby shower ideas! We would LOVE to help you celebrate that swollen (or that random, lucky, not-so-swollen) mama-to-be in your life.

EOH would be honored to help you celebrate the mamas and babies in your community! Please click here for sweet + personal baby shower invitations! Choose from our collection or contact us to design a custom creation to perfectly fit your mama’s style. We would be happy to alter the color, motif, or wording on any of our designs!

A special thanks to Camille Blinn for these maternity photos, which she took while she was preggers! Great job, Camille! Love the way your photos have so much natural light and warmth! Check out Camille’s work here!