our baby shower was on Sunday!

and yes, true to my love for Bart (our pet cactus), the shower was cactus-inspired. my little sister Felicia and my mother threw me the shower and everything was a surprise, I just picked the theme! when I arrived, everything was setup and my guests had already started arriving! we had the party in a private room in our apartment building (so convenient, right?!)

it was the perfect day celebrating this little baby boy – and the shower was ‘Jack and Jill’, meaning, we invited both men and women! I preferred that over a women-only shower, because after all, this baby is both part Lu and part Ali, so why not celebrate together? it was much more festive that way, I thought! as my grandmother always says, “The men bring the party!”

and I felt like a million bucks in this $40 dress I found on ASOS! I paired it with my go-to suede mules from GAP, and a pair of tassel earrings from Bauble Bar.

and I now love having photos of some of our closest friends together with this baby boy in my belly that I can share with him some day! here are some of my favorites from the day – friends AND family:

Lu’s family came all the way from Puerto Rico to celebrate!

and my parents came up from Florida!

and we’re so glad to have our best and closest friends there!

all of these ladies have been my friend since elementary school (except for the girl second in on the right – she’s my best friend from college/my roommate since freshman year!)

and Lu’s first friend when he moved to NJ from Puerto Rico was Scott, and they’re still best friends to this day, and now Katie and Scott have become my favorite people too!

True to the fiesta theme, we had a taco bar, provided by Hamilton Pork, one of Lu and I’s favorite restaurants in Jersey City (if you live in the area, make sure you check them out!) – and it came with ALL the fixings!

and of course, cactus cookies that my best friends made and brought!

here are some of the other details:

and then at the end, Lu and I tried to take some cute photos together, but we’re still trying to nail down the whimsical kiss photo!

and we sent everyone home with a succulent to plant and grow on their own!

I woke up with so much love in my heart, and now let the 7 week countdown begin! I’m 33 weeks this Wednesday, eek! time to pack that diaper bag, go to our prenatal classes, and get the apartment 100% ready for the baby boy.

all photos by Erin Dwyer Photography.