In just five short weeks, our family will be completed. One last little #miniminnick will enter our lives.
I’ve never been one to have maternity photos taken of myself with my previous pregnancies, and honestly, wasn’t fully on board with hopping in front of the camera this time either. I bought a dress on a whim about two months ago, and let it sit in the closet of my office until yesterday, when my dear friend Jordin talked me into putting it on. We left our kiddies with the hubster, and went to the grocery store to pick up some flowers, then drove until we found a field. My gas light was on, and a part of me prayed the car would die before finding a location!
Now that my session is over with and I am still breathing, I suppose I can admit I am glad I agreed to it. This will be the last time I will ever have a baby belly. My last bun in the oven. Even after only a few short hours of having maternity photos done, I know that had I not, I would have regret it.
I’m a photographer and I know the importance and the value of having photos. Because, face it, our memories fade. But trust when I tell you, I did not want to have my maternity photos taken! Regardless of people telling me how cute I am as an expecting mother, or how I possess that glow of pregnancy, I just feel…gross. My face is covered in zits, my skin tones are uneven, and even though my belly is full of a growing baby, I feel fat. I have a double chin, my wedding rings don’t fit my fingers and have to be worn around my neck. My hair doesn’t sit right, and my heartburn (although unseen by my friends) is raging and extremely uncomfortable. The last thing I wanted to do was document all of this. I have never been one to push anyone into taking photos they didn’t want to take for whatever reason (pregnant or not), but this session was definitely a lesson learned for me. Looking at these photos, I realize how beautiful this miracle of a fat, zit covered, red-toned, kankle sportin’, heart-burnin’ body really is.
And I feel beautiful. There will never be another version of me like this one.
Five weeks. I still haven’t been able to fully wrap my head around it. In just five weeks, I will be the mother of three – three – kids. Most people think I’m nuts to be so anxious about this, but three kids really seems overwhelming to me…
And I know it will be. My life will be overwhelmed with love. And I will be overwhelmed with happiness.
And I will look back on these photos and tell my former self thank you. Thank you for not being a pansy and getting in front of that camera. Thank you for deciding to dive into a third baby. Thank you for being…you.
If you are ever wanting to have photos done for whatever reason (it’s been six years since our last family photo!) but have your own insecurities as to why not to do it, please don’t let that be a deterrent – pregnant or not. Photos really are important. Capturing memories – moments in time – are priceless. Life is too short and your world changes so quickly. Don’t let it slip by. Realize how beautiful life – AND YOU – really are.
In case anyone is interested, my gown was purchased from Sew Trendy Accessories. It is the Miriam gown, and is super lovely.
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