Pregnancy Photos

We had some professional maternity pictures taken about two months ago. It had been something I really wanted to have done, being that this is most likely my last pregnancy. And it just seemed special, being that it is our first boy and both of my girls could be in the photos with me (as well as Richard of course!!). I was nervous to have them done because I can't remember the last time I had professional photos taken where I was the main subject! But I was worried for nothing because the whole experience turned out to be really fun. The photographer I found was really nice and put us at ease right away. She is a young mother herself so she knows what it's like to be pregnant as well as raise a family. She has a studio downtown that we went to for the shoot and I am so happy with how the pictures turned out. I got to choose ten photos (she ended up giving me eleven!) to have the copyrights to and print as many as I choose. I also received a 10x10 collage with four photos. After all that I ended up going back and ordering prints of two photos that I didn't get the copyrights to. I can't put them up on this blog because, like I said, I don't have the copyrights to them, but I am glad to have the prints at least. They were photos I thought I might regret not having in some form someday. One is a really sweet one of Calli hugging my belly and the other is a family photo.

Anyhow, here are the pictures! I think I also got them done just in time. It wasn't long after that I started feeling huge and uncomfortable. I had reached the point where I didn't feel "cute" pregnant anymore and just felt "beached whale-like" pregnant. Despite the hardships of pregnancy (and yes, there are many!!) you can't deny that it is such a magical and special time. After all, I am growing a life here! Just saying that makes me feel as if I have been given some important job, even though half the world's population also takes on this job. So anyway, it is really nice that we all have this photo shoot to remember this truly special time in our lives. I would never regret getting the photos done, but I am sure if I hadn't there would have come a day when I would have wished we did them. And I just didn't want that to happen. Pregnancy definitely isn't beautiful all the time, but looking at some of these photos I do feel like I was beautiful; whether that's thanks to the new hair color I had done the night before, the lighting in the studio, the photographer's angles or the slight airbrushing she did afterward, I am not sure. I also see just how beautiful our little girls really are. We are going to have some difficult teenage years ahead of us with them dating! They probably could have used a big brother to keep an eye on them, but hopefully baby brother will help out someday too ;)

Family photo. I love this because it is so unique from any other family photo you see out there. It's untraditional and that's why I love it. Serena was also more comfortable in the outdoors setting. She is not one to enjoy getting her photo taken and I think being in a studio with bright lights and cameras doesn't put her fears at ease. But being outside with her family, where there is just one small camera pointed at her, she gave us some smiles!

This shot is so sweet. I love how they are both looking toward my belly and how Calli is poking it as if to say "Baby brother, are you in there?"
Neither the photographer nor I remember getting this shot, but somehow she managed to capture us all looking down at our bellies at the same time!

This picture is just priceless. A mommy and her girls, what could be more perfect?

After Calli and Daddy left the set Serena wasn't exactly happy. So we didn't get any smiles from her but I do love this photo. Her eyes look so big and blue and you just want to kiss those chubby little cheeks! She has another ponytail in on the other side, but it's somehow hidden, which is really funny!

Calli just looks so sweet and innocent in this picture

This is the eleventh photo that my photographer threw in for me. We had trouble narrowing it down to ten. We got down to eleven finally and I couldn't decide which picture to throw out. I knew I couldn't pay the $125 for copyrights to one photo so I would have to choose. Richard had said "don't get any of me" but I didn't feel right leaving him out. After all, it may be my pregnancy, but it is his baby growing in there too after all! So finally my photographer just told me she would throw in the last image for me because even she wouldn't have been able to decide. So thank you so much to her!!

I love this shot of our hands on my belly. It's priceless.

Love this photo

I really love this one and how it is in black and white

The photos she took on the couch were the "modeling" shots. This one was my favorite.

And obviously this isn't part of the professional set, but here I am last night, nearly 40 weeks pregnant and ready to pop! Come out baby, we are ready to meet you!