maternity shoot

a few weeks ago, a friend talked me into taking maternity photos. i was skeptical at first, worried they'd turn out too cheesy and wondering what the heck i'd do with a bunch of pictures of myself, anyway. in the end i gave in, with one exception: no bare belly!

luckily my friend is an incredible photographer and made the whole process seem very natural and easy. she captured so many candid moments of jeff and me looking overjoyed and excited about the little person we've created. 

it's the first time i've seen this happiness frozen in a snapshot. 

now i'm thankful to have the photos, not because i want to look back at the size of my tummy or the style of my maternity clothes, but because i always want to remember how insanely happy i am at this moment in time.

 

my baby shower

last weekend, three of my best girlfriends threw me the best baby shower i’ve ever had. (it’s the only baby shower i’ve ever had, but still. it was the best!) we played games, ate homemade red velvet cake, sipped white wine—well, not all of us sipped white wine—and caught up on each other’s busy lives. one of my friends brought her five-week-old baby girl, so i got some good practice holding and rocking her. (note to self: lift weights and get buff before baby arrives. babies are hea-vy.)

we played the guess-which-type-of-chocolate-is-melted-in-the-diaper game, when everyone takes turns observing, sniffing and even nibbling the poopy-looking chocolate in the diapers to determine what it is. ew! we also played guess-how-big-mama’s-tummy-is. almost everyone guessed too big.

baby-to-be got a hot-pink tutu (so stinkin’ cute!), a winnie the pooh bathrobe and slippers, a ton of onesies, some extra-soft blankets and rattles, ruffly socks, a pink nike hoodie-and-pant set, a plaid christmas dress, a juicy couture suit, a sophie the giraffe teether, and so much more! i can’t wait to see her in all of her new adorable outfits.

thank you monica, emily and alexa for throwing such a wonderful shower. and thank you, liz, for these beautiful photos!

gender reveal!

i suppose most soon-to-be parents learn of their baby’s gender during an ultrasound, after the doctor asks if they want to know the sex. others find out on the day of their child’s birth, after their brand-new baby takes its first breath and reveals its boy or girl parts.

people like us? we find out with cupcakes.

yes, cupcakes. 

you may be wondering how a cupcake can reveal gender. just take a look...

thank you, liz, for the beautiful party!