Family Maternity Photos

Photos by Beth Grimm

In a week (yes, a WEEK) I get to meet my daughter. My daughter. I get to have a daughter. I honestly didn’t think I would get lucky enough to have one. Truly. After Bennett was born, and how much fun we’ve had figuring out how to raise a boy. I honestly thought you know, this is probably it and we are going to have all the boys. Right!? So when we found out we were having a girl, I was SO EXCITED! In shock, and relieved too. As this pregnancy has been WAY different than Bennett’s! And you guys might recall from this blog post. I definitely got my energy back in the second trimester, man that trimester is THE BEST! But, now that we are at the very tale end, your girl is TIRED. Like, I fell asleep on 7:30pm on a Friday. K. Like, how is that even possible!? Oh and on Sunday, I fell asleep after church (just like B) until almost 4! I guess I should be thankful my body is soaking up as much sleep as possible before she arrives. But, man, I was reallllly hoping to knock out way more things before she’s here. And just like that she’s not even here and she’s slowing my roll, just like B did once he arrived. I do love how a new baby makes you take a look at your life in a less selfish way, and 100% makes you slow down. And as someone who loves to do life at warp speed, becoming a mom is exactly what I have always needed.

I’m SO glad we decided to take family photos as a family of three. To have these moments of just us, as life is about to change in a big way. I feel like we’ll look back on these photos and honestly laugh at how easy it feels with Bennett. He’s such a sweet boy, and although he’s not super into sleeping through the night anymore. He’s been the perfect baby. And I am excited to see how he will be as a big brother. I know it will be a huge transition for him, as we’re his whole world right now. And he is ours. And in the past few months there have been a lot of transitions for him. He moved to a big boy bed, note to all the other parents out there. Let them sleep in that crib until they’re like 45, because once those rails come off, they’re in your bed. Which honestly I think is really sweet. But, after a few months, I’m a bigger fan of sleep. And then there’s my new JOB at as the Director of Retail Operations at Nickel and Suede. I started a few months ago and have been LOVING it. Hence why the blog has been much quieter. I’m creating the frame work to grow the brands foot print nation wide, and it’s honestly my dream job and I’m still pinching myself that this is my job. So, with that I am still styling for current clients but have put that side of my life on hold. And you know, I’m way more at peace with it than I thought I would be. As I really did it, and for 5 solid years. It was awesome, but this opportunity with Nickel and Suede is too exciting and I am loving every minute of it. But, with that means I have less time with my boy than I did before. And at first, it was really tough on all of us. Bennett was missing me like crazy, I was missing him, of course. But. truly he has the best care, and that makes working so much easier and fun to hear about his day and the “adventures” he’s been on. (His sitters call any time they leave the house, an adventure, and I love it!)

So, with that I wanted to touch on that pesky work of “BALANCE” on how I’m a Libra, so like I am ALWAYS working to creating it. But, with real life comes real work to create what I’d rather call harmony, with my soul and family. They honestly are my first priority. So, if home is whack, I am. And in order to create the harmony, I make sure I schedule the right care I need for Bennett first. As that gives me peace to know he’s taken care of, so I can then focus on work when I am at work. And then once I get home I am home and get to focus on Bennett and Kevin. I also love a good girl’s night / blogger event / JLKCMO meeting and those fill me up too! I try to do at max 2x a week. Which is a lot and I will definitely tone it down once our girl gets here. And there that harmony comes into play again. Our dinner - bedtime routine is really fun at home and really important to us, so I really like to be home during that time. Especially now that I am working during the day. So, just know that I get overwhelmed trying to do all the things and show up for everyone in my life. I just figure it out as I go, and check in with myself. Because I don’t always know what I am doing, but that’s the fun part about this journey. Is figuring it out and making it work for you! So you do you and what’s best for your family! OKAY!

And as far as our outfits go, I have loved this dress, like crazy since I spotted it on the hanger at Target. I knew it would be so fun to wear for this shoot. And as soon as I showed it to Kev, he picked out his outfit and Bennett’s! So thankful he did that and I love how it all turned out! And if I can give you any advice on family photos, choose something YOU feel your best in. And then pick the rest of the family’s outfits. It’s the only way to do it! And if you liked our outfits you can shop the pieces here:

I honestly can’t believe my daughter will be here so soon, and I can’t wait to meet her, hold her, and give her all the kisses. Her room is almost put together, and there is something to this whole nesting thing. It’s like the room coming together makes me feel more ready for her arrival. I can’t wait to show it to you all once it’s all put together. But, truly I am thankful to get to meet our daughter soon. And am welcoming any and all advice on how to raise two kiddos. Because I honestly know it’s going to be so crazy, in the best way. I’m also thankful to have Bennett who will be such a great way to keep us moving and keep us light too! And if you made it through this whole post, bless you!

xo,