Nine Months
Seven weeks postpartum, looking back at our maternity photos and my bump brings a wave of emotion and fondness for those nine months preparing for Elsie’s arrival. I loved being pregnant and actually miss that phase a little bit now–I soaked up every part of the experience, watching in awe as my body grew and changed, bearing through the morning sickness of the first trimester and uncomfortable sleeping in the third, anticipating what our daughter would look like, mulling over what we’d name her, pouring energy into creating the perfect nursery.
We never planned to do a formal maternity photo session, much as we didn’t do engagement photos before our wedding. But when your father-in-law is a professional and offers to snap informal photos following your last baby shower, it’s hard to resist. I’m so glad we did. I meant to choose my favorites to share before E arrived, but with burning the candle at both ends preparing for maternity leave at work, my best-laid plans fell by the wayside. I’m almost happier to be looking at the photos though now that she’s here–with a fresh perspective on what this adventure of parenthood is all about and a thankfulness for images that capture the three of us at both the end and beginning of a special moment in time. These are photos I’ll cherish forever.