Last week I asked my Instagram followers if they’d be interested in a 30-week bumpdate, and I was pleasantly surprised when a huge majority of responders said yes! Since this week also happens to be the same week we got our maternity photos back from Erin Wilson, I figure it’s the perfect time to write down a few of the things this pregnancy has taught me so far, and how excited we are getting for baby Mallory’s big debut!

I remember the day that I found out we were going to have a baby – I did the math and realized it’d be a December baby and gosh, it just seemed so far away. Now, in mid-October, I am overcome by how quickly the time has passed, and how soon this little baby will be in our arms! The most surreal realization!

Overall, my pregnancy has been relatively easy, which I’ve been so grateful for! The first trimester was a bit rough – I was just. so. exhausted. all. the. time. – like, lay on the floor and just stare at the ceiling exhausted. I didn’t have the energy for anything! I also had a bit of nausea those first 14 weeks, but was able to keep it at bay as long as I ate about every two hours. Once I hit 14 weeks, though, it was like a cloud lifted and I felt so much better!

The second trimester was definitely the best. I was showing a bit, everyone knew about our pregnancy, and I felt really good too! Lots of energy (and thus lots of getting work done)! I also had an easy summer, with only a handful of weddings in July and August, so it was nice to be able to enjoy being pregnant from the comfort of air-conditioning! John and I also went to the beach with friends, and soaked in the last bit of down-time before fall season hit in full force.

We finally hit the third trimester at 28 weeks, and that’s when we took these photos. I am so grateful to my friend Erin for documenting this special time – I just feel like she captured everything so beautifully and I can’t wait to put some of these photos in the nursery!

So far, I’ve loved being pregnant. I love feeling this baby kick and roll inside of me every day, and I love my growing bump. Somehow, I’m more confident in my own skin than I’ve ever been before, and I just feel pretty (is that weird/okay to admit out loud)? I’ve been so lucky not to experience a lot of the classic pregnancy symptoms like heartburn and acne, although I have had my fair share of back pain and leg cramps that wake me up in the middle of the night! And don’t even get me started on how many times a day (and at night) I have to use the bathroom. Honestly, that’s probably the most annoying symptom of them all!

We have stuck with our decision not to find out the sex, but I’m 100% convinced it’s a boy! Most people are surprised when we tell them we don’t know the gender yet (especially given the fact that I can be extremely type-A, and am a PLANNER) but it’s really been so easy and fun not to know. Once I just accepted that we weren’t finding out, I haven’t looked back at all! It’s actually been freeing to not know, and I feel like John and I have avoided buying a lot of unnecessary things because of it.

A couple pregnancy questions I’ve been getting lately:

Belly button in or out? Pretty much an outie at this point! I’ve always had a deep belly button, so this was a little shocking to me!

Any cravings? Not unless you count wine! I am counting down the days until I can pour myself a glass of pinot noir! Honestly I haven’t had any real cravings or aversions unless you count an 8-week period late in the first trimester when I could NOT eat mexican food! Luckily that has since passed hah!

How’s it going in the nursery? What’s the theme? We don’t have a theme for the nursery, but instead have decided to go with pretty neutrals and pops of color via accessories! John has been busy building an incredible built-in bookshelf that will double as our diaper-changing station, and once that’s done I feel like we’re really going to be close to finishing the space. I can’t wait to share it! We want the space to be a colorful yet serene space that will feel fun for a boy OR a girl, and be someplace that we love spending time in. Less than ten weeks to finish it up scares me a little, but I feel pretty good about our progress so far!

Do you guys have your name(s) picked out? We’ve had our boy and girl names picked out pretty much from the beginning, and while I’m not sharing them online I can’t wait to introduce the baby she he or she is born!

As we count down the last few weeks to baby Mallory, there’s a lot left to do! I’m still shooting weddings (five left to shoot in 2017!), and the craziness of the fall wedding season is in full swing. It’s honestly making the time pass so quickly, and I’m grateful for the distraction (and exercise) that shooting so much brings. I am currently planning on starting my maternity leave about 2 weeks before my due date, and getting all weddings and sessions edited and delivered before then too. Fingers crossed I can manage to get it all done!

All in all, the word I think most fitting to this pregnancy this far has to be grateful. I’m so grateful for this season, for God’s perfect timing in everything, for every kick and roll, and for the love we’ve been surrounded by during this chapter in our lives.  John and I are eager to welcome baby Mallory into our lives, but are also trying to soak in the last few weeks with just the two of us. Baby will be here before we know it!

Special thanks again to my dear friend Erin Wilson for the wonderful photos!
Dresses: Show Me Your Mumu  |  Morning Lavender