Maternity Pictures and 38 Week Bumpdate

My husband and I were talking earlier this week about some of the things we were looking forward to with the arrival of our baby girl: seeing what she looks like, watching our other two kids interact with her, snuggling her and just having her here with us after such a long time of hoping and praying.  We also talked about some of the less fun parts: feeling like a zombie due to nighttime feedings, buying lots (and lots) of diapers and frequent changes in routines.  *wink*  I also shared with him how hard this last trimester has been for me with this baby.  I've been sick 5 different times (although it feels like one long, horrible cold stretching from Thanksgiving to now) and so the normal lack of sleep and discomfort that comes with pregnancy has just been exacerbated.  This has also meant that the kids and I haven't left the house as much so we've been dealing with a lot of cabin fever.  All this to say that while I'm very grateful to be pregnant, I'm also looking forward to bringing her into this world and getting back to my non-pregnant self.

Last weekend, I was able to get some maternity photos taken in the break between winter storms and while it was a little bit chilly, my photographer and I braved it and I think we got some great shots!  Miranda was easy to work with and I also got to wear this beautiful olive green maxi dress from My Sister's Closet, which happens to be one of my favorite stores especially when it comes to finding maxi dresses at an affordable price that fit my tall body.  This is the first time I've gotten maternity pictures and I have to admit that I'm a little sad I didn't get them with my first two kids.  We took the pictures at the American Fork Amphitheater (Utah) and I love how they turned out!

Even though I am looking forward to the birth of our baby girl, I'm still kind of shocked that I am already 38 weeks!  My daughter was born at 39 weeks via c-section (she was breech) and my son was born at 40 weeks and 2 days (VBAC).  I can feel my body gearing up for delivery and the doctor says I'm right on track.  However, I do want to finish getting over my current cold before I deliver because I definitely don't want to be sick when my baby is born.

Because this baby is our rainbow baby, I was trying to think of something we could incorporate into the photo shoot to celebrate that.  I had planned on picking up some confetti poppers on my way but time didn't allow for it.  When I was putting my jewelry on just before leaving, I grabbed a thin, gold cuff bracelet with the words "be still and know" (Psalms 46:10).  It seemed like the perfect way to condense all my feelings into one simple and powerful statement.  I never thought I'd have a miscarriage, let alone three, but throughout my experience I've felt an overwhelming feeling of peace that everything was going to work out exactly as it should.

For most of my pregnancy, I've had a feeling that this baby would be born before her due date (March 10) so we'll have to see if my mother's intuition is on track or if it's just wishful thinking.  *wink*  My doctor also told me if I was dilated to at least a 3 by my 39 week appointment that they would be willing to induce me.  So if you think it about, throw some good vibes my way and let's get this baby girl here!

Before I finish up this post, I want to throw out a thank you to Miranda Farnsworth Photography for my beautiful pictures and Aubrie from Salon Blush for highlighting my hair and making me feel more like my normal self.  Lastly, thank you to My Sister's Closet for my dress!  (They still have a few left of the dress I'm wearing for my pictures.)  They have offered all of my readers an exclusive code for 10% off your order when you use the code SUNSHINEANDMUNCHKINS at checkout so be sure to check them out as well.  They have a great selection of dresses, skirts, tops and bottoms to choose from.

Have you had maternity pictures taken with any (or all) of your kids?