maternity pictures

Still Pregnant! Pictures to Prove It

by Jill July 22, 2013

written by Jill

I awoke to several texts and Facebook messages and pings today, asking if I was in labor. After I rolled my eyes and hoisted myself out of bed with a grunt, I let everyone know I was nowhere close.

It seems some people, pages, websites reported (?) that I checked into the hospital this morning. I have no idea what would have given anyone that idea, but I wish with all my might it were true. Pregnant woman is still ragey.

And pregnant.

The bright side is I had time to get a few 39 week pictures taken at my favorite hill last night, with the help of my friend Mandy behind the camera. And tonight I had the chance to edit them.

So here, proof. Baby is still baking and won’t share a birthday with the royal prince.

A note about my friend Mandy- She’s going through some big and scary stuff right now. Her brother’s pretty sick with cancer. She’s blogged all about it. Just scroll through. I think you’ll see how amazing she is, how honest she is through this struggle. She inspires me, and I am so saddened she and her family are dealing with all of this. If you’re the praying type, or the positive vibes type, or just the type who wants to say hi and give her a virtual hug, head over to her blog.

July 22, 2013 23 comments

Pregnancy The Story

The Case Of The Sinking Baby Belly

by Jill June 13, 2013

written by Jill

I don’t know that the way I’m carrying this baby has much to do with what gender he/she is. After looking at belly pics from all three pregnancies this week, it seems my baby house (as my sister likes to call it) is just… having some foundation issues?

I will say that 90% of people guess I’m having a boy because of the way I’m carrying- all out in front. But check out the way I carried Kendall! Man, I got huge EVERYWHERE when I was pregnant with him. This was at 32 weeks.

This is from the maternity pics Regetis Photography of Warrenton, VA took. See more here.

This pregnancy, I seem to be carrying much more like I did with Leyna. This was at 36 weeks with Leyna. (Alongside my younger, obviously not pregnant sister.)

And this is me this time, taken last week at 33 weeks. Similar to Leyna, but lower. And I think I’ll look bigger than I did with Leyna by the time I hit 36 weeks.

Everyone seems to comment on my changing hair color. The story behind that is I dyed my hair dark with a plant-based dye with the first 2 pregnancies because I didn’t want to expose myself to the chemicals in highlights. But then? The first 2 kids made my gray hairs multiply exponentially, and there is really no way to fight it now other than to highlight my hair (which I think is fine, after doing some research). So… yay 3rd baby! You are loved, I promise.

Here’s a side by side by side of all 3.

The people who’ve seen all three of these pictures lined up actually tend to guess I’m having a girl. I’m sure there’s no real science to any of it. It is fun to guess, though.

(Oh, and I put on the same exact weight with both Kendall and Leyna- 43 lbs. I’m up about 33 lbs now, so it’s possible I’ll be coasting in close to that again.)

My midwife said that things can be naturally lower with each pregnancy, especially for women like me who grow such big babies. We wound up having this discussion when I expressed my concern that my Braxton Hicks contractions this time (which I’ve felt since very early in my first trimester) are so strong I feel them in my butt at this point. And that’s… concerning when out in public, but apparently normal and the fault of tired pelvic floor muscles.

I can’t imagine what my body would look like if I put it through this again, except maybe like a bowling ball in a laundry sack? Yeah, probably that.

June 13, 2013 11 comments

Pregnancy The Story

I don’t think you’re ready for this belly.

by Jill April 13, 2008

written by Jill

At the end of 32 weeks (literally days before the stretch mark explosion) I was lucky enough to meet up with some very good friends of ours for an amazing maternity photo shoot. We met Amy and Srinu Regeti about two years ago while planning our wedding. They ended up taking our engagement pictures around the time their business was really starting to take shape. Since then, we’ve seen their work and reputation skyrocket and have been blessed to remain very close with them and form a lifetime friendship. They are a blast to hang out with and gel well with our cooky side. They know that my husband is a germaphobe and that I’m a bit of a spaz 🙂 Our days with them are always filled with tons of laughs, and the day of this shoot was no exception. Here are a few of my favorites.