2020 was not the year that anyone could have anticipated. We were so so excited to meet our girl in May, but in February the pandemic hit and the last few months of my pregnancy were filled with anxiety and fear. Not only was it scary to think about giving birth for the first time, but it was terrifying thinking about giving birth during a pandemic with potentially no support partner (at the time we didn’t know if Jack would be allowed to be in the hospital room with me). We were EXTRA careful the last few months of my pregnancy to make sure that I didn’t get COVID-19 so that Jack would be able to be with us, so we unfortunately missed out on a lot of traditional pregnancy celebrations. My baby shower was scheduled for the weekend before the shutdown, but we cancelled it as soon as we learned about how serious COVID-19 was. I was too scared to see anyone besides my quarantine crew (aka my parents and in-laws) so we decided to not do maternity photos. Being a photographer who likes to document EVERYTHING, this made me extra sad because those are moments and memories we wouldn’t ever get back.

So, on mother’s day we got dressed for the first time in months and went to my parent’s backyard to take some tripod maternity photos. My hair was so outgrown, I had gained 30+ pounds and felt HUGE, and I had absolutely NOTHING to wear (this dress is so old and barely fit), but I am so so happy we took these photos. They turned out SO much better than I expected, and I am so so so grateful that we took the time to do these because I know both me and Zoe will cherish these photos forever.

My sister made us the cutest sign to hang for our baby shower, so we repurposed it for the photo shoot and it turned out so cute!

My favorite photos are the last two – we are standing under the pergola that my dad built us for our wedding day, in the exact spot that we said “ I do” five years before. I can’t wait to recreate these photos for years to come with Zoe!

PS – I totally understand now how awkward maternity photos can feel! I wish I had myself behind the camera making me feel more comfortable because I feel like I LOOK uncomfortable!( maybe it was being 8 months pregnant though). Also, the photos below are the reason I’m usually BEHIND the camera!