m & m... & m! | richmond maternity photographer

I drove across the state yesterday to visit with my dear friend and brand new mama, Mollie. Mollie and I go way back (college roommates) and in recent years I had the pleasure of taking her engagement pictures, was honored to be the Matron of Honor in her and Mark's wedding, took her bridal portraits and shot a fun night session with the two of them as newlyweds. I LOVE taking pictures of these two - they are so fun loving and flirty on camera! So I'm sitting here on their couch chatting away when I realized... I never blogged the maternity pictures I took of them earlier this year! Ahhh... mommy brain! Lucky for me Mollie is a little sleep deprived so she's catching a cat nap right now. I thought I'd take a minute and post a few pictures from their maternity session.

Here are a few of my favorites. Stay tuned... I'll be capturing little Miss Macie on camera while I'm here this week and I'm sure I'll share a few of my favorite shots.

For now... here's the sweet and flirty Mark & Mollie...!

40+ weeks

My due date has come and gone and I'm still cradling this little baby in my womb. I've gone back and forth between feeling like I am losing my mind waiting and having complete peace about it. I have been trying to have control (my nature)... dates are floating in my mind. Nov 20th... both my sister's birthday and her middle girl, Shelby's birthday. Nov 22nd... my mom's birthday. Dec 10th... a wedding to shoot (AND my dad's birthday). All days I would like to be holding the baby in my arms instead of in my womb. :)

Every day that passes I have to continuously talk myself out of caring about WHEN he or she comes. It really is a struggle.

Recently a friend of mine went one and a half weeks past her due date. Which, you know, is tough enough... but this was her second child and her first came at 38 weeks. So in her mind she was almost a month past her expected delivery time. But her baby girl came at the perfect time. She came at about 42 weeks, small, still covered in vernix (a sign of early delivery). Her mama said "She just needed to cook a little longer." So sweet, so true.

Babies know when the time is right. (Side note: Did you know it's actually the baby that tells labor to start?)

So... precious babe still in my womb... I am leaving it up to you. I know, I don't have a choice... but I am truly trusting you and letting you guide this with peace in my heart. I know we are both in God's hands and everything will work out just fine, even if I keep worrying about silly dates.

Because I miss the snow | Lynchburg Maternity Photographer

This winter was a doozy, no? And I loved every bit of it (have I mentioned that?). I wish EVERY winter was like it! Sometimes our winters are SO mild that all those super cute winter layers that call out to me while I walk the aisles of Khol's with blinders on (headed straight to the home decor section, no doubt) seem like such a waste of my dollars. But this year all this snow made every one of those layers necessary and totally worth my money. :) Because I wish the snow could last forever, I'm reminiscing back to a session I did after the big snow storm hit in February (I know, which one?!). You know this is a snowy session in Virginia because the clients are not bundled up as they sit in the snow. Leave it to Virginia weather to have such big moods swings. One day it snows 12" the next day the sun is shining and the sky is blue and it's about 20 degrees warmer outside. Love it!