We've wanted to take my maternity photos for quite some time, but the skies have been grey and cloudy in our neck of the woods, day after day, when the sun was setting, so we kept postponing it until we could get that ideal soft, glowy light. I wouldn't advise other women to wait until their 39th week to take maternity pictures. Of course, there's that risk of not even making it to 39 weeks and then if you do, you just might feel so fat and swollen, the last thing you want to do is pose for the camera.
But then again, maybe doing my hair, and putting on makeup, and wearing a dress made me step out of my self-pity and into embracing the beauty of late pregnancy, as least for one evening. Pregnancy has been such a paradox for me. One day I feel so disconnected with my body and I have no idea what it's doing and the next I feel beautiful and in awe of what this body of mine is capable of. Unfortunately, our culture seems to tell only one side of this narrative, focusing so much on the negative and "gross" parts of pregnancy. If you tell a friend how much you love your body or that you actually like parts about being pregnant, you're likely to get an eye roll or a stare of unbelief. This is why I love the trend of maternity photos in our generation. They can make us appreciate the beauty of this whole process and the incredible power of our bodies. It's a great way to bring about the other, positive side of the pregnancy narrative.
So even though I'm at 39 weeks, my toes look like baby sausages, by body is puffy all over, and I feel more immobile than ever, I'm still thankful that I can look at these pictures and see myself as beautiful.
A big shout-out to my husband, Eric Kreutter, for taking these photos, for having lots of patience, and for making me feel beautiful when I am all too self-critical.
P.S. I thought about posting a bloopers reel of really bad photos, but decided not to do that to myself. There is a reason photographers go through the photos themselves and choose the best ones to show you. Maybe some day I'll pull them out for a good self-deprecating laugh, but I'm just going to stick with the positive for now.
Edit: Ok, Eric talked me into posting just one blooper, totally unedited. Enjoy.
