Maternity Shoot with JRawk Photography

It's been a busy Spring so far - full of baby showers, BBQ's, and maternity shoots! Three to be exact!

The set below was shot by friend and photographer Jeff Rawk. We've been working together for 6 years, and when he offered to shoot me and my little bump, I couldn't turn him down. My sissy joined in, of course. We gallivanted around Robinettes orchard which is coincidentally where the 3 of us shot exactly a year previous.

Here we are last year. Funny how quickly things can change ;)

And here are the new ones. These little boys are very photogenic :)

Nine. More. Weeks.

Actually, 8 weeks and 6 days to be exact. I feel like I've been pregnant forever, but I know he'll be here before I know it. I'm prepared, mentally and physically. The nursery is waiting, and mommy and daddy are excited to meet their new addition. :)


How far along? 31weeks

Total weight gain: 8 lbs

Maternity clothes: Recently bought an active maternity tank for all my walks outside and a few maxi dresses for my showers and upcoming maternity shoots.

Stretch marks? None to report
Sleep: Not the greatest these days. I have a shooting pain in my right lower back/leg area making it a slow and painful process to switch sides at night, or basically move at all.
Best moment this week: Had my first baby shower on Sunday. It was a joint shower with my sister and all our friends. I am smitten by everyone's generosity! 

Miss anything? Wearing heels. I decided to boycott them until my back pain subsided...which isn't likely to happen until after delivery!
Movement: He is ALL OVER THE PLACE! Twisting, turning, punching, flipping, stretching, dancing. He must be exhausted in there. There have been several times he kicked to the far left or right of my belly hitting my obliques. I am so ticklish...and this is my weakest spot. I have yet to talk to a mother who experienced a "tickling" sensation, but it was very real, and I laughed out loud until he stopped.
Food cravings: Are cravings a myth? Because I still haven't experienced them!
Anything making you queasy or sick? Been getting morning sickness again, but nothing severe.
Labor signs: My pelvic bones & joints are loosening up for labor. Been feeling the affects of this on my right SI joint. Had a physical therapy session for the pain last week. I can frequently be seen limping around the office and being playfully teased by my husband.
Symptoms: SI Joint/Sciatic nerve pain - but honestly, I feel lucky that everything is going so well, despite being uncomfortable when I sleep and (sometimes) when I walk. I know things could be so much worse! I'm not exhausted, and I'm able to walk comfortably outside for several miles at a time.
Belly button in or out? Totes out
Wedding rings on or off? Totes on
Happy or moody most of the time: Generally in a happy/positive mood. This changes when the pain gets intense...but I'm managing!
Looking forward to: My maternity shoots. I have 3 of them scheduled within the next week!

Current Bennett Boy Stats: Little Baby B is not so little anymore! He's measuring about 19 inches head to heel and weighs in around 3.9 lbs! What a heffer!

Nursery Tour

As soon as I found out I was pregnant, nursery ideas swarmed my head. We have a two bedroom home and both rooms were being utilized, so I knew we'd be using the small yet very charming office for our little one's room. It comes with plenty of built in shelves, detailed woodwork, and a gas fireplace. We hired a professional to paint because neither of us wanted to tackle the detail. The main walls are coated with Navajo Sand by Glidden and the back of the shelves are Spring Cactus, also by Glidden. The trim, ceiling, shelves, and fireplace are white. We wanted to keep a semi neutral canvas as we weren't sure of the babies gender yet.


This photo was taken from the doorway. Our crib and changing table/dresser combo is by DaVinci. We both agreed white furniture was the way to go. After we found out I was carrying a boy, we decided to add a light blue to the mix via bedding and accessories. The room reminds me of a clear Spring day. :)

 

We splurged on our bedding set - Pottery Barn Kids, and Dan found the cute owl/bear mobile on Amazon.

 

I can't wait to sit with my nugget in this rocker! It's over-sized and extra cushiony. This was a hand-me-down from my sister in law (Thanks Leanne!!). It came with a yellow slip cover but we loved the creamy oatmeal color of the fabric underneath.

 

We had to improvise with a closet since the room was originally an office/library, NOT a bedroom! We removed three shelves and installed hand painted white wooden rods to make a "mini" open closet. Baby clothes are adorable, why not show them off?!

 

I LOVE that this room has a fireplace. I dream about the warm cozy winter nights we'll have snuggled up in the rocker with the fire going.

 

Feelin Crafty

This mantel art was a DIY project found via Pinterest. We wanted something large for the mantel, but didn't want to spend our entire savings. Dan purchased pine boards from Home Depot, painted them blue, and attached them with dowels. The white frames we found at Meijer, and the prints are from an artist on Etsy!

 

I made these decorative blocks from wooden cubes purchased at Michaels, craft paper, and a little modge podge. Wa-la! Inexpensive shelf accessory.

Dan spotted this adorable owl night light on Amazon. Easy purchase!!

Of course the nursery is still a work in progress, but it's come a long way and we're both very proud of the transformation!

Through My Husbands Eyes

Week 29 has arrived, and instead of me blabbering on and on about my symptoms and best moments again, I thought it would be a nice change of pace for my husband to complete the survey through my perspective. When I asked him to do this I thought it could be fairly entertaining as he does not lack wit or sarcasm. 

So not to be taken too seriously, I present to you "Week 29" by Daniel Charles Bennett.

How far along? Can still see toenail color but can’t reach toes

Total weight gain: Smaller than Kim, bigger than Kourtney, screw Khloe  
Maternity clothes: Quietly stealing husbands boxers, still tight

Stretch marks? You try pulling a condom over your head without stretching it

Sleep? Up in time for Snuggie Infomercial on Channel 8 

Best moment this week: Strange noises were coming from the dog and not me 

Miss anything? Outrunning old people

Movement: Terrible rendition of Gangnam style 

Food cravings: Anything in pancake/muffin form

Anything making you queasy or sick? Watching husband figure out how rare is safe for a steak

Gender: Still a boy, frequent hiccuping, possible boy with drinking problem 

Labor signs: Capricorns

Symptoms: Human being in my stomach

Belly button in or out? Pencil eraser of someone with PICA 

Wedding rings on or off? On at home, off at the bar 

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy is a mood, so yes

Looking forward to: Not pouring my beers into a Coke can 

Thank you babe for painting that beautiful, glowing picture of your pregnant wife. (I totally asked for it) ;)

A couple rebuttals...no stretch marks, thank you. Panties fit great. I have not been drinking! Wedding rings are only off when I sleep...and yes, I may have a recent obsession with pancakes and muffins. So what! ;)

My little monster has been hiccuping a lot this week! I hear that's a sign of good health. Here we are on Week 29!!

Two Bellies

It was just a week ago my beautiful pregnant sister and I ventured outside (ahh Spring!) for a mini photo session with friend and local photographer Jill Bergeron. Alisha and I are having a joint baby shower on the Dosenberry side, and we thought a photo sporting our bumps had to appear on the invite. Cheesy? Perhaps...but c'mon, we're 15 days apart! It still amazes me, and these wild life moments need to be documented! Thankfully the rain had ceased, the grass greened up, the flowers started to bloom, and the sun showed its face. This provided a beautiful backdrop for our shoot.


Here are a few of my favs from the session. Enjoy!

And one with mom!

Text Book Pregnancy

Welp friends, I made it to third trimester...27 weeks! What a glorious day!

Me and the little man in the nursery <3

How far along? 27 weeks - finally in third tri! :::does a little dance:::  
Total weight gain:  4.2 lbs 
Maternity clothes: OK, I admit it's becoming a little difficult to come up with a cute work ensemble day after day. Most of my non maternity shirts are no longer acceptable for the office...unless my co-workers are OK with half my belly hanging out. Yeah? No. I DO like that the weather is warming up...stretchy cotton dresses may be my new best friend!

Stretch marks? I don't see any!  
Sleep: It takes me about 5 minutes to switch sides in the middle of the night. No more throwing myself back and forth like I used to!
Best moment this week: Everything checked out perfectly at my pre-natal appointment and the Dr. said I am having a "text book pregnancy". I'm so grateful!

Miss anything? My old wardrobe!
Movement: Comes and goes! Sometimes he is a ninja and other times it's like he's recovering from a long night of partying.
Food cravings: Someone said pizza the other day and now all I can think about is pizza.
Anything making you queasy or sick? I was "first-trimester-nauseous" on Monday - out of the blue! Not sure what caused it and hoping that doesn't become the norm for third tri!
Labor signs: This is not a sign of labor....but I did wake up to Braxton Hicks the other day! Felt my uterus/stomach muscles tighten and relax. Not painful at all! Now if only labor were that easy! ;)
Symptoms: Still experiencing sciatic nerve pain - but I'm growing accustom to it...like it's just a part of me now. My newest symptom is a small itchy rash on my stomach. I'm not a doctor, but I'm assuming my skin is just irritated from being stretched.
Belly button in or out? Well...when I wear a tight shirt it totally looks like I have a third nipple...just saying.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or moody most of the time: Despite the no-fun symptoms, I am happy. Except when I don't get at least 7 hours of sleep...then I am crabby. My husband can attest to this!
Looking forward to: The warm sunny weekend so I can get outside and walk with my preggo sister! :)

Current Bennett Boy STATS:

• Baby Boy is about 14 inches and nearly 2.5 lbs! Size of a rutabaga. Do people even buy those?
• At this stage his lungs are fully developed and he's practicing inhaling and exhaling (amniotic fluid, yummmmmmm)
• His brain is also growing more and more complex! If he's anything like Dan, baby boy will be a mini genius I'm sure!
  

25 Week Update

Hello friends! Today I am 25 weeks.

 
I started the morning at a St. Mary's lab for blood work. My FAVORITE!! Total sarcasm there. Needles are my biggest fear...although I am getting better. I have fainted multiple times and even cried after being poked...and I'm happy to report that neither of those happened today. I have baby veins, so they tell me. During one attempted blood draw during my 10th week of pregnancy, the nurse poked me 3 times without being able to access a vein. She said it was "hiding". Whatever, do your job right lady! OK, maybe I'm bitter, but inserting a needle repeatedly into my arm and moving it around to find my vein does NOT sit well with a girl who already lost hours of sleep just anticipating the appointment! I was already a ball of nerves and she sent me over the edge. Yeah, you guessed it. That one ended in tears! Grrr.

Today's test was for gestational diabetes, a semi common side affect of pregnancy. I had to drink a glucose beverage and wait in the lobby an hour before the draw. Mine was flavored like fruit punch. Tasted like someone made kool-aid and dumped an extra 3 cups of sugar in the mixture. Blech!! I had an immediate sugar buzz and wanted to throw it all up. I waited the long torturous hour and sat in the chair of death. I warned the lady of my baby veins and suggested she use a small guage needle. She said my veins were "popping" and that wasn't necessary. Must be the extra blood flow for baby! Only one poke needed. Thank goodness! No crying, no fainting. Mind over matter. On with the day I went.

Now to the fun part :)

How far along? 25 weeks 
Total weight gain: Up 3 lbs
Maternity clothes: 90% of my maternity wardrobe is from Old Navy. Cheap & comfy! I did order a few items from PinkBlush Maternity online during a 60% off sale. Very satisfied with that purchase!

Stretch marks? I almost typed "not yet", but that would imply that I expect to get them...and I don't really want them....so I'm just going to say "no, no stretch marks."
Sleep: Sleep, pee, sleep, pee, sleep, alarm goes off. Typical night.
Best moment this week: OK, I have 3 this week, so bare with me!
1) The crib and bedding came in! I love seeing the nursery take form. It's one thing to dream and picture the nursery in your head, and another when those images start becoming real. We also finished our homemade closet - since the nursery is in the office/library room, there wasn't a REAL closet so we had to get creative! It's adorable! I'll be sure to do a whole post about the nursery complete with photos when it's done!
2) I RAN A MILE!!! Yes, a full mile, outside, without stopping. I wasn't planning on lacing my shoes and hitting the pavement until after baby arrived, but I've been missing it SO much I had to give it a shot. I was an avid runner before this pregnancy, but after 3 months on the couch blue in the face during first tri, I resigned the idea of continuing my pre-pregnancy activity level. I stayed active in second tri by treadmill walking (boooooring) and some light free weight lifting, but in the back of my head a little voice was telling me I could still do it. After all, it is safe as long as you were a runner before and your heartrate doesn't soar above 150. I measured my beats per minute after the mile and was only at 135. YES!! I'm going to keep this up. 
3) This one is my favorite. Dan finally felt our son move! He kicked him hard...twice in a row. He's been trying to catch it for weeks now without any luck - but after a filling dinner of quinoa and veggies, little boy had some new found energy. I was so elated he finally experienced it I started to tear up.

Miss anything? I miss social drinking with my friends. In time, little Ren.
Movement: I've been feeling many a kicks and turns! They seem to be more routine too. Early morning, after I eat, and right before bed. Usually when my movement is low, he wakes up.
Food cravings: Still not craving anything specific...just FOOD in general. I'm hungry all the time!
Anything making you queasy or sick? Not particularly.
Gender: It's still a boy, haha. Maybe I should eliminate this question for future posts...
Labor signs: No, thank goodness!
Symptoms: The latest has been sciatic nerve pain on my right side. Certain positions and movements pinch it - so painful!
Belly button in or out? Still at the halfway stage.
Wedding rings on or off? Fits wonderfully. 
Happy or moody most of the time: I'm a happy pregnant camper.
Looking forward to: Third trimester! Only 2 weeks away!

Current Bennett Boy STATS:

This week baby boy is 2 lbs and 9 inches long! TheBump.com compares him to the size of a cauliflower. He's starting to open his eyes and can sense bright light through the womb. Crazy! Apparently if I shine a flashlight on my stomach he may react by kicking. Kind of want to try that...