Maternity Photo Phobia

Today not only marks the ten week countdown for baby Carlson but also marks another major milestone; I officially got over my fear of maternity photos today! Now before I get into the details of our amazing shoot, a la my good friend Jenny, I want to explain where my trepidation for maternity photos comes from. Don't get me wrong, pregnancy is a beautiful thing but sometimes experiencing all of those bodily changes feels a little less-than-glamorous (see photo from last blog entry as evidence). It's easy for someone to search the Pinterest world for photos that will tug at the heartstrings, but crossing over in front of the camera lens was less enticing for me. When I thought pregnancy photos, my mind went to the tabloid covers you see in the grocery checkout with pictures of pregnant celebrities. These women not only have acclaimed stylists, photographers, and air-brushers at the ready, they also are completely and utterly shameless. Take exhibit A: 

Nothing say "real" like a pregnant woman in a bikini...practical.

And when you're too big to fit into a bikini, your man can cover you. Thanks, Mariah for the tip...

 Now celebs are not the only culprits. I've seen dozens of women attempting to embrace the au natural beauty of pregnancy but again, they seem a bit misguided - exhibit B  

This is what I call materni-tree.

"I'm on a horse."

As usual, I consulted Alex about my prenatal photo phobia and his response, to no surprise, was that we should just be ourselves and take goofy pictures. Then no one can laugh at us for taking them too seriously. However, there is always a fine line when taking funny photos; some people may be insulted that we're not taking such a huge/beautiful event seriously, or worse, some people may not realize that the pictures are, in fact, a joke. Again, my mind raced - exhibit C: 

Flower child? Or mutant mother?

Cute?

So, after a little coaxing, my good friend Jenny offered to take our photos and had she not been a close friend, I would have very well said no. I was pretty open with her that the idea sort of freaked me out and I wanted the pictures to be as casual as possible. She made us both feel very comfortable and she even included our dog, Beckett, in several of the poses! We took indoor and outdoor photos and dabbled in a variety of silly, casual, and serious poses. Taking these pictures was therapeutic for me because I was able to get over my odd fear, but it was also an awesome time for Alex and I to devote some quality time to our family. Nothing really makes his (baby Carlson's) presence more real than spending a good portion of the afternoon striking poses to show him off. I couldn't help but allow my mind to wander to the many photo shoots of his future and imagine posing for Christmas card pictures with our growing family of the future. So, whether these pictures are put in an album that I only feel comfortable sharing with close friends and family, or they are plastered all over the walls of my home, this photo shoot was a poignant reminder of the importance of family and the miracle of it all.

Obviously, I don't have pictures to share from today's session (since it was just this afternoon) but Jenny did send my one picture as a sneak peek. I would be lying if I said this picture didn't make me excited to see the rest of them, so here it is, exhibit D:

That's my boy! :-)