Hello. Mother of the year reporting to you from the comfort (well actually it is about 90 degrees in here so “comfort” isn’t exactly the optimal word) of my office. There was no camp this final week of summer vacation so I have gone to glow in the dark mini golf, out to lunch, to Pinkberry (eh), to my girlfriends house, to Plaster Fun Time, out to lunch again, watched about 6 on demand movies, went to Plimouth freaking Plantation and the Mayflower II today (with lunch AND ice cream). All of this in an attempt to keep my kids from killing each other and to prevent DSS coming to take them away once I finally flip my lid and lose it all together. Seriously? Remember when we were little?? If we went to the beach it was a HUGE deal. Other than that we went OUTSIDE. We would wake up and go OUTSIDE until someone had to call us in because we didn’t want to come INSIDE. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG????? You would think that my backyard (which is awesome by the way and a child’s dream; tree house, trampoline and after this weekend a flipping ZIPLINE) was surrounded by a moat of bubbling lava impenetrable to the average kid. The two of them don’t even know what the hell to do with themselves out there. Play? what is that? Use our imagination…??We couldn’t possibly. The only thing they can ever seem to come up with in the way of imaginative play is to find things and smash them to pieces with Eric’s tools which they then leave out to rust. God love them, they complete me but they are exhausting and financially draining. All of that being said, there was more than one time today when I thanked God for allowing me to be their mother.
It is no secret that in terms of babies I am DONE. Finished. That baby ship has sailed and with it went any visions of me lugging around an infant carrier and putting ruffle bum tights on a baby girl (because if I am even going to envision it I might as well do it with a girl in the picture). No cute, cuddly newborn makes me think about anything more than the fact that I am happy to be able to hand them off at some point in the near future. My friends have some pretty cute kids and I happen to be the aunt of quite possibly the most beautiful child in the world and NONE of them make me think, even for a second, that I would like to go down that road again. It just isn’t even a thought that enters my head. That is until last week when Elizabeth walked into my studio and in an instant made me sit and try to rationalize just HOW I could pull off having another baby.
Liz is yet another of my BI loves. She is a NICU nurse and is due with her first baby in a few weeks. She came with her husband for a maternity shoot and took my breath away. She is so incredibly gorgeous and is everything magical and beautiful and perfect about what it means to expect a baby. To decide that you would like to grow another human and to relinquish all control over your body is a pretty intense yet fleeting experience. You do it, you live it, you feel like you will be pregnant forever and as soon as you give birth it is over. Done. Just like that. I think that I bear witness to some seriously important moments in people’s lives but the shoots I love the most, the ones where I truly feel like I give a gift to my clients are the maternity sessions. I just can’t stress enough how important I think it is to capture this moment in a woman’s life. Because looking back I can’t even believe I ever did it, let alone twice.
Liz came to this session completely prepared to make the absolute most out of it and I loved EVERY second that I got to shoot her. She left all inhibition at the door and with her husband, Chris (who looked at her like she was the sexiest, most beautiful woman on the planet) we caught these moments for them to have forever. The days before their lives will change in ways that are unimaginable to even them right now.
This girl is as sweet as she is beautiful and I feel lucky to know her. I can’t even begin to pick a favorite. I love them all.







Chris is from the Netherlands and “lief” means “sweet” in Dutch (I think it is Dutch, I definitely know that that word means “sweet”).







Thanks. Thanks a lot for making me wonder, even a little bit, if I could possibly have another baby:) Seriously though, I am SOOO happy that you did this, Liz and Chris. I am so happy it was me who got to capture this for you. That “lief” little baby is one lucky soul to have you two as parents. And I can’t wait to see if the love of your life will be dark or light!!
xo, Rachel
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