Let’s be honest, anytime someone sees this kind of blog title THIS is the kind of post they’re hoping for and expecting. So, I’ll spend no time pretending it’s anything else! We are thrilled to announce….

This has been a long-time hoped for, and Aaron and I couldn’t be more excited or grateful! It still totally feels surreal that we’re going to be PARENTS, but as we saw our Baby bouncing around in the ultrasound today it started to feel a little more real. This beautiful little human growing inside of me is going to change our lives forever (already has!) and I’m so excited for the adventures ahead!

For those who know us well, you know a little bit of our story, but I wanted to share with the rest of you all in hopes of just being a small encouragement to someone who might be walking a similar path. We’d been trying for this precious little Watson for 19 months, and while I know for so many who have had to wait so much longer, that seems like nothing. But nonetheless, after a year and a half you start to wonder if it will happen for you. WHY it hasn’t already. You see pregnant friends, and you feel a heartache you didn’t even know you could have. You feel yourself resent the fact that anyone can get pregnant “accidentally” or “unplanned”. It can be a very lonely and frustrating path to deal with infertility of any kind, for any amount of time, especially when you feel like you’re one of the “few” who are going through this. So few people talk about it, and that’s what makes it seem so isolating – but it shouldn’t, and doesn’t have to be that way! I’m so grateful that the few friends and family we reached out to, even if they couldn’t all relate from personal experience, offered support, care and encouragement.  Sometimes you just need to know that someone is aware of what you’re going through, and that they are there to care about you in the process. So, if anyone is reading this and find yourself in a painful place of waiting….wondering….not knowing. Of sadness and discouragement, please please know you don’t have to go through it alone. I’m so grateful for the way God encouraged me through that season, and gave us reminders of His goodness and love through the tangible care and conversation of those around us. So, if you need someone to correspond with or talk to, I’d love to hear from you. So would those close to you in your life. Help them understand what you’re going through so that they can in turn help support you. I promise it’s worth being vulnerable about, and that even in the sadness it can be a season of great growth and blessing – hard growth, no doubt about it, but it’s not wasted time.

So, after the year and a half, we finally decided to meet with a fertility specialist (this August), and after getting some pretty poor test results in September, we were told the next step was insemination. It just seemed unlikely that we were going to be able to get pregnant on our own, and while that was something I had to work through (Aaron was such a rock through all of this), I was grateful to have at least some answers. So, we were set to go with that plan in October….but much to our great surprise, when late September rolled around we were shocked to find out we were pregnant! So, clearly God had other timing in mind, which blew me away. Just when we thought it wasn’t possible, He proved that it was. I don’t know what future pregnancies will hold, but I’m so grateful for the unique timeline He worked out with this pregnancy and for the reminder that none of this is in my control. As hard as that was to grapple with so often, it’s also SO freeing to know!

A little bit of general information, in case you’re curious:

How far along am I?

12 weeks and 3 days! :)

How’ve I been feeling?

Up until this past Wednesday, I was very nauseous pretty much 24/7….which was not fun, let me tell you. Also pretty tired most of the time. But right as I was reaching the 12-week mark, the nausea really died down! I was hoping that would be true for me, and I’m super grateful it has been. Still dealing with some random nausea/gagging here and there, but am back to being able to eat MUCH more normally, and have a good amount of energy back!

Am I craving anything crazy, yet?

No, I don’t think any real “cravings” have kicked in yet. During the first trimester I just wanted a lot of cold fruit, and sour things because I think they helped the nausea. I also didn’t want anything to do with meat. But, now I can pretty much eat like usual again….and I’m bracing myself for the intense cravings that I hear can happen. So, we’ll see!

Will we be finding out the gender of Baby?

YES! Neither one of us has any interest in being patient or surprised. Haha. We can’t wait to find out if we’ll be welcoming a boy or girl! Sadly we have to be patient until the end of January….but we’re excited to know!

How often do I plan to post about Baby-related stuff?

I don’t want anyone to be worried that it will totally take over the blog! I plan to keep updates to once a month, or once every 2 weeks. I want you all to be involved along the way, but I will definitely still be posting regular photography content. Wardrobe Wednesdays will become somewhat maternity-inspired out of necessity….but obviously that won’t be a forever change. :) Can’t wait to share in our joy and the journey with you all, though!

Will I still be booking weddings for next year?

Absolutely! Just not in May or June. :) But I’m definitely planning to book as much as I can in early Spring, late summer & Fall! This beautiful business is still a passion of mine, and one of the reasons way-back-when I chose to be my own boss was so that I could have the flexibility to work and do what I love, while also being able to set my own schedule and have availability to start a family. I know it will be a transition, but I’m so excited to learn the ropes!

And just because every post is better with some photos….here are the beginnings of my weekly Baby Bump!

If you made it through the whole post, you’re a champ! We are so grateful for this amazing gift in our life, and are so blessed to have so many caring people interested and along for the ride! We would covet prayers for the continued healthy growth of Baby and for me as my body goes through all the crazy stages of pregnancy. Can’t wait to see what this amazing new season will hold! :)