“Pregnant with my third son, I knew it was important to take maternity photos because I would treasure them someday. The only hiccup was that I did not feel like getting glammed up or standing in a field of wildflowers trying to look serene while sweating in the Texas heat. While many pregnant women like feeling glamorous for their maternity shoots, that sounded like a nightmare to me. This is not my first rodeo, and let’s be honest — I don’t have the time or the energy anymore to get dolled up to go sit in field and swat mosquitoes while gazing peacefully at my belly. I’m a very causal person in reality, so I would much rather be comfortable in my own skin (and my own comfy clothes) for a photo session.
My dear friend Lauren with Studio154 Photography suggested that we do a shoot where I would feel most comfortable. She told me that if I was uncomfortable and tense it would show up on camera (great advice!) so we decided to make my shoot as painless as possible. Posing is my nemesis, so we knew that candid shots would probably be our best chance at getting me without an awkward smile. What do I love to do most while pregnant? EAT. More specifically, eat Blue Bell ice cream, my absolute favorite craving this pregnancy (and favorite dessert even when I’m not pregnant). Pickles, popcorn and watermelon are all second fiddle cravings to my true love of ice cream. No contest.
Now to figure out the location… Lauren had already done a sweet little shoot at home of me snuggling my other two sons, so we decided to venture out for this shoot. I joked that it would be fun to just eat my way through a grocery store and let her document it, and she was all about it! We spent a fun morning at an H-E-B in The Woodlands, Texas, laughing and eating our way through the aisles (with permission of course). We hit up all my favorite spots and tried to steer clear of other shoppers in the process. Even though we tried to be inconspicuous, two friends cackling with laughter and eating everything in sight drew a little bit of attention. We managed to get some strange looks and a few giggles from people doing their weekly shopping. Part of me wondered if they were confused as to why I was opening and eating food before paying for it, because a few of them looked genuinely concerned that we were about to get in trouble! Mostly they just gave us our space once they saw Lauren’s camera.
Lauren was able to capture some amazing shots that I will treasure forever! Honestly I’m not sure what my favorite part of this whole ordeal was: the adorable keepsake photos, or the fun memories that I made with my friend in the process. I hope that this shoot, as silly as it is, inspires other expectant mothers to be comfortable in their own skin, whether that is in a glamorous gown or a favorite comfy sweater like me. After all, every pregnant mother deserves to feel her best, even if it means sitting down in the middle of a grocery store to dig into some ice cream!”
