You know those beautiful maternity photos you see in magazines? The ones with the romantic field, the sun shining, the gorgeous couple embracing each other as they gaze romantically in the distance? Well what they don’t tell you is what really went down. Behind the scenes, there was mud, ticks, rain, and reshoots. Or at least that’s how it happened for us.
The day of our photo shoot, it rained. My hair was a mess, and I wasn’t exactly relaxed. Our photographer Claire Mulkey and her husband Victor struggled to capture everything: two couples and two dogs in multiple outfits before it started to pour. Somehow they managed to get some great shots of Jessie and Andy, and a few good ones of Jessie and me.
Dave and I are not professional models though. Giving relaxed smiles in poses that felt foreign was more than we could manage in the short amount of time. Adding to the awkwardness of the photos, I had no idea how to pose! At 29 weeks, in spite of eating well and exercising, I was up 33 pounds! Whatever happens to my body along the way is just part of the process; I just want Baby Rez to be healthy and strong; but a lot has changed, and somedays I feel like an elephant. My thighs touch, my shirts ride up, my maternity leggings are a size large and I’ve bought underwear 3 sizes bigger than I normally wear and they are tight! Needless to say, I could not exude beauty, and confidence on cue.
Claire was generous to offer a reshoot, and the next weekend we returned to spend a little more time getting the shots we wanted. Luckily there was no rain that day. The resulting photos captured this magical time in our life and the love Dave and I feel for each other and Baby Rez. When I look at these photos, I see a beautiful pregnant woman. No elephants.
