I’ve been working on a new project for the last, oh, 8.5 months…Baby #2. In some ways this pregnancy has flown by; while in other ways, it seems to have gone on forever. This time around, I feel bigger (and have that waddle walk that I never had with my first), my hips are killing, and I’m up writing this at 1am because I just don’t sleep much anymore. I know, I know, I better get used to the not sleeping part again! Schlepping my camera equipment and gathering up the manic energy needed for 6pm family portrait sessions this summer was tougher than I thought it would be, as was walking up to our fourth floor apartment (it usually necessitates a long pause on the second floor and a belly hold for the last two flights).
With + or – 3 weeks to go, I’m filled with a lot of emotions: excitement at meeting this young guy or gal, trepidation at the reality of having two children, and frustration that we are creatively trying to cram a fourth person into our 1.5 bedroom elevator-free apartment. I’m starting to have flashbacks to my last delivery, which somehow I was able to block out of my head for the last 3 years. Let’s just say it began with a surprise induction and did not end smoothly. I never tell anyone about it unless they’ve already had children. 🙂 But a friend of mine who just delivered her second child reminded me of the power of positive thinking, so here’s to hoping (praying!) for a better experience this time around.
Since I’m always preaching about the importance of recording life’s big moments, I hired a photographer to take maternity portraits of me this week. It’s always strange for me to be in front of the camera, but I don’t want this moment to slip by without a proper record of it. Clearly my sunrise self-timer “selfie” above during a sleepless morning in Nantucket will not suffice! I also love working with other photographers and seeing how they interact with clients, run their business, etc. We can all learn from each other. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes!
In the meantime, back to my waddle, my pineapple popsicles, and my growing belly. Here’s to being up before the sun, new pathways, and a cute newborn to photograph in a few weeks!
5:45 am at Brant Point Lighthouse, Nantucket, MA.