This morning I'm excited to share this sweet family session with you. It is all things kids and maternity and family photography that I love. Miss Gracelynn and her parents met me on a gorgeous Saturday morning in Duxbury at Shipyard Lane Beach and we all ditched our shoes and felt the wet sand squish between our toes for the duration of the session.
Addie was in the last few weeks of pregnancy at this point and we talked about having young kiddos and how freaking exhausting it is to be pregnant the second time around. It's so bittersweet nearing the end of pregnancy. You are excited, but also faced with the reality of 'oh my goodness we are doing this again and all the diapers and sleepless nights and hormones and leaky boobs' and to boot needing to also stay focused on the kiddo who has had my whole heart the past couple years.
Oh my, it's complicated. Beautiful, but so complicated.
I wonder daily if I'm ruining Lily's life. I know I'm not, but bringing a sibling into her life will not be without bumps. And there's the feeling of uncertainty in changing up our family routine. Four and a half years of just the three of us and I've gotten so used to how we work as a family, our dynamics and that will all change. And when Lily expresses that she doesn't want anything to change, I know deep down she's excited and it'll be wonderful most days, but oh, it digs a knife in my heart and twists it around ever so slowly.
But then I get to hang out with families and watch them grow and see all the fun they are having, siblings playing, family snuggle piles, and I can't even wait. Everyone tells me that the moment you see your baby, the love grows. Your heart expands and you immediately see that you are not dividing your love, but doubling it.
So to the mamas out there who are having their second, third, or bless you, fourth or more, I raise a glass (of water) to you and give you a hug in solidarity. It is not easy and for all the fear and anxiety and uncertainty for what's to come, my hope is that we can embrace the beauty and love of motherhood, whatever form it takes in our lives, and give ourselves some grace that we are badass and capable of so much more than we'll ever know.
And now I'd love to share some of my favorites with you of my time with Gracelynn, Addie and Jason!
