family Archives - The Vintage Modern Wife

Our Winter Maternity Photoshoot in Texas

March 17, 2018

I’m so excited to share photos from our maternity photoshoot! I never had the opportunity to have maternity pictures taken when I was pregnant with Addie due to delivering her the weekend that I was supposed to get my pictures done, so I really wanted to make sure we got them this time. If you’ve never had maternity pictures, I’ll tell you- it’s something you should definitely do. I absolutely regretted not having them done with Addie and this photoshoot was just so wonderful for our family. Having a winter maternity photoshoot in Texas isn’t easy. Some days it was super cold, others it was rainy. Some days were nice and we couldn’t coordinate our schedules, and some days were down right yucky. Thanks to our amazing photographer Rhonda Williams and her husband Tim, from Photography by Legacy Imaging, we were able to find the most perfect day anyone could ask for and got some amazing pictures.

I found this gorgeous red maternity dress off of Amazon and knew I needed it. It was perfect for a winter maternity photoshoot in Texas because I could stand it if it was warm or cold outside, it was inexpensive (less than $30! Whoa!), and we could coordinate outfits together well. I love that it came in a BUNCH of colors too! The pink dress in my photoshoot was actually Rhonda’s and I’m so glad I tried it on. I found a dupe of the pink dress here on Etsy. Not exact, but pretty close! We got some amazing pictures with that dress and I am so insanely pleased at how they came out.

If you notice the pictures with Addie, you may have been able to tell that she’s missing a lot of cords! Girlfriend ROCKED this photoshoot with eyes open, smiles, NO CIRCUIT, NO VENTILATOR, and just a little oxygen. I’m so proud of her and how far she’s come. Photoshoots are draining for kids in general, and Addie gets overstimulated so easily. Because the weather was so nice, Rhonda and Tim were extremely patient, and Tim shook a little pom pom for Addie, we got some beautiful maternity photos that I can’t wait to blow up and put in our home.

Of course, when you live in Waco and have a photoshoot, you have to stop by the iconic Suspension Bridge. If you’re a fan of the show, Fixer Upper, I’m sure you’ve noticed it in the show intro. I love how the light hits so perfectly for these! The last time we got professional pictures done at the Suspension Bridge were for our engagement photos, so I love that I was able to get some great photos there as an update.

The pink dress shots are my absolute FAVORITE. I borrowed the dress from Rhonda’s collection (here’s the closest pink dress I can find to it online). The train on it was massive and it made for some incredible shots. I definitely would like to add some of these to our gallery wall in our living room. We took these pictures in Brazos Park East in Waco and it was the perfect spot to end for the night. Talk about a perfect dress for a winter maternity photoshoot, right!?

Another fun location we stopped at was this random wooded area on the side of the road. Sometimes you find great spots for pictures in the most unlikely places! I would have driven right past this area had it not been for Rhonda and Tim! The trees, the sun- it was all perfect. I wish we could’ve gotten Mathew and Addie in these shots but we literally were climbing over branches, my dress was getting stuck, and it would’ve been crazy with all her equipment. Still, I had so much fun!

Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better winter maternity photoshoot. There are so many things we missed due to my rough pregnancy with Addie like maternity pictures, newborn photos, even taking her home after a few days. She spent 10 months in the hospital and it just seems like this pregnancy with Lawson has been entirely different. I’ve had energy, I’ve had 1 health issue (which was expected) unlike a bunch last pregnancy, and I’ve been really able to enjoy myself. I will miss being pregnant for sure, but boy, am I excited for Wednesday so we can meet our sweet boy. I can’t even begin to imagine the joy and redemption this rainbow baby will bring to our family.

If you’re looking for a maternity photographer in Waco, Texas, definitely hit up Rhonda and Tim with Photography by Legacy Imaging. They always do an amazing job and I’m never disappointed by their incredible work.

Filed Under: family, fashion, Lawson, Mathew, photoshoot ·

14 Week Bumpdate

October 11, 2017

It’s time for a 14 week bumpdate! Since I last left you all, I’ve had an appointment with my OB and got a new picture of our sweet baby. Again, it was another appointment with relief as baby is growing nice and big and has a beautiful looking spine, adorable head, and the cutest belly! I have my next appointment at the beginning of November, and then mid November we will see a Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor (the one who watched over Addie during my pregnancy with her and delivered her) to have our anatomy scan to ensure that all looks well. We just want to be extra sure because of my history with Addie. Excited about those upcoming appointments and looking forward to seeing our baby again soon!

How far along: 14 weeks

Name: We finally have picked out a boy name and a girl name. We will share once we find out what we’re having!

Size: Baby is the size of a peach at 14 weeks! That’s 3.39 inches and 1.50 ounces

How I’m feeling: Pretty great! I definitely have more energy again and am back in the kitchen cooking lunch and dinner for us. I’ve been able to keep up with Addie again too, which is so nice! All her therapies were wearing me out!

Sickness: I have only thrown up twice in the past 2 weeks so I’d say MUCH better. I was throwing up every meal so I’m happy that I’m not doing that anymore.

Cravings: I had a weird craving for my mom’s potato salad last week. That was pretty hilarious. I called her up and got her recipe, drove to H-E-B and got all the ingredients (and a roast chicken to go with it), and made a big bowl of it. I gave some away to my in laws, but otherwise we slowly ate it all for lunches. Made my heart happy. It has pickles, bell peppers, celery, and green olives minced really fine in it, and the salty/sour in it made baby happy.

Aversions: Still not wanting Asian food really. Although I’m going to make kung pao chicken from my friend Kathy’s blog this week. I’ve made it a dozen times and it’s SO good. Since I’m not as sensitive to smells anymore, I feel like I’m in a good place to eat it. BBQ is also an aversion right now. Stab to the heart for this Texan. I actually love the way it tastes, but baby does NOT like it and it came right back up after eating it recently. So, I’m just going to avoid it for a while.

Weight gain: Actually- nothing. I can see changes in my body but I’m pretty sure all the vomiting from first trimester caused me not to gain anything. Baby is growing great though, so doctor is happy!

Physical changes: My “girls” feel SO heavy lately. Stomach is definitely getting rounder too.

Pregnancy purchases so far: I’ve made a few purchases so far that I wanted to share that have been helpful—

Thieves hand purifier. Respiratory season is here and so many people are sick already. I can’t get sick not only for myself and this baby but for Addie too. So I bought a 3 pack of hand purifier so I have one in my purse, one in Addie’s diaper bag, and another on my desk at home in case I need. It’s made with aloe and Thieves essential oil and feels so good on my hands. It’s not drying, which I appreciate, because my skin gets SO dry once cold weather starts.
Tangerine essential oil. I am trying to do my best in drinking lots of water for baby. Water gets “boring” sometimes so I like to add a drop of Tangerine Vitality oil to my water so it tastes like a hint of Tangerine. It’s quite delicious and I’m able to drink much more water this way.

Thanks for joining me for another bumpdate! I’ll be updating again in a couple weeks with a new letter board and pictures!

Filed Under: family, Lawson ·

12 Week Bumpdate

October 3, 2017

Outfit details: Shirt/ Jeans/ Scarf/ Hat

Photography by: Teressa Jane Photography

I’m a little behind on my bumpdate but I figure you guys won’t mind! First trimester was so crazy and I’m happy to say that as I write this, I’m finally 13 weeks and out of the first trimester! Hallelujah! I cried many tears of joy for our baby (and frustration from being sick) and I can’t wait for all of the fun things that the second trimester brings. I have my 14 week appointment on Friday and I’m excited to get another glimpse of the baby and see what the doctor has to say about everything. It’ll have been a month since I’ve seen our sweet baby and it always amazes me how fast they grow in such a short amount of time!

How far along: 12 weeks (well here. I’m a bit behind on my bumpdates as I’m now 13 weeks.)

Name: We finally have picked out a boy name and a girl name. We will share once we find out what we’re having!

Size: Baby is the size of a plum at 12 weeks! That’s 2.09 inches and .49 ounces

How I’m feeling: At 12 weeks, I was still feeling rotten. However, since I’m writing this at 13 weeks (I plan to do a bumpdate every other week), I can say that I’ve turned a new leaf (I think!) and I haven’t been sick in 3 days! Praise Jesus!

Sickness: First trimester was rotten. I was sick before meals, sick after meals, throwing up meals- it was rough. Smells were huge triggers and my nose is like a bloodhound’s.

Cravings: Cinnamon Raisin Bagels. They were the only thing that would make me not want to throw up. I also sometimes wanted to drink pickle juice on it’s own which is super weird for me, and salt and vinegar chips were very helpful in soothing an upset tummy.

Aversions: Cooked meat was rough. I can eat it, but I couldn’t cook it or smell it cooking. The smell of smoke from a barbecue pit also was a huge trigger. Anything also with a strong smell I couldn’t take- which included my favorite Korean tacos.

Weight gain: Nothing so far. Too much vomit!

Physical changes: I swear I could see my stomach getting bigger the second I found out I was pregnant. Also, my chest feels like it weighs so much! Mama is getting ready to make milk, I suppose!

Pregnancy purchases so far: I’ve made a few purchases so far that I wanted to share that have been helpful—

This nursing bra. My bras were getting SO uncomfortable and this one has been awesome. I bought several and I’m so glad I did.
Young Living Lemon essential oil and Peppermint essential oil. Lemon was the only thing I could tolerate in my diffuser with my sensitivity to smells and Peppermint saved my butt whenever I was nauseated. I wore a diffuser bracelet and put Peppermint on it so I could smell every time I felt sick. If you’re thinking you need to go grab some now, get YL. Don’t get that junk at the grocery store. Trust- it’ll make you feel more sick.
Young Living Einkorn Granola. So good to snack on whenever I needed something light in my stomach that wouldn’t make me feel bad. It’s not overly sweet and you can eat it by the handful, as cereal, or on top of yogurt.

I’m excited to keep you guys in the loop as this pregnancy progresses with more bumpdates. Please pray for an uneventful pregnancy and for a healthy baby! Every day we tell Addie she’s going to be a big sister and I think she’s starting to come around to the idea that it’s going to be an awesome thing! Haha!

Filed Under: family, fashion, Lawson, Mathew ·