I don’t know how to put into words how much these photos mean to me. I wanted to contact our photographer, Leeann, last summer; we wanted another child, and I really wanted photos of the three of us before we became a family of four, but it was a difficult summer for us. We had two pregnancy losses… and later, in the fall, we were hesitant to spend ‘extra’ money. My husband is a federal employee and was affected by the shutdown. We were knee deep in fertility treatments, and suffered a third loss. The idea of family photos was put on the back burner. And then, somehow, we got our miracle baby. We found out on Christmas — what a gift! But this has been a complicated pregnancy from the start. I’ve been on pelvic rest and modified bed rest nearly the entire time. There were times I wasn’t sure we’d even get to take these pictures… and yet, here we are. She’s healthy, but I’m not a very good baby home so this is likely our last child. I wanted photos of us so badly, to show Chloe how much she is loved and to document our last summer as a family of three. I cried when I opened this gallery… Leeann blew my mind away, and I cannot thank her enough. They’re incredible. She made me feel comfortable and beautiful when I’ve been feeling pretty down the last few months. I’m counting down the days until this little princess is in my arms and we’re finally a family of four.

We scheduled our family shoot for my 29th week of pregnancy. Leeann suggested Mellon Park, the same park we took Chloe’s 1 year photos at nearly two years prior. Mellon Park gave us a wonderful backdrop for our photos. It reminds me of a secret garden. There are so many fun places to explore within the park, and Chloe had a blast finding the animal statues and smelling the different flowers. I admit that I was worried about taking the photos. I tried on so many outfits in the weeks leading up to the shoot before finding this dress, which is unbelievably comfortable and flattering. I’m very self-conscious about my pregnant body. I lost a lot of weight last spring and summer, then gained a lot back while doing fertility treatments. And, there’s something about pregnancy that makes my arms and face swell. At ‘only’ 29 weeks I feel like a waddling whale. Even still, Leeann made me feel like a model in front of the camera and I truly felt at ease.