Last Friday afternoon will be one that I’ll never forget! I called Reggie to tell him he needed to come home…I was pretty sure that my water had broken! We slowly made our way to the doctor’s office in Friday rush hour traffic. They confirmed that, yes, indeed, my water had broken, and we were admitted to the hospital. Within 24 hours, we laid eyes on our newest addition, our first child, our son, Remington James! I’ll save the rest of the details for his newborn post, but for now, here is a quick peek thanks to our camera phones:
While I’m on maternity leave, I will be occasionally checking in to share photos and tidbits about our sweet baby boy. We are enjoying spending quality time together as a new family, as well as adjusting to becoming parents. I truly appreciate your patience during this very special time in our lives. I will respond to calls and emails within 2-4 business days. To schedule a session for Fall 2012 and beyond, please email me at stewartimagery@hotmail.com. Thank you for your patience, thoughts, and well wishes as we start this amazing journey of parenthood!
We’re 26 days away! Twenty-six! In less than a month, Reggie and I will become parents to a sweet little baby boy! Eeek! I cannot believe how these past eight months have flown by, with their ups and downs, mostly ups. We are so excited!
The past few weeks have been quite a whirlwind. I photographed a beautiful garden wedding just shy of being 35 weeks along! And it was such a beautiful day – the perfect way to wrap up my summer wedding season! Usually August boasts a hot, humid Midwestern climate, however, as if just for these two, it was a perfect 79 degrees. More to come soon from Claire + Mike’s wedding day!
Just a few weeks ago, it was my turn to be in front of the camera! Reggie and I had maternity portraits taken by the beautiful and talented, Stefanie, of SB Childs Photography. She truly captured this exciting time in our lives, and we couldn’t be happier! Check out our blog post here! I knew from the beginning of my pregnancy that this was something I wanted to do…how can I recommend maternity portraits to my clients if I didn’t experience this myself? I can’t wait to show these to our little guy some day, showing him just how much his mommy and daddy loved each other and how excited we were about his arrival! Thank you, Stefanie!!! And a huge thank you to my sweet friend, Julia, for making me look and feel so pretty – you are wonderful!
Since Baby Stewart could arrive any time now over the next few weeks, we wanted to be sure to have our hospital bag packed and ready to go! I’m all about being as comfortable as possible! Music, reading material, and favorite items have been recommended to me. We also plan to take a camera! š Here are a few items that are definitely going with us: A comfy, sleeveless night gown, sweet orange scented toiletries, protein bars (in case the hospital kitchen is closed when our little guy decides to make his appearance!), iPod with some favorite tunes, magazines for Reggie and me (hot rods and cars for him, home decor for me), my pregnancy journal, and some receiving blankets. We’re also taking some treats for the nurses.
I’ve had some good friends (Hi Katherine and Julie!) and a cousin (Hi Heidi!) who’ve been sharing this journey with me, all of us expecting our first little ones within just a few days of each other! Best wishes for a safe and healthy delivery to you, and I cannot wait to hear all about your new arrivals!
While feeling a wide range of emotions lately – everything from happiness, excitement, anxiety, nervousness, being a little (and sometimes a lot) terrified – I’ve been cooking and baking and cleaning up a storm…that infamous nesting phase, right?!?! I pray that these bursts of energy stick with me!
I’m hoping to squeeze in the rest of the sessions on my calendar before Baby Stewart makes his big debut! Once he arrives, I’ll be taking some time off to enjoy our new family before resuming sessions mid-late October (depending upon baby’s arrival, of course). Since we’ve had such a hot summer, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a beautiful fall! To schedule a fall session, please send an email inquiry to stewartimagery@hotmail.com.
Many thanks to our family, friends, and sweet clients who have showered us with love, blessings, and gifts as we prepare for our new addition! We cannot thank you enough for everything! And we can’t wait to introduce our newest family member to you soon!
Happy Friday, Internet!
I’m taking a quick break from the normal photo-filled blog, not to worry, next week I’ve got lots to share! Like more from this sweet engagement session!
For now, I just wanted to share some tidbits from my life lately.
As you know, we’re expecting our first little one in September, and we couldn’t be more excited! I recently attended my first baby shower attended by all the amazing women in my family, and it was so much fun! My Grandma had written a little song about our baby boy. She included the words along with a handmade quilt, and when I began to read them, my eyes filled with tears. And then my Grandma began to sing the song to me, to everyone in the room, and it was such a wonderful moment. One I will always treasure. Thank you, Grandma, for such a sweet, thoughtful, heartfelt gift!
A few weeks ago, one of my favorite artists was in town, Dave Matthews. Reggie and I tried to score last minute tickets, and hung out at the venue to listen to a few songs. We ventured home to have our own little concert on our patio as we listened to Dave Matthews Radio on Pandora. It was perfect. One of his songs is Stay (Wasting Time), which got me thinking about saving time. Bear with me on this, friends, I promise to tie this all together! I’ve continued listening to his music while working, and this song came on. It made me think that once our little guy arrives, saving and spending time wisely will be of utmost importance. One little time-saving trick I’ve tried as of late has been to time my tasks using my phone. Don’t you just love technology? With an eye on the time keeping me focused and on track, distractions are held to a minimum. The more efficient I am, the better I feel. Win! Thank you, Dave, for the inspiration! š
Speaking of babies, our friends shared some of their favorite baby books with us, all of which I still need to read! I’ve heard nothing but great things about Baby Wise, so I’m looking forward to this one!
Dear Lucy,
A year ago, a sweet little puppy was born. Six weeks later, two people who had longed for a puppy of their own found her. It was a hot July afternoon, and you were huddled in the back of a crate that was way too big for you. At first we left, not knowing that you were available to take home. As we drove half way home, we couldn’t stop talking about you. We made a u-turn and hurried back to where you were, eagerly inquiring about the cute little puppy. The kind man said that yes, you were, indeed, in search of a new home. As we opened the crate and I held you in my arms, I knew you had to be ours. We were instantly smitten! At just 5 little pounds, you stole our hearts, and I couldn’t help but stare at you as you feel asleep on my lap in the car on the way home. We had to make a stop at the store to get you some food, a dish, some toys, and treats. I got a text from Reggie saying he knew he’d be in trouble when we have kids…because he was filling the cart with dog stuff! We couldn’t wait to take you to your new home to meet Lola. At first, she didn’t know what to think. However, over this past year, you two have become great friends… at least I like to think so! Even though house-training was quite a task, and at times, seemed nearly impossible, you did it! You love going on trips in the car, spending time at Grammy and Grampy’s, visiting the beach and digging holes in the sand, running through leaves, hiking in the park, chasing Lola around the house, shaking paws for treats, and snuggling at our feet at night. You are such a joy, and we love you so much!
Happy 1st Birthday, Lucy!
xoxo,
Stephanie, Reggie + Lola
May has been such a crazy month, filled with a wide range of emotions and events! The first week of May, Reggie and I found out that Baby Stewart is a BOY! We are totally excited to meet our sweet little guy in September! As you can see in the photo below, he already knows how to wave! š He’s been saying hello with some kicks here and there, which has been cool to experience.
The following week we had a house fire, which was one of the scariest, most horrific things I’ve ever experienced. The fire started next door, and spread to our home in what seemed like a flash. To make a long story short, everyone and all pets were safe, thank goodness! We’ve since moved into a temporary temporary place while searching for a temporary residence to call home while our house is being repaired over the next 3 + months. Our pup Lucy has been staying with my parents – we miss her dearly! But she has been having a blast with them! And Lola, our cat, has made her new home at the shop! She and Lucy may have to draw straws over the comfy office chair! Anyway, we can’t wait to have our little furballs at home with us soon. While some could look at this situation and think, “Poor me,” Reggie and I have had a positive outlook and have become even closer through this whole ordeal. Things could have been so much worse. We are so thankful and fortunate that no one was hurt. In moments of chaos it is hard to remember that we are not in control. Reggie reminded me of this, and it has truly helped me cope. We are truly blessed with supportive, compassionate, amazing family, friends, and neighbors. It was amazing to see how our neighborhood pulled together to help each other. We had been planning a Pink or Blue Reveal party for family and close friends the following evening to share our exciting news, and didn’t want to let this stop our celebration, so we moved the location to Reggie’s shop, and had such a fun, relaxing night with friends and family. It was exactly what we needed after such a scary, stressful time the day before. We have been overwhelmed, in a good way, by the love and support from our family, friends, and our church. Thank you so much for all of your prayers! We really appreciate it!
Then I celebrated my first Mother’s Day! Reggie took me on a picnic at one of our favorite parks, where we relaxed and dreamed about what it will be like to be parents, to take our little boy to this very same park to play on the swings and experience life. Under the shade of a big leafy tree, we took time out to dream and just be together. It was perfect.
The following weekend, we celebrated Reggie’s 30-something birthday with family, friends, and cars! We also went to see the movie “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” which was thoroughly entertaining! I admitted to Reggie that I was nervous as the previews ended and the opening scenes unfolded. Why? Well, although I’ve not read the book, I imagined there to be some reality in this film… reality that I haven’t truly comprehended yet about becoming a parent. This star-studded flick made me laugh and cry… what more could you ask for from a movie these days, right?!
Over the next few weeks, I’m looking forward to some exciting sessions as well as some fantastic weddings! Plus tons of sessions coming soon to the blog that I’m so excited to share! We just returned from taking a mini “babymoon“… more to come on this soon! (Hey, that rhymed!)
