February 20, 2020
Hi friends, Sara here! Just as a warning, this article is going to be a LONG one, but I know you’ll enjoy it!
Let’s first talk about the amazing baby shower that my mom (Michelle), my step-mother-in-law (Paula) AND my BFF (Christina) held for Jake and me! I knew it was going to be good because of these ladies, but it absolutely blew J and me away! I cried so many happy tears that it makes me truly grateful for waterproof makeup.
In all honesty, I really don’t know how to put into words how thankful we both are and how joyous that celebration was. Even several days after the shower, I still don’t know how to process it all. I can only tell you that I tear up every single time I think about it. Yes, we are so grateful for the gifts, but we’re just honestly so blown away by the love we felt. We truly did not expect the amount of love we received from so, so many people. The baby boy felt the love too!
I do just want to give two HUGE thank yous’ to Lindsey (Building Beauty) who made me feel absolutely beautiful with her magical makeup/hair skills! Secondly, I want to thank the ladies at Chandler’s Cookies & Confections for the beautiful (and delicious) cookies!
You know the way we work here is expressing all of the moments through photographs so that’s how I am going to do it! Keep scrolling to see some from the shower and my maternity session! 
 
 
 
    
 
 
Just a little note to say a giant THANK YOU to mom, aka Michelle, again for taking maternity photographs for Jake and me! I can’t wait to get these printed and hung up on my walls!
Also, there have been a few of you that have been asking for a pregnancy update so here we are! It really is insane to think that I was secretly writing my last pregnancy post because no one but close family/friends (and our clients) knew. Now it is fun to write this with the knowledge that you, the reader, knows!
The last time I wrote to you was in early October (WHAT?!), but if you follow us on Instagram (which you totally should) you have been getting the week-to-week update. However that update really is only showing how big I am getting, but I have not really touched on anything else since that article! So let’s cover a few basic questions to get you up to speed:
How far along are you?
I am currently 34 amount of weeks and in the third trimester.
What are you currently craving?
It is hard to say because at this moment I just want food. During the beginning of the second trimester, I just wanted mashed potatoes and sweet tea. Right now I could seriously eat ANYTHING. I just go from not hungry to hungry is a snap. It is really quite scary for me to experience because I normally don’t eat this much food. However, I do know that I am eating for two and he is growing like crazy so it’s worth it. 😉
How is Baby Boy Rivers doing?
The babe is doing great! He loves it when I eat/drink sweet things – he got that sweet tooth like momma. 😉 But honestly, he is doing fantastic. Praise God!
How are you preparing for birth?
In all honesty, it’s really hard to prepare for something like this. I feel like birth goes against every planner-type person because you just cannot “plan” birth. Do I have a birth plan? Yes. It is simply to birth this sweet boy. I truly don’t want to have a “set” plan in place because I don’t want to set myself for any sort of disappointment.
I am making it a priority to plan my time before and after birth with lots of grace and zero expectations on myself. Again, planning for birth is difficult, but I want to choose the important things and let the rest of it go.
Are you going to take maternity leave from MSP?
Sort-of. It is hard to take maternity leave while you hold part ownership in a business, but we are prepping a lot of things now for when bubba (that’s my nickname for him) comes. While I will be working at two weddings, me going into the MSP office probably won’t be a thing unless I need to get out of my house. And thankfully I have an amazing boss, partner, and mom who understands how precious this time is. So, as I said, we’re preparing literally everything that we possibly can beforehand so I can soak in those baby snuggles. Oh, M wants in on that too, ha!
Do you have a name picked out? If so, will you share it?
This is probably the biggest question Jake and I get asked all of the time! To make it short and simple: no. We currently don’t have a single name chosen for him, but we are down to two! And we really love both of them so our hearts have been set on one more than the other. Will we share if we do choose the name before he is born? I would say probably not. Only because this is the one decision that has been the HARDEST. It really is so difficult and we’re really trying to not feel pressured or rushed into picking. The Lord knows his name and in due time, we will too.
Are you scared of birth and life after?
Scared? No. Nervous? Kinda, but only because I don’t know. You have a rough idea of how birth could go, but you never know. I don’t know what life will be like when he is here. Or even know how I will feel. These things I can’t predict, it will just have to happen. But again, I not trying to cling to any plan or have my heart set on something, and trust in the great goodness of the Lord.
Are you interested in continuing your family legacy through photographs? We offer special collections for a variety of seasons that you’re in! Email us today at michelle@michelleandsara.com to find out more!
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