A post about Baby Bird.

Although we made it facebook official a few weeks ago, we have not made it Whitney Lin Photography blog official-We are expecting a little one at the end of October!

I like sharing my personal life on my blog.  I want clients to get to know me before they book me, and I love when clients keep up with my work and life after their weddings and sessions.  It is part of why a keep a blog.  However, I have kept pretty quiet about this pregnancy in social media, mainly out of respect for our new little family, and although I hate admitting it, a tad out of worry.  I have loved sharing this with Kevin, and before it was shared with anyone it was just him, myself,  and a positive pregnancy test.  It was tears of joy, (my tears) and hugs and kisses.  It was Valentine's day, and it was by far the best Valentine's day I have ever had.  I was even a little shocked.  Yes, this pregnancy was very planned.  I did my research, I bought an iphone app, I checked and re-checked dates, and possible due dates before we even started trying.  I was trying to plan around wedding season, and although I heard numerous times from different people (my mother) that these things can't be planned, I was actually right on this one.  I assumed it would take a little more time, Kevin did not.  He told me from the beginning that he thought it would happen right away, and his confidence freaked me out a little, but as it turned out he was right.  I can not express how blessed, and actually lucky I feel that we pulled this off.  I know it can be incredibly hard to get pregnant, and my prayers go out to couples that do have difficulty.  It actually makes me feel a little bad to talk about getting pregnant fast, which is why I haven't, but I am so so grateful, and I want to share our story and my crazy pregnancy ramblings.  SO I am going to.

 I had purposely stopped scheduling weddings after September 8th, just in case, and it was a good thing I did.  Yes, I might have been able to do one more, but it just isn't worth the risk.  I did some research on shooting weddings pregnant.  Yes, that info. is out there.  Mainly, I read other people's personal experience and decided what I thought was best for us.  Don't take on anymore weddings than I already had booked, and don't do any past September 8th.  That would give me a month and half before my due date to catch up on editing.  I will probably shoot seniors, and families after that time, but my availability will be limited.  I also have help lined up for my later weddings so that my clients do not feel nervous about my pregnancy.  I have wonderful clients, and they have all been so wonderfully understanding.  I would never shoot a wedding I didn't think I could handle, and they seem to understand that.  

So...since this post is supposed to be more about my pregnancy ramblings...here goes.  I get asked a lot of the same questions .  They are the polite type of questions, most of them anyway, and since they come up a lot-I will answer them here too.

My due date is October 27th.  I would love a 10-11-12 baby, but I am guessing baby bird will arrive in early November.  

Yes, we will find out what we are having.  I am 16 weeks tomorrow so we will find out in about a month.  I can not wait.  Do I have a feeling about what we are having?-yes, but out of fear of being wrong, I am staying quiet on that.  

I am feeling really good.  I had morning sickness during my first trimester, and was sick a lot.  Kevin was forbidden to cook anything.  He tried three times, and all three times I was puking.  The smell was just too much.  We ate out a lot.  I haven't been sleeping very good, but at least the nausea is gone.  I do have some aches and pains, but that is just normal stretching.

No, I haven't felt the baby move yet.  Not even flutters.  Hopefully that happens soon!

Yes, we have talked about names.  Nothing definite, and I doubt we name our baby before he/she is born, but if we do, my lips will be sealed on that one.  

I am not sure how Penny will react to the new baby.  I am guessing she will not be too crazy about him/her at first.  But, as she figures out baby isn't going anywhere, I am hoping she will become protective.  Someday, I am hoping they will be best buddies!

I do get asked a lot if I am showing yet, and yes I am.   A lot of people have told me that I'll be all baby, or just have a bump, and I am hear to say that that is not going to be the case.  I can already see changes in other areas, and although it is nice to hear, it actually just makes me feel anxious because I don't think that will be the case, and then the people pleaser in me will feel like I am letting people down.  It is silly I know, but I'm a realist, and although I don't want people telling me that I am going to be huge, I would rather them not expect me to be "all baby."  People have been awful about the size Jessica Simpson got, and although pregnancy is not the time for vanity, seeing the number on the scale steadily increase is a little scary.  I think I would just rather be told, pregnancy suits you.  That seems like a nice way of putting it.  Even if it doesn't, it is a safe thing to say to a pregnant woman.  When discussing my belly, and feeling wider yesterday, my hubby pointed out that "you're going to have to get wider to fit a me-size baby out of there."  My first reaction was horror at the thought of a "me-size" baby, but he is right.  It is just fact, and I love that about him.  I also like that he brings me back down to earth.

Another thing that I am getting used to is people staring directly at my stomach when they see me.  I am sure I do this to, so I get it, but it is still so weird that thats the first place people's eyes go.  Yes, there is a fetus the size of an orange in there.  Yes, it makes my tummy pouch out.  Please examine.  It is just funny, but we humans are a curious bunch.  

 Anyways below is the photo we used for our facebook announcement.  It was taken by my sister on easter and I was around 12 weeks pregnant I think.  Go ahead-check out my belly :)  

Penny was not supposed to be in these photos.  I assumed she would want to run around, but she sat by Kevin's feet and looked right at the camera as though we tried getting her to pose like that.

  Once again Penny just hopped on Kevin's lap and looked at the camera.  We Birds are a photogenic bunch, and you can bet baby will be trained from an early age.

So there you have it...Feel free to skip these pregnancy posts if you just like to check out the photos.  I won't mind.