My one and only maternity self-portrait I managed to capture during my second (and final) pregnancy.

Have you ever had the feeling of not being "pretty", or perhaps hating social media because every perfectly orchestrated square you stumble upon of a stranger's feed reminds you of a life you can't (or don't) have? This was me during my second pregnancy. For whatever the reason I just could not and did not want to remember this time. Looking back it's silly, but these two simple portraits were a 10-minute effort nearing dusk in our modest home studio in our old home (which we no longer reside in) to document what would indefinitely be my final pregnancy. I was nearly 39 weeks pregnant here, in fact my due date was that next Wednesday, and I remember thinking that if I don't make the effort today, like right now, to get in at least one portrait of this time it'll never happen again. So, Elle and I threw on a couple of our fancy dresses and twirled a bit (a past time we always enjoy doing) and I set the self timer on my camera to grab a shot every couple of seconds or so. In the moment you think you'll never get anything, and this is a bit pointless, but oh how I am SO.GRATEFUL that I made the effort to be present and get in the frame with my children.

I've since had my baby, in fact he just celebrated his first birthday, but I will forever cherish these two simple portraits, no makeup and all. This serves as a gentle reminder of just how fleeting these moments are, and how important it is to exist in the frame. Mama, the Family Historian, was there too and that is something very special to remember.