WHAT A YEAR! I think I can speak for everyone when we say 2020 has been a rollercoaster. We have experienced a year unparalleled to any other before it and although 2021 could likely turn into something similar; right now we are going to be holding onto some hope & faith for a new & brighter year ahead. 2020 started like any other – except this year we had a big plan in mind.
We have always been BIG planners when it comes to starting & expanding our family. Thankfully we have been blessed for that process to be fairly simple and quick as we know many friends & family members are not as fortunate. Throughout 2019 we were pretty certain that 2020 would be the perfect year for a new baby. Like any big decision like that we were nervous but it was different this time around. It wasn’t our first rodeo and we certainly aren’t 25 anymore. This time we pre-structured our schedule to accommodate a longer maternity leave (because the 2 weeks with Jax WASN’T enough) & we hoped like most years to just take the holiday season off. We started strategically accepting weddings based on dates & making sure we didn’t work too much throughout the 3rd trimester. Who knew what a blessing that would be?!
When March hit and we got the news that not only were we expecting a baby to arrive on Thanksgiving Day (WOO!) we also watched as the nation shut down and events were becoming impacted in a way they had never been before. Still back then like everyone we assumed … it won’t last that long … surely. Well, because of our awesome planning for a very light Fall we had plenty of availability to move our Spring clients. Spare us the “awhs” as this WAS a blessing. We only lost 1 wedding throughout the entire year of 2020 and we are so grateful for that. Others have been impacted far beyond us and we will forever cherish the ability to still serve our clients even in a time we thought it would be all about Italy, family trips, and relaxation. This past Saturday was our very last wedding before baby arrives – we are happy to announce we made it!
Looking back it’s been a sweet 9 months. We were still able to cherish our time together as a family even if it wasn’t always on a beach. There was a time between April and June where we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off – vivid I know. However, balancing 1st trimester/2nd trimester sleepiness on top of “what the heck do I do with this 4 year old?” to “Is the world ending?” … it was an overwhelming time for us. Coming out of that though we were still able to get together with our family which stretches from Alabama to South Carolina to Minnesota. We are so grateful for that time with family before baby arrives! Jax LOVES his dedicated time with his aunts & uncles.
Looking forward we are just praying for a sweet, healthy baby & a smooth delivery with a more simple recovery. Jax sure did shock us into parenthood with a 19 hour stressful labor & 6 months of Postpartum Depression & Anxiety. This is precisely the reason we have waited a whopping 4.5 years to commit to another round. We will be so happy once she is here. The anticipation of her arrival for many reasons is exciting and nerve-wrecking. We are feeling more confident as adults & parents though so we are assuring ourselves that we have totally got this and when we don’t … we have wine. HAHA!
We are equipped with the BEST big brother for her. Where kids learn it we have no clue. However, someone must have told Jax that not a single soul can look in her direction without his permission. He’s let us know that “I’m not gonna let that Doctor give my sisi any shots” but he also says “Imma throw up if she poops on me”. We are clearly working on both sides of the spectrum here with this kid. We have told him her name but he is in denial so we actually don’t believe he will ever call her by her actual name. So much so he doesn’t even remember the name (we know this as our parents have tried asking him in attempts for him to spill the beans on our big secret).
SO, we are a week away from her due date. She might come before that, she might come after that … I mean I’m writing this days before publishing so maybe she’s already here! Regardless we are thankful for everyone who has been following our journey over the past 9 months. We are thankful for the love, gifts, & prayers for us and our family. We are thrilled to introduce her to you & can’t wait to officially become a family of 4 right before the 2020 holiday season!
Thank you to our magical associate Katie for taking these maternity photos! They turned out beautifully & we are already putting them all over the house. Love you!
One Comment
I’m so thankful you have been able to treasure this time. When we were pregnant with Brandon we didn’t know the sex of the baby Katie would say “If the baby’s a boy we are not taking it home” Thankfully she’s loved him from the moment she saw him.