Maternity Photos

Woohoo, the day has finally arrived! I get to post a few of our maternity photos!




I have to say how much we enjoyed working with Ellen; she is such a blast and very professional. She put together a wonderful slideshow for us with some very cute music:

http://clients.ellenzilla.com/allisonbrad/



You can also check out our site where we can purchase the photos; that way you can see them all (for a limited time). Here are a few of Ellen's favorites.

Weekly "Loving" List: 38

Wow... 38 freaking weeks. That's just... sheesh...

Week 38: I'm Loving...

*that the baby is FINALLY starting to drop! HALLELUJAHS! HALLELUJAHS! Maybe now my heartburn will subside and I won't get kicked in the ribs. Ah, a girl can dream, can't she?

*shopping. I've gone a bit crazy, I must admit. We were blessed with SO many gift cards, and I've finally let it all go. Just in the past two days I've bought a car seat, and extra car seat base, a video monitor, a hamper, a waterproof crib sheet protector and a nursing tank. Seriously, I am on a roll. As soon as I hear back from an Etsy seller I'm buying a baby sling. I sure hope it can ship quickly!

*my fitness ball. I love sitting on these things, so ergonomic. Especially now while I'm trying to encourage the baby to drop, it is the best. I try to spend at least 15 minutes on it every night, just rolling and bouncing. Plus, once baby is here it will help me lose weight, assuming I use it to, you know, work out.

*television. I've been watching lots of my shows on Netflix and DVR in the evenings while I unwind from the day, and now I can catch up on Misfits as well (thanks Simon!), because I have this feeling I won't get to do that too much once I've got a sleepy baby. We shall see... headphones?

*sick days. I have had a sinus infection this week, which is miserable, but I've been able to take a few days to catch up on rest, which makes such a huge difference. That and vitamins...

*nesting. I definitely need to get hit by the urge to super-clean, but I've spent some time every night this week organizing the nursery, plotting shopping trips, fixing up the house in one way or another. The rug is rolled out, which makes a big diff, and now I just have to hang up artwork. here's to the weekend!

*maternity photos! We haven't seen them all, but Ellenzilla posted about 10 onto Facebook, so we have a good idea. I cannot wait to see the rest, they look so wonderful!

That's what I've got for now, friends. What blessings have you had this week?

Weekly "Loving" List: 37

Whew, I am exhausted lately! It doesn't help that my nose is a bit stuffy, so I have to sleep with my mouth open to breath, resulting in very sore throat the next morning. But enough complaining, this is about the good things in life!

Week 37: I'm Loving...

*hot tea. I think I've mentioned this one before, but between cold, drizzly days and sore throats, hot tea is a constant source of "Ahh" in a topsy-turvy world.

*birth class. We had our class last weekend and it was surprisingly fun. I have GOT to get one of those exercise balls for the house (and then find a way to keep it safe from cats...). The picture is from class; Brad got to be pregnant while I hepled him through a contraction. The teacher got a sneaky pic.

*days off. I have Thursday off until the baby comes, thanks ot appointments, so I get to have a sleep-in day during the week. It is much needed. Plus, it is Brad's day off, so we get to spend the day together.

*friends. I've gotten lots of encouragement and support from friends, and it makes a big difference. Knowing we have a huge support team takes a bit of the weight off our shoulders.

*Pinterest. This is seriously like crack for those of us with A.D.D.

*prayer. It should go without explanation, but I just have to say that no matter what worry or fear I feel, I find great comfort in laying it at God's feet. Sometimes I just chat with God, just ramble in my car, and it always leaves me feeling lighter (metaphorically of course, I'm getting quite hefty).

*lemon water. I always feel refreshed after gulping down a bottle of lemon water, and I know it helps with my swollen feet.

*free food. I got lots of free lunches this week, thanks ot work activities. I'm heading off to one now, actually!

Weekly "Loving" List: 36

We're getting closer, friends! I'm betting I make it all the way to (or past) my due date; this kid is riding high! Trust me, his feet are in my ribs...

Week 36: I'm Loving...

~maternity shoots. I have been excited about taking those photographs since I found out I was pregnant. What can I say, I love having my picture taken by professionals who edit! it is one of the few times pictures agree with my mirror. We had our shoot with Ellenzilla on Thursday (last week was rained out) at the Mercer Arboretum and Garden. So much fun, and I cannot wait to see the results!

~sleep. I'm doing my best to enjoy it while I can, haha. I wake up a bit during the night, of course, but I don't have much trouble falling back asleep (knock on wood).

~our "guest book". The tree canvas that Erin made is so beautiful, even with only a handful of prints on it so far. This weekend it will EXPLODE with new prints, and I can't wait to see how beautiful it looks. It will make an amazing accent piece in the finished nursery, serving as a visual reminder of the huge family of blessing we have looking out for our child.

~my TeeFury shirt. Last year I bought two mystery shirts on TeeFury, and I have to say I got really random results. One shirt references some video game I don't play, so I've never even worn it, and the other one is Smoky Bear lighting a forest on fire. On top of that, I got them DURING the horrendous fires in Magnolia, so I couldn't wear it out of the house. The twist is it is the most comfortable thing I've worn maybe ever. It makes for the best around-the-house shirt or sleep shirt. Too cozy for words.

I bet there are more, but I'm swamped at work and having trouble focusing (can you tell?) so the list is short this week. See you next week!

Weekly "Loving" List: 35

Somehow I have already skipped a week of my Loving List - surprise! I'm still me, but now my A.D.D. has "baby brain" added to it. Let's begin!

Week 35: I'm Loving...

-decorating a nursery. I'm having so much fun, and now we have one shower under our wing we have even more fun things and essentials. I still need to clean out the closet from when that room was our things-that-have-no-home room, and then I'll be basically done except for the last few big items we need (glider, rug, side table, etc).

-compliments. I have been so vain this week! I finally posted bump pics online (at 34 weeks, those were really the first ones I'd even taken), and I'm loving the response. I feel good about this body, and I really haven't gained much weight outside of the tummy, but it still feels good to hear it from others.

-planning our maternity shoot. Speaking of vanity, we have our professional maternity session tomorrow, so I've become obsessed with clothes - what to wear?!? I am over the moon excited about the shots; we're going to the Houston Arboretum, which will be simply gorgeous, and I have such faith in Ellenzilla and her skills. Wish us luck!

-snacks. I have always been a grazer, so I keep fruit and nuts and such at my desk at work. As long as I always have access to a snack, I'm a happy girl. Still wish I could go through a whole jar of pickles in one sitting, but the sodium might kill my hippo feet. ;-)

-Tylenol. Does this need explaining?

-Pinterest. I waste spend SO much time on there, sometimes finding cute ideas I might actually implement, usually just surfing for fun/cute stuff.

-argyle. I'm falling head over heels for argyle baby clothes, and even for Brad. I just love this print and I'm glad the relaxed preppy look is so "in" now, because I can find it everywhere!

Those are the things to come to my mind this week. I'm sure I'll think of more. What new things will I add next week?