What better time of the year to have a maternity session than during the season all about the most famous pregnancy of all?!  And what better place to have the maternity session than in a greenhouse nursery!  After all, it is the time when you’re preparing for the baby and getting things ready in the… wait for it… nursery!  Go ahead… Slap your forehead… I actually didn’t think of that connection until I was editing the photos and thinking about which ones they might hang in their nursery (which, by the way, I hope are the photos of them reading their first story to their baby).  I really chose McNamara Florist because it’s just hands down gorgeous in the gift shop and there are so many corners to explore in their greenhouses.  Add to that its overall aesthetic appeal, friendly staff, and warm sheltered places on days that could be cold and rainy, and I had a clear location winner for a December portrait session!

This maternity session was fun to do, because I had seen this new father grow up into the man he is today.  Now he and his wife are preparing to bring their first child into their family, which will be different than anything they’ve ever done before.  During the session I would ask them questions to prompt expressions, laughter, reflection, and I got the sense that they both know they’re not really sure what they’re in for; but they couldn’t be happier… or more nervous…  Yes, there will be poop and spit-up, but remember the fun you had reading that silly story book to your little one?

Guys, you’ll be great!

Both of these new parents come from drastically different families, so they are forging a whole new family culture that will be inherently different than their own childhoods.  That’s what happens with every new family, but I think you feel it more with the first baby.  And so, because of the season, I reflect back on Mary’s pregnancy recorded in Matthew and Luke to offer you a line to hold on to.

God is so faithful to provide us with everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).  He will send his word to bolster you, correct you, and guide you – even if it isn’t as dramatic as an angel.  He will send his people to you to encourage you, to empathize with you, and hold you up when you need it; just like Mary’s cousin Elizabeth. God will also create a sense of wonder around this new child and give us reason to give glory to him.

Remember, this child of yours is a promise.

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Thanks for reading! This is just one of the ways I put a smile back in the world.