Maternity Session | Lacey C. Schroeder Photography

 here is a little loveliness to start your week off. we may be just a little obsessed with these...

lately we have been all about anything baby (thank you Emma) and lucky for us, Lacey C. Schroeder Photography has captured a stunning maternity session! this photographer, based in Ames, IA, is definitely someone to keep an eye out for. she is so sweet and her style is nothing less than perfection. did we mention that her work is stunning?!

this maternity session was for the beautiful Kayse Schulz, one of the owners of Pure Bridal (who recently just had her adorable little girl Thea). it was photographed at McFarland Park in Ames, and the way Lacey captures the light in these photos is beyond amazing - we are so excited to feature her! not only are her photos pure art, but she is lovely both inside and out (i get to work with both of these amazing ladies)! enjoy these lovelies...

 

    

totally gorgeous right?! i was so excited to share these with you after i saw them! i know, i know, you want more - if we ask nicely, maybe Lacey will let us blog about Thea's newborn photos. she is totally adorable!

with love - P

registration

lately i've been thinking that it seems like no major life moment can happen without registering.  in high school, you have to register before every year.  in college you have to register before every semester and before graduation.  you have to register before any wedding shower or reception can take place.  you have to register before any baby shower.  then the whole process starts over with registering your child for daycare, preschool, on and on and on.  i even know someone who registered for christmas last year!

i mean, i completely understand the necessity of registering, but sometimes it feels a little endless and frankly, a little stressful.  being pregnant with our first baby, i have a general idea of what we'll need in general, i think (?!), but going to a big box store with a scanner in hand, somehow seems daunting.  there are SO. MANY. options with every single item, it seems impossible to chose what it is we think we need/want.  

so, here's a few tips i found for a baby registry, but having gone through a wedding registry, i actually think a lot of them can be applied for that as well - 

DO… register both online and in-store. Some companies have different inventories for different formats, so if you can’t find a specific item in one place, it might be available in the other. Certain things are easy to register for online (like that six-pack of plain white onesies), but there’s other stuff you’ll definitely want to see, feel, and test in person (strollers, car seats, diaper bags, etc.) before making a decision. 

DON’T… feel pressured to register for everything you might possibly need, and don’t worry that you need to have it all NOW. You will be able to go to the store (or get on the Internet) after the baby is born, so don’t stress out if your list feels incomplete or if your baby shower guests give you 20 cute newborn outfits and nothing else.

DO… pick big- and small-ticket items. Register for items at a variety of price points – everything from $2 pacifiers to that fancy glider you’ve had your eye on. Not everyone can (or wants to) spend a lot of money on baby gifts, but others will — and you might even have a group of people decide to pool their money on a big-ticket item, like that space-age baby swing with the 10 motion settings and lights and vibrations and a jack for your iPod.

DON’T… think short-term. It’s easy to decide what you’ll need for the baby during those first 3 months, but newborns grow up (and grow out of everything) fast —  before you know it, you’ll be ready for activity centers, high chairs, solid foods, and bath toys. So, depending on where you live, you might also want to register for seasonal items (like a size 6-month snowsuit for your baby born in the summer).

DO… be needy! Your registry isn’t just for friends and family, it’s also for you. Think of it as a list of things you actually need, not just things you want other people to buy for you. Don’t hesitate to include practical items like diapers and wipes, burp cloths, bottles, and baby shampoo. Also, see if the store you’re registering at offers a completion discount, which will give you a percentage off of some items you buy from your list after you due date has passed.

DON’T… go overboard registering for clothes, blankets, and toys. If there are a few specific items or brands you like, include those on the list. But for the most part, trust that you’ll have more than enough of these extras, since this is the “fun stuff” that people like to buy (and make) on their own — often without referencing your registry at all.

DO… think outside the box. Especially if this isn’t your first baby, try registering for items others might not consider: lullaby CDs; art for the baby’s room; even stuff for mom, like nursing supplies or a book about infant care during the first year.  

DON’T… be uninformed. Do your research — if you walk into a baby store without a plan, chances are you’ll soon be overwhelmed by the choices (and you might end up fighting with your partner over whether or not you actually need a diaper pail). Read customer reviews, talk to friends with babies, think about your specific needs, and involve your co-parent whenever possible. Knowing what you want and narrowing down your options before you hit the shops (whether in person or online) should make for a more successful and pleasant experience for everyone. Remember: Registering can be fun!

DO… consider registering at non-baby stores, too. Etsy has some one-of-a-kind items you’ll want to keep long after your baby’s on to the next stage. Amazon is a great place to set up a registry, since it carries just about everything. And Pinterest is a fun and easy (and pretty) way to compile a visual collection of things you want and need. (If you’ll be sharing the Pinterest board with others, just make sure your images link back to online stores where the items are available for purchase.) 

[source]

- E

baby names

being six months pregnant, baby names have definitely been on my mind.  so, when a family member recently sent me this poem, it really rang true with me.

Naming the Baby

by Faith Shearin

When you are dreaming of the name

you are also dreaming of who they

might be. They are invented in darkness —

under cloak of skin — and, for the better

part of a year, are a swelling

or a set of symptoms. The name

books are like a box of chocolates

and when you open them you see

how many kinds there really are.

There are names of people you

have known and disliked and names

that make the wrong sounds and names

that suggest your child will be

like everyone else's. There are names

that turn your child into a character

in a novel and names that recall

the time when your great grandmother

was young. Naming the baby is a way

of dreaming about a creature who is

almost but not quite. It is a way of

imagining the soul of a person you

are making but have not made.

The name is the first way you see

the baby: their title, the syllables

that conjure a shape from the lantern.

[source]

- E