That’s right, though most of you know if you follow me on Facebook… Neil and I are expecting our first bambino in late January of next year!
As of this week, we are half-way there.
Pregnancy has not been amazing and all things warm & fuzzy like I know it to be for some lucky people. It has also not been as horrific as some women have to go through.
But feeling sick on and off during the first trimester is no walk in the park, considering I work 60 hours/week during wedding season. And feeling up and down mood-wise didn’t help. Luckily, now that I’m in the middle of the 2nd trimester, the nausea has been kicked to the curb…but in its place is another obstacle to working… arthritis. I have a bad back due to scoliosis to begin with, but add that to the fact that I’m growing a creature within, it’s pushing on the part of my spine that gets the joint pain, and I would say I’m dealing with significant aching at least 4 days a week, and another one day a week of HORRIBLE pain for several hours.
But oh the joys of bringing a human into the world!! I’m excited to get the room together…and to see what our creation looks like (the one in the womb is what I’m referring to here).
So, kids change lives. So how will this affect my business?
- I am taking off December, January and February from shooting, and possibly half of March, depending on how everything goes.
- Other than the two weeks following the birth, I will still answer emails for inquiries during that time.
- All consultations during this maternity-leave window of his birthday through March will have to take place at my home.
- I have decided to limit myself to 15 weddings a year, so that I can still shoot boudoir, family, children and newborn sessions as well. But those will still be limited at two per week.
- As is now, weekends will be reserved for weddings or my family. No lifestyle sessions will take place Friday-Sunday.
- I will only be traveling once a month for weddings. This is a hard step to take considering how much of my clientele is based in St. Louis, Columbia, Omaha and so forth, but it’s something I need to do so I can fully prioritize my No. 1 priority: my family. So this means that once I book one out-of-town wedding in a month, I’m not taking on any others. (This rule begins in March 2012.)
- I am holding off on booking any sessions from Nov. 15-Nov. 30 because I am not sure how my body will be feeling due to the bad back as described above. But I should know by mid to late October… and if I can shoot, I’ll probably be able to take on some mini sessions for last-minute holiday needs. Stay tuned for that.
Here are a few photos of the recent progression of the belly bump.
If you’re really interested in following along with the pregnancy journey, leave me a comment in this post and I’ll email you a link to my baby blog. Otherwise, just send positive thoughts my way as we eagerly away the arrival of our baby boy!!!
