Well, hi there – 2016!!! Here I thought December was going to be a quieter/slower month for us – but somehow – as always… it flew by just as quickly as it always does!! This month we shot four proposals, a few engagement sessions, a wedding, and hosted a Lighting Workshop! Aside from the business side of things – we tackled more house projects in preparation for the boys’ arrival (which is creeping up on us SO quickly!), and did our best to enjoy some down time with each other and family we had in town visiting for the holidays!!
I’m SO thankful I’ve managed to continue to feel pretty good throughout this pregnancy and that we made it through all 28 of our weddings this year without any issues!! I was so worried when we found out we were having twins that I’d have some complication or need to be on bed rest, given the number of stories I’ve heard from other people – but am so grateful we made it through our season healthy and strong!! I’m praying that trend continues into our third trimester – which by the way – we hit on New Year’s Eve at our final wedding of the year! It’s hard to believe we’re in the third trimester now!! This feels like the longest pregnancy ever, and simultaneously like it has flown by in the blink of an eye. Is that weird?!
Anyway – enough chatter from me – let’s get to the pictures and I can explain more of what we were up to in December with their help! 😉
- Celebrating a healthy (almost) 24 week check-up! Up 12 pounds and my belly was measuring at 28 cm!
- The doctor told me she’d like to see me put on some more weight – so naturally we went out to lunch immediately after our appointment! 🙂
- The only snow we saw in December… was left over from the big November storm!
- Poor James was sick AGAIN in early December (not looking super stoked in here), but nurse Chloe was staying close!
- Hit a big milestone!! Viability at 24 weeks!! I was so relieved to get to this day!!
- Beautiful handmade quilts that were a gift from our dear friend, Emily! I can’t get over them!
- December was the month of proposals – and James got really good at looking incognito so as not to blow our cover! haha
- Keeping it simple with our outdoor house decorations with a little fresh garland and lights. 🙂
- A little glimpse at our table scape for the Let There Be Light workshop!
- A behind the scenes shot of the lighting workshop thanks to Amanda!
- Immediately following the workshop the exhaustion hit me like Whoaa… and my belly seemed to REALLY pop! (24 weeks 3 days here)
- Once the workshop wrapped – I spent the next day relaxing and decorating for the holidays. 🙂
- Chloe found a new favorite perch in the front windows – her very own recliner. haha.
- We went out on a little family excursion to get our Christmas tree and of course had to get a treat for Chloe too!
- Tree is secured!!
- Being a giant dork and drinking my mocktail while I decorate the tree!
- Onesie bump-tastic!
- That, my friends, is what a clear editing schedule looks like!! All caught up and it felt so good!
- Oh hey – more bump pics. Are you sick of them yet?! Ha! Marking 25 weeks with a belly pic and some crazy unbrushed hair. haha
- Followed by baking the day away so I could deliver some treats to our neighbors!!
- New pajamas are the best, am I right?!
- Holiday decor is coming together!
- Chloe was testing out some new blankets for the boys. She approved. 🙂
- I was doing something in our bedroom and turned around to find this. Yes – she was sitting on our bed with this blanket on her head just like this – staring at me! haha
- James claims I hog the blankets and am constantly pulling them from him during the night… so I had to document how I wake up in the morning and why I’m constantly pulling the blankets from him…. because he steals them! haha! (My side is the one with no blankets and a giant pregnancy pillow – lol.)
- Super excited that I finally found a dress to wear for our final wedding of the year!! 25 weeks 6 days here!
- Flu shot time!! Man, did those shots wipe us both out for a few days! Holy cow! Next up – whooping cough vaccinations!
- I thought I did so many decorations out front until we lit them up and realized it looks pretty darn bare! haha. Oh well!
- Cozying up by a fire at one of our favorite restaurants after a chilly proposal shoot! Our first date night out in quite a while!
- Someone started to really like the bump in December! She likes to lay her head by it and the boys kick at her. 🙂
- Soooo… the IKEA dresser we started building at the beginning of the month has been sitting like this since. Oops! I need to finish this up so we can take my clothes out of the built-ins on the wall and finally get our room in order!
- It was so wonderful seeing our dear friends and James’ godson, Andrew, after a difficult day when James found out his beloved Grandma had passed away.
- Chloe cuddling up in one of her favorite spots – as close to the tree as possible.
- The weather was so warm in December our spring bulbs were confused and started to come up! Nooo!
- A little girls’ night Christmas pajama party fun!
- My brother, Will, came into town 4 days before we were heading up to Wisconsin for the holiday and spent some time with us in Chicago!! We didn’t do a whole lot but hang out at our house – so as his visit neared its end I insisted we get our butts out and see the city!
- This is what it looks like when your friend has never felt a baby kick and feels two crazy little dudes dancing up a storm!
- Home sweet home for the holidays!
- 26 weeks 6 days pregnant and in for our ultrasound check-up! My belly is straight crazy-looking when I’m laying on my back – isn’t it?! haha. The boys were looking great and measuring a week ahead of schedule at 2 lbs 11 oz, and 2 lbs 6 oz!
- We dropped James at the airport to head home for his Grandma’s services and were thankful to have Will to keep us company on the drive to Wisconsin. Chloe wanted to show her gratitude by sitting her 60 lb butt on his lap. 🙂
- Someone was getting spoiled rotten by family back home!
- Celebrating Christmas Eve and 27 weeks!
- Christmas morning has never been as sweet as getting to pick up my love from the airport. I missed him so much – I couldn’t stop crying when he made it home!
- Christmas pic. 🙂
- Back in Chicago after the holidays and on our way to our (almost) 28 week appointment where I took my glucose test (I passed!!), got my Rh negative shot, found out I had now gained 17 lbs, and grown to 32 cm!
- Another day another proposal! This time it was definitely getting colder and feeling like December! Brrr!
- At the start of our final wedding of the year on NYE and so happy to have hit another viability milestone – 28 weeks!!
- Thanks again to Amanda for this little behind the scenes grab of James and I doing our thing at the wedding!! Team work makes the dream work!
Oh my gosh – what a month it was. Some wonderful, and some heartbreaking… as I suppose life always is. We are so grateful to have had so much time with loved ones and each other in December. We’re looking forward to a January of wrapping up our last month of shoots and work – and then throwing ourselves fully into prepping for the boys! It is all feeling very surreal and I’m definitely feeling this whole “nesting” thing everybody is always talking about – as I can’t stop obsessing over everything we need to do and cleaning like a mad woman! We are so so grateful. XOXO
