In the past few weeks since these photos were taken, my little family has moved to our new house & Heidi & Jordan have welcomed their little girl into their arms! Rylynn is here & just the cutest thing! (I’m actually hoping to meet her in person this coming weekend so stay tuned for those pictures!!!)

I wanted to share Heidi’s maternity session because I just LOVE these photos & she’s a beautiful pregnant lady 😉 This is a very special blog post for me because Heidi & I have known each other since college & we’ve been able to share bits of our lives together through the years. (If you want to read more about our unique friendship, feel free to take a walk down memory lane & view Heidi & Jordan’s engagement pictures that I had the honor of taking HERE.)

Heidi had the sweetest idea for having their maternity session in her & Jordan’s adorable little home. They’ve been living there since this past fall & it’s just full of character & WINDOWS!!!! Heidi’s desire was to be able to take pictures in their home before their baby girl arrived AND then come back here for their newborn session & in a sense show the before/after 😉 I mean, a baby changes everything doesn’t it folks? 😉 (Also, let me put a little plug in here, I LOVE in-home sessions!!! All my newborn sessions are done in my clients homes & I LOVE doing any other sessions AT HOME. In my opinion, it’s the best place to take photos with your kids because they’re so comfortable & relaxed. Plus, it shows where you truly to life & love.)

Ok, back to the Doddek’s! Here’s a few of my personal favorites from their session!

That window seat has my heart!!!!!

Beautiful, glowing momma! You can bet your boots we’ll be back here at this exact spot with Miss Rylynn!

Fav!!!

I love ALL.OF.THESE. as well!  

I love this one of Heidi. I wanted her to just be still & think about her coming baby girl. I love the expression on her face. Love & expectancy all rolled into one <3

For the second part of their session, we moved outside into their cute little yard!

The happy parents!!!!

I feel these next two photos perfectly capture the goofy/fun side of Heidi & Jordan’s relationship 😉

And my personal ALL TIME FAV of the session right here! Look at that COLOR!

Well, Heidi & Jordan, since these pictures were taken, your life, your world & your hearts have forever changed. I’m having a hard time typing words without crying & getting all emotional because I’ve seen you walk on this journey of becoming parents & I’m SO HAPPY for you THREE! Rylynn is a blessed little girl & I can’t wait to watch you become the parents the Lord wants you to be. All my love & see you soon for those newborn pictures!!!!!!!!

Elyse is the kind of person you enjoy being around. She asks you questions about your life, listens & remembers little things about you. Elyse & I met at Cracker Barrel as fellow servers about 8 years ago. We hungout with some of the same friends & through the years have stayed in contact, whether it was just through facebook or seeing each other at a mutual friend’s wedding or having a coffee date. And every encounter I have with Chuck, I’m always reminded what a nice guy he is & how MUCH he loves Elyse. He’s so easy to talk too & during their session I saw again how PERFECT they are together.

Over the past few years, Chuck & Elyse have been trying to start a family. Numerous prayers have been whispered as they have had to overcome many hurdles. The story of how they came to be expecting a little one is full of miracles…miracles that only the Lord could have orchestrated & woven together. There have been plenty of tears of joy & pain through this journey & I know they are so thankful for those who have been with them through this & prayed with them.

I still remember the tears in my eyes when I saw their pregnancy announcement. And then again my heart was full of awe while Chuck & Elyse shared their story again with me as we had their session. Their story is a powerful reminder of how God is in control.

They’ve nicknamed their coming girl “Baby Fish” & she is so loved already. I recently attended Elyse’s Baby Shower & the room was just full of excitement. Elyse was radiant & overflowing with joy just as she is in these pictures.

Elyse is one of the most talented cooks & bakers I know. Seriously. She did the food for one of our friend’s wedding & it was delicious. I’m always inspired by her posts on social media of all the yummy food she makes! And she recently has started working at Sugar Momma Bakery in Uptown Normal & we decide to start their session there!

Pink cupcake for baby girl!!!

I just LOVED Elyse’s outfits!!!!! So stunning & such a PRETTY momma!!! And I know Chuck thought so too 😉

Favorite of the GORGEOUS MOMMA!!!

Quiet moments as they live out the last of the season of just the two of them….

Complete JOY on their faces!!!!!

Oh Chuck & Elyse, I remember being at your beautiful wedding…I remember watching Elyse walk towards her groom & seeing both of your beaming faces. Now there’s another season of joy coming & that season has been wrapped & gifted to you in the form of a Baby Girl from our Lord & King. She will be here oh, so soon & oh the joys of this new journey you will encounter. Your story that is now wrapped up with the story of her life is one of miracles, the power of prayer & the beauty of joy. I can’t wait to meet her. And I know you can’t either 😉

I got an email from her over a year ago, maybe a little more. She was asking if the small group for young women that met in my home was still meeting & when we’d be getting together next. I answered back with the details & she answered back that she & her friend would be joining us the next time our small group met. She signed the email with her name, Jasmine, & that’s the last time I expected to hear from her. I’m being honest. A lot of times people have good intentions to join a club, a small group, another activity in their life & life gets busy & they just aren’t able to keep all their commitments. Not for Jasmine though. True to her word, the next time our small group, The Hideaway met, my doorbell rang & there was Jasmine & her friend, Faith. That’s when my friendship with Jasmine began 🙂

Weeks later we met up at Coffeehound & shared stories of how we both ended up in Bloomington-Normal & how we actually for like about a month (right before I married Eric) lived just a couple houses away from each other. Little did I know that first night Jasmine attended small group & that first Coffeehound date, was the beginning of a special friendship.

Fast forward to this past May when I got a text from Jasmine telling me that she was expecting!!! She didn’t know that we were expecting too & I was counting down the days until we got to get ice cream together & I shared with her our news! Now we call each other Bump Buddy’s 🙂 (Can’t take the credit for that one, it was all Jasmine 😉 ) & our due dates are 11 days a part! Crazy how the Lord works! Who would have known that months after getting to know each other at Coffeehound that this fall I’d be taking Jasmine & Andrew’s maternity pictures!!! The Lord knew 😉

JOY & ANTICIPATION is ALL over these two’s faces!!!

Lord, thank You for this wonderful couple & their friendship!!!!

The lighting & weather was just PERFECT for their session. My friend Jasmine is just RADIATING! 😀 We did have to reschedule this session for a second time, but I liked the weather we had for this evening better anyway 😉

A personal fav of mine!

One of my favorite things about Jasmine is her laugh & smile. When she laughs, her smile just takes over the room & you just want to join in. Jasmine is a wise woman & I love how she seeks the Lord. I’m blessed to have her as my friend & Bump Buddy 🙂

I loved that Andrew wanted to be a part of this session. Maternity Sessions oftentimes focus on just the momma & I wanted to capture Jasmine & Andrew as the two of them becoming three. I’m so thrilled with how these images turned out!

Andrew, it’s obvious you adore your bride. I can’t wait to watch you love your queen & your soon coming princess!

Personal favorite of mine of the parents-to-be!

A Baby Girl Fang you are getting one beautiful momma & loving daddy! They both already love you SO much!!!!!! We all CAN’T WAIT TO MEET YOU!!!!

(And PS Baby Girl, please be born on my birthday, December 22 ;-))

One of the points of a blog post is to be brief but yet share enough that your audience understands your heart & your point. Well, if I could, this post would be more like a full chapter in a book! I wish I could share each & every image from Emily & Dustin’s maternity session & I’m not joking. When you put together beautiful weather at golden hour, a lovely location & a couple that is just SOOO excited about their growing family- it all adds up to something pretty spectacular.

Emily & Dustin are expecting twin GIRLS sometime in October. When we had our phone date to start the process of working together, Emily & I talked for over an hour. It was so fun to connect with a client who’s also expecting but I was so intrigued by how life is different for them as they are expecting not one, but two babies!!!

I am very much looking forward to these precious princess’s arrival! I’ll be visiting them in their home & having a newborn session with the 4 of them! So be on the lookout for that!!!

I seriously wish I could give Dustin the “Dad of the Year” award from Nomi Photography 😉 He was all easy going & fun to be with for their session & we all just had a wonderful time!

One of my favorites of Emily!!! She’s SO beautiful!!! And now as a momma she’s GLOWING!!! I can’t wait to see her with her two littles!!!

Fav right here!!!

BEAUTIFUL MOMMA!

I love focusing on the wife AND husband in a maternity session. This is a new season they are entering & I believe pictures like these are wonderful reminders that before there were children, there was THEM.

I love how this picture has a road in the background. I truly think it signifies this new journey Dustin & Emily are on together. What adventures they have had & are going to have!!!!!!!!

I remember the first Sunday I met the Johnson family. It was at our church & Rachel was playing with Tessa outside in the foyer. I was supposed to be taking pictures of something but got distracted when I saw little Tessa & Rachel & went & introduced myself. Ended up finding out they had just moved to the area from Fargo, North Dakota! My mom grew up in the Fargo-Moorhead area & you really don’t meet too many people from there. It was fun to talk to someone who knew that part of the country & compare notes. The Johnson’s began coming to our small group & it’s been fun having them around & being in our community.

I was also super excited when I found out Rachel was expecting!!! We are actually just about 7 weeks a part in our pregnancies & I’m excited to watch the Johnson Family welcome a baby boy sometime in November!!!

I love how her hair, outfit & flowers just GO together <3

It’s super fun for me personally to watch the eldest child in a family as they transition from being the only child to the oldest. I’ve watched this happen with a few of our friends & their families that go from 3 to 4. I love watching the dynamics change. Maybe it’s because I’m the oldest in my family with 3 younger siblings 😉 Little Tessa is such a sweetie & I know she’s going to be make a fantastic big sister! She’s already excited about Baby Brother!

Sweet, pretty Tessa. I already miss her cuteness!

Being silly & trying to put flowers in daddy’s mouth.

I love these next set of images!

He kind of likes her 😉

Sadly, Jeremiah, Rachel, Tessa & Baby Boy Johnson moved just a few weeks ago from Illinois to Pennsylvania. It’s sad because they’re no longer here & we don’t see them at church or small group BUT it has been a good move for them since they are closer to Rachel’s family & Jeremiah accepted an even better job position. I was really looking forward to our babies playing together but obviously the Lord’s plan is better then my wishes 😉

I’m SO glad we got to know them in the year that they were here & I really enjoyed our evening session we had together before they left. Thank goodness for facebook & being able to keep in touch! I look forward to watching from afar as this family of 3 becomes a family of 4!!! Keep in touch Johnson’s & I’m always up to be flown to Pennsylvania for a family session someday 😉 We miss you guys!!!

Teresa & I have been friends, goodness, 6 years now? I think so! We’ve had a lot of fun memories shared together including getting married just 6 days a part from each other!

Teresa & Mark will be welcoming their first child (a daughter!!!) in just a few weeks. I’ve seen the special room they are preparing for her & this little princess is going to be loved & spoiled! In a good way! 🙂 I’m VERY much looking forward to meeting their daughter & photographing her within the first few days on her life. Be looking for those images in the coming weeks!

One of the things I’m slowing changing about my maternity sessions is to incorporate the husband more. A baby doesn’t just get here because of the momma 😉 When a couple welcome their first child, they are also saying goodbye to the season of it being just the two of them. Teresa had the idea of having their session at State Farm Park since it’s a location the couple goes to often & I thought it was a perfectly fitting way to portray this special couple & the new season of life they are entering. And let me just say, Mark is a wonderful & strong man. He is just what Teresa needs in a man & he’s going to be the best father for their family. I can’t wait to see them become a family of THREE!!!

Had to have a PINK ball in the picture! Since they are having a girl!!! 🙂

One of my favorites of Teresa!

Teresa, you are a BEAUTIFUL woman & a GORGEOUS momma. You are the perfect mommy for your little girl. I pray that she has strength & love for the Lord that you do. And that just like I’ve seen you do, she will crawl into the Lord’s arms when times are hard & laugh when the joy in life is just bubbling over! I love you my friend!