This Is Who You Are

I will never forget the first time I felt you move within me.

That swift kick where it became real. That you were living and breathing inside of my belly.

From that first moment, I wanted to know every detail of who you are. I wanted to know whether you’d be a little boy or a little girl, whether your hair would be brunette or blond, whether your legs would be long or just a little shorter. I wanted to know whether you’d have a loud belly-laugh or a sweet giggle, whether your personality would be spunky and bold or reserved and timid. I wanted to know whether your voice would be soft or if it would turn raspy.

Every single detail. Pondering and imagining and dreaming every single detail of you.

Sometimes when I lay awake at night and feel you moving, I dream about the adventure you’ll come upon in this world. I wonder about the very things you’ll do. The gifts that you’ll find in yourself and offer to the planet. I wonder whether you’ll be practical and steady or creative and artistic or maybe a little bit of both. I wonder about the lives you’ll impact all through your life with your voice and your story and your smile.

I know that there will be things that will make you feel so alive on the inside. That when you do them, it will be like this fire in your heart, as if light will fill your eyes and you’ll feel so unstoppable. Do those things, baby. For your entire life, do those very things.

And know that your life forever will be a gift, it will forever make an impact. In every thing you do, you’re making an impact somewhere on something. So use that. Choose that. Bring all your kindness and love and all that unique beauty that you bring to the planet. And be that.

Baby, do you know that you’ll be amazing, you’ll do amazing?

I know there will be things that feel hard. There will be times where your eyes fill with water. There will be things that hurt. There will be things that cause you to get questions and invite you wrestle through them. But baby, you’re one of the biggest champions I’ve ever met.

Do you know how I know? I can tell just by your kick. Just by your heartbeat.

This is who you are.

About This Maternity Session

Amy and Cotie are an outdoorsy couple that love Christmas and wanted to bring a little of that to their maternity session. After some classic, neutral images in the studio, we drove over to a nearby park and photographed a little near the evergreen trees.

Amy grew up on a farm in Cambridge and has so many fond memories of playing outside and enjoying the land. Cotie remembers his Nana and Papa's farm and playing outside on the weekends, riding four-wheelers and dirt bikes, and learning how to build things. They both love to go seadooing in the summer and they love the outdoors. They also enjoy going on quads together when they have the chance.

Makeup and hairstyling by our lovely stylist, Christine. xo