Lilyana’s Newborn Photos & Nursery

Tomorrow marks our sweet Lily’s 3-month birthday. While in many ways it feels like she’s been a part of our lives for quite some time, in other ways it feels like time has flown by so fast. Since taking these photos, she has already changed so much—although her facial expressions are still the same (which makes me laugh). Becoming a Mom has challenged me in new ways and stretched me to new limits. It has required giving up much of myself—including sleep (oh, how I miss you), hobbies (the blog is on the back-burner for awhile), and my body (hoping to get back in shape soon!)—but I wouldn’t change it for anything.

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Maternity Photos

Walking through life with Chris is one of my greatest joys. Second to this is our baby girl, Lilyana Marie. I never quite understood the happiness Moms experience through childrearing, but now that I have one, I can fully grasp the intense love one feels for their child. In those first sounds of our baby’s cry, our whole world changed and things that mattered before seem to have little to no importance—and the simplicity of being at home, spending time with our little one, is all but enough to content our hearts. I feel blessed to live this life, and so very thankful for our sweet baby girl. Sometimes, I wonder if it’s all real, and pinch myself because I can’t believe she is mine.

Today on the blog, I’m sharing a few of our maternity photos. Thank you Irina for capturing these precious moments we will always cherish!

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Two Maternity Dresses

I can’t even believe it! I’m 40 weeks along today, and still no sign of our baby girl. Perhaps she’s feeling a bit timid to enter this world, and I don’t blame her—it can be a scary place—but I keep reassuring her all will be well. With the nursery nearly complete, one of my favorite things to do is sit in the rocker and read the most darling baby books. Two of my favorites include the stories of Coco Chanel and Audrey Hepburn—both emphasize big dreams start with small beginnings. These types of inspirational stories have always given me motivation throughout the years, and I hope these little books do the same for our sweet girl. My hope for her is she’ll dream big, shoot for the stars and pursue her God-given talents and passions (just one of the many things I ponder these days, as we wait for her debut!).

In other, less serious news, I’d like to share two maternity looks with you. Up until recently, I’ve been able to sneak around maternity clothing by wearing billowy dresses and tops. However, these last few weeks I’ve really needed a bit more to cover the bump. The Kimi and Kai maternity line is great, not only for its stylish maternity wear, but it works well postpartum for nursing (there are zippers just underneath the cascading ruffles). If you’re considering investing in maternity clothes, below I share two pretty dresses from this brand that work swimmingly for Summer.

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