Photographed.

This weekend we had our maternity photos taken by our friend, Sarah Scruggs. We were so blessed to have her! Sarah is such an easy person to be around, and her presence and style really put us at ease. The whole time she was shooting her face would light up with excitement over a new idea, or her eye would catch the simplest line or color or detail on the scene. Despite the FREEZING temperatures and the crazy amounts of wind at the marina (that my body would succumb to, in the form of a cold, the following day. still, well worth it!), we had such a great time. Thanks, Sarah!

Here are just a few of the previews she sent us. We couldn't be happier about them, and can't wait to see the rest!

Besides the photo shoot, we were able to stay in a beautiful hotel thanks to Sarah's husband, Charley, being a pastry chef at the resort! We went out to Poe's Tavern on Sullivan's Island that night for fish tacos and burgers, then walked across the street to a sweet little wine and espresso bar. There were about five older men in there, having a jam session, and, as fate would have it, they loved playing Creed songs. Imagine our excitement. We were so grateful for a short pause in life to spend together-- things have been pretty hectic lately.

We also decided over the weekend to go ahead and announce Little Girl's name! We have had it picked out for months and months, but for a lot of reasons decided to wait. Colin and I's daughter's name is...

We couldn't be more in love with our "little branch", as Colin calls her. I have loved the name Olive for a long time, and love that all over the Bible it is used as a symbol of peace. In Romans 11, Paul writes about how we, as Gentiles, were wild olive shoots that have been grafted onto the tree (God's people) and are able to share in the "nourishing root" (Salvation). Beautiful. Her middle name, Rae, is special to us, because two awesome women in her life share the name! Rae is Colin's Grandmother's first name and his sister's middle name.

34 weeks down! grace and peace!

32.5!

Moving right along! Hopefully we have the 7-8 more weeks we're expecting until this little one comes out... my to-do list is overwhelming (not to mention our shower isn't for 3 more weeks!). I have to stop frequently and remind myself, as I'm freaking out over our lack of baby items or preparedness, that she has everything she'll need already, even if she came today. A place to sleep, a food supply, clothes, and a whole lot of love. Rest, Rachel.

It's so funny... are there any pregnant women out there who don't feel huge? I feel huge and round and love it, but when I see pictures of myself, I can't help but think.. holy crap. Then, on the flip side, I encounter other pregnant women (like this past week at our birthing class) who are months behind me in pregnancy and showing more, and I don't think they're huge at all. I guess that's what sudden body change will do to you! But I say it all the time, my little girl's residence is my favorite accessory. I know I'm going to miss it after she's born (although, it will be nice to have some semblance of a waist again!).

Speaking of our birthing class, we love it! I am inspired by the Hypnobabies model of birthing, and the confidence and peace it instills in its mothers in the time leading up to birth and throughout birth. Our instructor spoke a lot about the importance of positive thoughts and a positive environment for expecting mothers, and even how important it is to ward off negativity and the sharing of negative birth/pregnancy experiences (you know you've all encountered acquaintances who are just dying to tell you all about their 48 hour natural labor with a 15 lb baby....etc.). This also includes any birth shows on TV! Colin was listening so well, he even busted out the suggested (holds his hand up) "Stop. my baby and I are listening" the other day! Ha! Hypnobabies is all about entering into deep relaxation and training yourself to work with, not against, your body during birth. The statistics for women who use Hypnobabies for birthing are overwhelming-- shorter births, less discomfort, and a much higher success rate of natural, unmedicated birth. I'm sure we'll be sharing more about our experience with it as time progresses!

Also, I think I'm officially getting past the point of stretching my non-maternity wardrobe out. I was pretty adamant about buying only a few maternity basics and either thrifting new skirts/dresses and things throughout the weeks. I bought a couple of pairs of pants, about 5 awesome plain tees (Gap is the best), some leggings... but really, have found that a lot of my dresses accomodate a growing belly, at least up to a point. This may just be that point. :)

Sometimes I feel dumb for sharing such random and small details on the internet, but it is a personal blog, after all. If nothing else, it really does serve as a journal, and a way to be able to look back on the different stages of life!

grace and peace,

The Kisers