Our Maternity Photos and 38 week Update! - Michelle Stoker Photography

We are having a baby next week!!! I can count the remaining days on two hands!! The past nine months have been such a journey. Thankfully, it’s been better than I could have ever hoped for and makes me a little sad that it’s coming to an end. I have loved being pregnant and I am so thankful that I can say that. There have been some struggles along the way but they’ve all been short lived and part of the experience. Ever since we got that positive pregnancy test around Halloween, it’s been a peaceful and joyful pregnancy journey. Thank you, Lord. Last week, David and I met up with our favorite photographer, Emily of The Ganeys, at Philippe Park for our very own maternity session. Oh my looove. I will cherish these images forever!! I will look at these photos and be grateful that this man is my husband, that he was able to successfully recover from a scary accident and be out of his back brace before baby arrived, that my body was able to create and nurture a tiny human, that I’ve never been more confident and comfortable in my body than now, and that our little family is growing in the best possible way.

And here’s a little Q&A update on our pregnancy journey…

How far along are you? I will be 38 weeks on Thursday! Baby is due on July 6th but he’s likely making his entrance a little earlier.

How have you been feeling? Really great! So thankful to have had such an easy and peaceful pregnancy. We found out about 2 weeks ago that baby is sitting in a frank breech position (booty down, head and feet up) and he still hasn’t turned. I’ve been doing inversions daily and I’ve been going to a chiropractor for the Webster technique adjustments along with a few other silly things we found online (digging a hole in the sand at the beach for my belly, ice pack on top of my belly and a warm compress on the bottom, swimming in the deep end…). Due to his breech position, our doctor recommended scheduling a c-section for 39 weeks. So, if baby stays put in his current position, we will be welcoming our son on Friday, June 30th! If baby turns down, then we will cancel the c-section and patiently wait for his arrival whenever he’s ready.

Are you feeling baby moving? Yes and it’s still the best feeling! Because of his frank breech position, he doesn’t really kick (which is probably nice for me). I feel lots of wiggles and stretches at the top of my belly where his head is.

Do you have a name picked out yet? We think so but are waiting until we see him to share.

Are you still teaching? Even though it wasn’t specifically planned, I’m so glad that I’m having a summer baby because I get to relax at home and not have to work the last few weeks of my pregnancy! Getting up and down with my Kindergarten kids was doable but was getting to be a bit of a struggle back in May. I’m more than happy to sleep in and take it easy these last few weeks. I resigned from my teaching job (it was sad to sign those papers!) and I plan to stay home with little man for a while.

Are you still going to do photography? Yes! I plan to take a maternity leave from June – October and not take on any new jobs during those months. I’ll be back in photo action after October and will have lots of time for it since I won’t be teaching!

How have you grown closer to God through this? It’s still all about trust. Especially now that we have a c-section planned (not what I was hoping for) while still hoping that baby will change his position. There’s a whole lot of unknown but whenever I start to feel overwhelmed, I have to remind myself that God knows exactly what’s going to happen and He will take care of all of us. He has a perfect plan for how Baby S will enter the world and I find such relief in that.

How is David doing? David was in an accident almost three months ago where he fell and broke his L1 vertebrae, his collarbone, and his temporal lobe over his right ear. We were in the hospital for 4 days after the accident and he’s fortunately been recovering ever since. His shoulder is mostly healed, his ear is almost back to normal, and his back is still sore but almost healed. After 8 weeks, he is finally out of the hard-shell back brace!! He wears it if his back feels sore but he’s mostly out of it. Praise!! He even mowed the lawn a few days ago. Progress!! Other than that, he’s so excited to meet his son!