A deep fear of mine has always been that when I had kids someday, everything would have to change, because who I am isn’t “mom material” enough. My life as a whole certainly isn’t glamorous, but some of my very favorite moments are the little snippets when it is, for one reason or another (sitting front row at Bridal Fashion Week, escaping to a fancy hotel, or even just wearing my highest heels for a night out). And that just doesn’t sound like something a mom gets much of–especially a mom of a boy. Clearly, in my mind, having a baby would mean I’d have to say goodbye to those types of moments for good, and while I would be fine, I would never get to feel totally like myself again.

A few months before we got pregnant, a sweet friend of mine (who is an amazing mama of three boys) gave me one of the best pieces of encouragement I could’ve asked for: “Having kids doesn’t change your personality; it just changes your priorities.” I can’t express how much of a lightbulb moment this simple sentence was for me. Since then, I’ve been continually reassured that God created me the way He did for a reason–He is the one who gave me passions and talents, and by giving me a child, He’s going to add to that, not take away from it. I don’t have to become a totally different person in order to be a good mom. God created me for this baby specifically, and this baby for me and Dave.

I didn’t want to do maternity photos at first–the flowy dress and flower crown styling that I typically associate with them simply didn’t resonate with me at all. But, when my incredibly dear and talented friend Callie of Nancy Ray Photography offered to take some as a gift for us, I realized we could do something different that would remind me of this lesson I’ve been learning. That’s how our “chic, downtown Raleigh” maternity session came to life, and since we did something that felt so perfectly us, I cherish these photos more than I had ever imagined!

Fun fact about these last few skyline pictures–this is the same park where Dave and I did our first look on our wedding day! We had wanted to do our first look with the skyline in the background, but since it was way too bright in the middle of the day, we did a last-minute switch to below a beautiful tree. Coming back for these photos felt like a sweet “full circle” moment :)

Endless thanks to Callie for sharing her incredible talent with us–these photos are truly some of my favorites ever, and I will always treasure them!