A tender rainbow baby maternity session for Roxanna & Edgar
When Roxanna and I met for Crave cupcakes to discuss her maternity session, it was rainy and chilly outside. I wished we were into springtime so we could celebrate the upcoming birth of her daughter with a backdrop of budding trees in The Woodlands.
But wow, was I wrong about wishing for green! I fell in love with the wintery look to her rainbow baby maternity session, especially with the way her purple gown literally jumps out of her photos. This just might be my favorite look for photos – if the weather weren’t quite so cold!
Celebrating a little princess
Roxanna and her husband Edgar are expecting their second child, Emma, this spring. She will be little sister to David, their son who passed away shortly after birth in 2017. In fact, I met Roxanna through MEND.org, a non-profit that supports parents following the loss of a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth or early infant death.
So this rainbow baby maternity session was a wonderful way to honor David and celebrate Emma, two babies who are dearly loved by their parents. We met on a very cold Sunday afternoon in The Woodlands – it was about 30 degrees with a “real feel” temp of about 19! There were definitely a few moments where I struggled to change the settings on my camera because my fingers felt completely numb. This is certainly a true display of a mother’s love in these photos – Roxanna was freezing to death, but still so gorgeous!
Two lovely maternity gowns
We kicked off her photo session with this stunning purple gown (part of my exclusive collection of gowns available to clients) that can actually be worn two ways for a couples session! This gown has a slit in the front that begins just above the baby bump, making it perfect for mamas who want to show off their bumps by gently holding back the sides of the gown. Not everyone is crazy about the slit, and fortunately the dress is cut the same in the front and in the back! Roxanna wore the dress with the slit in the back and hubby helped keep the dress secured when the wind was blowing.
For the second half of her session, Roxanna wore a delicate ivory lace gown, also from my exclusive client collection. It can be completely sheer, or you can layer a nude-colored cami or slip underneath for more coverage. I was happy to find an area with some green so that we could work in a nature feel to her session. Normally this section of the park is packed, but due to the freezing weather, we had it all to ourselves!
Sweet words of love
A brand new portion of my maternity sessions went just as perfectly as I’d hoped. I asked Roxanna and Edgar to write separate letters to Emma and not share them with each other until their photos. They exchanged these sweet notes for Emma and read them to each other – what tender, precious moments. I struggled to keep photographing through tears in my eyes. This little girl is so loved already!
Capturing the details
The little things are just as important to Emma’s story as mama’s baby bump! We sprinkled in memories of David, like his stuffed animal from the NICU, with little things of Emma’s, like her ultrasound photos and a tiny pink dress. I carried over the flowers from her session into these shots and I just love how they add a sweet pop of color.
Replaying these memories forever
The best thing about this photo session is Roxanna and Edgar can relive these sweet moments any time. Her session captures the highlights of her pregnancy – her gorgeous pregnancy curves, the way Edgar smiles at her, how they’re both so excited to meet Emma.
Even though there are times in every pregnancy where you think it’s never going to end, those nine months are over before you know it. Emma will get to see how her mama positively glowed while pregnant! Can you just imagine mama and daughter going through these photos together in 30 years when Emma is expecting a baby of her own?
Makeup | Rachel Martinez
Flowers | HEB Blooms
Location | The Woodlands, TX
