The fifth Bean baby girl is on her way (and we can’t wait to meet her!)
This gorgeous mama-to-be is one of my most favorite people – my sister-in-love, Carlie!
She and her husband (who is my hubby’s brother) are expecting their second baby next summer. Their daughter, Nova, will be a big sister to another baby Bean!
We flew to Lubbock, Texas this past weekend to celebrate a family wedding. While we were in town, Carlie asked if I would mind taking some family photos for them.
Of course I was thrilled to make some sweet memories with Carlie, Payton and Nova!
Even better, Carlie is pregnant with baby #2! It was the perfect opportunity for precious family photos and a few maternity photos, too.
We met at the Lubbock Memorial Arboretum for their blended family/maternity photography session. Carlie was a concerned about the winter landscape of Lubbock in December, but the brown and tan tones worked beautifully with their color palate.
I loved her maroon maxi dress and little Nova’s precious mustard dress. Payton’s plaid shirt pulled the entire look together by blending the colors from Nova and Carlie’s dresses.
We focused on regular family photos for the first half of our time together, which means I photographed this adorable family of three all together. I also pulled Carlie and Payton away separately with little Nova. I know these will be some favorite moments for both parents as they savor these few months with just one child!
Like most mamas, Carlie wanted to snuggle with Nova for the photos of the two of them. They shared some sweet cuddles and kisses! You can just see how much Carlie adores her sweet baby girl.
Payton was like most dads and instead of cuddles, he wanted to swing Nova around and throw her in the air. Dads love to engage with their kids through some kind of activity, and throwing them in the air is a pretty common one. It’s amazing how differently moms and dads interact with their kids. Nova was full of smiles and laughter with both of her parents.
After this set of photos, Nova was ready for a break to play with my little girls at the park. I pulled Carlie and Payton over to a beautiful section of the Lubbock arboretum for some maternity photos celebrating baby #2. These are my favorite images of the entire session! The ultrasound photos are clipped to a branch while Carlie and Payton share a few tender moments.
These images tell such a beautiful story in a unique way with Carlie and Payton softly out of focus and baby Bean’s ultrasound in focus. Setting up the shot this way meant Carlie and Payton could keep their hands free instead of hanging onto the ultrasound images.
We wrapped up with some stunning photos of Carlie hugging her tiny baby bump. She’s probably got about 10 weeks to go before she’s really showing, but these photos are beautiful anyway! I’m so fortunate to have a gorgeous sister-in-love who is going to be a wonderful mama to two Bean babies!
The benefit of an early term maternity session like this one is the photos can be used for a gorgeous pregnancy announcement. Even though Carlie’s bump is still on the smaller side, the ultrasound photos and thoughtful posing definitely convey that she is expecting a baby!
Most commonly, maternity photos are taken when mama is 28-35 weeks pregnant because that’s when your bump is round and lovely. It’s also when most mamas are still feeling great and energetic, which makes a maternity photography session much more enjoyable!
This combo family/maternity photography session is definitely a favorite of mine! View Carlie’s lovely session below.
