Baby Boy Shower & Bump Shots

This past weekend, Mark and I loaded his truck and drove down to Virginia to shower two of our sweet friends Ryan and Laura Beth Rirchardson. This sweet couple is expecting their first baby: a little boy. Ryan and Laura Beth have always meant so much to Mark and me over the past six years. They were instrumental forces in our dating years and have been such stalwart, generous friends to us, giving freely of their time and love. The little boy who's currently sleeping in his mommy's tummy is beyond lucky to have them as parents. The angel who made that decision chose well. 

Laura Beth was my closest childhood friend. In fact, her parents double-dated with mine. So, she and I were practically required to become friends as girls and then now as grown women. A few years older than myself, Laura Beth taught me some of the finer points of teenage girlhood: how to apply eyeshadow, how to flirt with boys, and how to shave my legs. Not in that order, though. We were so close that we often forgot whether we truly were related or not. 

Funnily enough, Mark and Ryan also grew up together. As first cousins and only a few months apart in age, they learned how to walk, how to talk, how to shoot guns, climb mountains, and get the good girls--all together. Even though I truly had nothing to do with it... I feel special and somehow proud of the fact that my best friend married Mark's best friend. Now that they're expecting their first baby, the special feeling just grows. Life stories like theirs underline the divine hand that governs our lives. 

 As little boys and teenagers themselves, Ryan and Mark loved Jeeps. They spent their summers bouncing along dirt roads, spinning their tires and slinging mud. As long as I've known Ryan, he has owned a Jeep. So a Jeep-themed shower cake was perfectly fitting for this couple.

After the shower, I convinced the couplete to let me take a few "belly shots." I just adore the way they turned out. . Laura Beth knew that she wanted a photograph of Ryan's hands on the tummy. Because he is a diesel mechanic, his hands bear the marks of his trade, a fact about her husband that Laura Beth always says she loves. Plus, there's something special about the mommy and daddy's hands on the expectant tummy. It's as if they're cradling their little baby boy already.

Do you like bump photos? I definitely do. When tastefully done, they can be so intimate and tender. I greatly appreciate the fact that photography and society has moved forward, allowing the artistic exposure female form in this special moment of life. Somehow, this bump shot captures so many feelings, especially the sense of anticipation and love. 

 We all certainly can't wait for Baby Richardson's arrival so that we can finallhy give him some much-anticipated snuggles! Love you guys!

For more maternity-style photography, click here.