Glam Maternity session + How I’m Preparing my Heart for Motherhood

Can I admit that I had so much fun with this maternity photo session? Let’s be real, I live in leggings and yoga pants right now… Hello month 8 of pregnancy! To dress up a bit and throw on the heels was such a treat (as long as I didn’t have to walk in them all day!). I picked up this Calvin Klein dress from Burlington Coat Factory for a steal of a deal. It’s not maternity, but I sized up (2 sizes haha) and made it work!  If you can’t find it at your nearby Burlington Coat Factory store and you’re dying to have it, I found the same one for full price here. I’m hoping it will still fit in a couple weeks so that I can wear it for a baby shower, but we’ll see!

P.S. I found a similar dress online at Jcrew factory in Navy or black and white stripes that is super cute and less than $50!

Lately, my days have been full of preparing for baby- decorating the nursery, getting all the baby supplies, going to OB appointments, etc. But as much as I am physically preparing for baby (is there anything sweeter than going through all the sweet little ruffled and pink outfits?),

I want to be preparing my heart for this new chapter as well.

And not just for the immediate season to come, but for the long haul: raising darling girl into a woman of strength and grace. And Lord willing, raising her future siblings to also know the Lord’s love and serve Him.

Right now, I have two books that I’ve commited to reading as I begin this journey.

The first is called Why Motherhood Matters by September McCarthy.  I am reading this as a part of a mom’s book discussion group (my first official “mom’s group). We aren’t even half way through the book yet, but it is filled with gospel truth and such practical application for parenting. I have been marking that book up!!! There is such beauty in reading and discussing it as a group because each of us are in different seasons of life and completely different home situations. Therefore, everyone has such a unique perspective and brings out fresh insight.

Lord, thank you for the deep encouragement and Spirit filled conversation I’ve found in this little group of moms.

a quick excerpt from one of the beginning chapters:

Motherhood rushes past many of us and leaves us wondering if there is more. So much release and so little time to capture. The beauty of a woman usually has deep roots formed by the release. The struggle brings her to a place of confidence in her calling, but it is etched on her heart. The places that once held the hurt and the ache are now filled with mercy and grace. If we choose to let the moments make us and not break us, motherhood leaves an imprint of beauty, even when brokenness formed us.

The other book on my reading list is Missional Motherhood by Gloria Furman. I picked it up at the Revive our Hearts Women’s Conference and I’ve heard such great things about it! I can’t wait to dive in.

Do you have any parenting books that you would recommend? I hear the trick with the more practical parenting style type books is to  stick to one or two and just go with it, since there are SO many resources out there! I can see how it would be easy to get overwhelmed with all of the advice. I’d love your input:

Leave me a comment or send me an email with some of your favorite books for parenting!

Keeping this as my mantra in preparing my heart for motherhood:

“I refuse to make motherhood about me. I refuse to compare myself to other women. I refuse to take the credit for what God is doing.” -September McCarthy

check out part one of my maternity photo shoot here!

#Fashion #Motherhood