New Chicago parents-to-be unpack what it's like to grow life.

"I'm clearly not alone anymore. What that means is since last week I've been feeling my baby kick so much more. Around Christmas they were very tiny flutters in my belly. I guess that could have been mistaken for indigestion, but since last weekend everything has changed." 

"This has been the most exciting piece, being able to feel your baby grow inside of you. Obviously your belly is growing and you feel different but the fact that now you know that you’re being kicked by your baby, that is pretty amazing." 

"Seeing the ultrasound and then the movement and then knowing that these kicks and flutters are your baby inside of you, it just changes everything. You don’t want to miss them. Sometimes I catch myself just laying there and waiting for those. Or waking up and feeling your baby kick."

"I know those kicks will probably get stronger and sometimes are not so comfortable. Still this is beautiful in every way possible. It's also pretty cool that we woman can grow life and that we can provide in a way that this little one is growing stronger everyday.

I love all the flutters, they make me happy everyday."

Confession #3 : I’m going to have two children.

Two.
I’m going to have two children.
That means my husband will have three kids to take care of.
 

But really, much of the time I feel like just a child myself, trying to find my way in the world, eating candy whenever possible, and crying about silly things. How will I manage two small humans depending on me all the time?

The thought of this is both thrilling and overwhelming. I am thrilled that Simona will get to have a little sister to play with, to dress up with, to exercise her imagination.

I’ll probably have to deal with fighting, and scheming against mom and dad, and bossiness and sharing, but that’s just part of the deal.

Right now that doesn’t scare me as much as how I’m actually going to handle the kids, like physically. I already feel so exhausted much of the time and really look forward to vegging on the couch in the evening, so if you double my kid-load, well, I guess no one knows what’s going to happen.

I worry that I’ll rely on the TV too much, that I’ll just plop Simona in front of there so I can feed the baby or get one thing done or actually just zone out.

And speaking of getting things done, I feel so behind on housework/other work all the time that I can only imagine how I’ll feel with two kids.

I’m in a constant state of picking things up and trying to reign in clutter, and I used to be a stickler about keeping my kitchen clean but I’ve come down from that high horse.

And forget about mopping floors or cleaning showers, don’t even tell me that mothers find time for that stuff on a regular basis.

Is there a magic formula I haven’t figured out? Or are all moms just much more energetic than I am?

Did everyone figure out how to keep their two-year-olds off of their skirt hems long enough to empty the dishwasher? Does everyone have maids? Or, have they just accepted that life with kids is messy?

That has to be it. I’m going to tell myself that’s it. I can’t expect to have a perfectly clean, organized life if I have children. Those things might be at odds with each other. I get to watch children grow up, and growing up is about experiencing new things and creating messes and making mistakes.

I’ll try to keep a handle on my house, but keeping a handle on my kids is more important. And I’m not talking about those kiddie leashes.

I’m talking about being there for them, and doing things with them, and trying my best to help them grow into the best people they can be.

My husband tells me it’s just because I’m pregnant that I’m out of energy all the time, and I hope he’s right.

My mom tells me that I’ll have strength for the tasks in front of me as they come, and I’m pretty sure she’s right.

I saw that a little bit with Simona: the days when I had hardly slept and didn’t know how I’d make it through were often the days when I got inexplicable energy to do what was needed.

I already get by on less sleep that I ever thought I could, so that’s a small miracle right there. (I’m still tired pretty much always, but I think I {usually} handle it better than I did in the beginning.)

So I trust that I’ll get the strength that I need for two children. Often we need to be stretched to see that we are capable of more than we think. It’s how we grow.

Maybe we have kids so that we can see how imperfect we are. To see that we can’t control everything around us, and that that’s okay.

It’s a privilege to have these little lives in front of us, and that’s something I don’t want to forget in the middle of the most chaotic day.

Thanks to our mom crush Esther for sharing. We can't wait to meet your little one. xo- Laura

New momma VIP booking

I had the honor of photographing Kyle and Marisa this October as they plan for their first little one. Since the announcement of their baby we've been making guesses at the baby's gender. Looks like we'll have to wait to find out till December. This photo session has been styled by Everyday Charming in collaboration with Charming Child. In honor of Kyle and Marisa please enjoy a "new momma" discount when you book your first shoot with us! (make sure you select your VIP discount in the drop down bar when messaging us!) xo - Laura

Confession #2: My kid eats Happy Meals

Hi. Esther here. You may remember me as the mom who uses the TV as a babysitter (Sometimes. Sometimes, okay? A girl’s gotta make dinner.)

Well, I’m here to spill the beans again. Just in case my first confession wasn’t bad enough, I’m going to admit more painful stuff. You can judge, or laugh (or both), but my hope is that in these confessions you’ll find that you’re not alone.

Maybe your ‘confessions’ are different than mine. Maybe you are doing everything right and this will just make you feel better about yourself. Either way, I hope you enjoy. We all need some encouragement along this journey.

Confession #2: My kid eats Happy Meals

I cringed a little writing that. I always had imagined my children eating grown-up food with us at every meal. I imagined them enjoying salmon and rice, or perhaps some beef bourguignon, or even just lasagna.

Well, my daughter was eating a variety of things, and I’ll admit I was kind of proud. I thought to myself, “See, you just have to start them young, and look, she likes things like smoked gouda cheese. Good job me.”

But then she hit that picky stage. She got a little older, which meant she got her own ideas in her head about what she should and shouldn’t eat.

She likes neat foods, foods that are definable to her. She likes meatballs, chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, hotdogs...kid foods. All those stereotypes are there for a reason.

On days when I’m out and about with her and have no time to prepare lunch when we get home, we get a Happy Meal, and those meals sure live up to their name.

I know McDonald’s doesn’t qualify as “good eats.” But it is something that Simona will eat, and sometimes that counts more than anything else.

I’ve learned that as much as I want Simona to eat and love healthy foods (she does have certain surprising tastes for things like broccoli, asparagus, and green olives), I also love to see her happy.

So I acquiesce more than I probably should, and I share my ice cream or my chocolate covered raisins with her. There’s nothing like seeing that excited look on her face as she chirps “nummy!” and steals all my candy. (kidding)

Before you think that I just give my daughter all the junk food and sweets she wants, I should clarify that I do limit her. I don’t get her Happy Meals every day, or even every week.

I don’t let her eat (or see) the inappropriate amount of sugar that I consume. I recognize that just because something makes her happy doesn’t mean it’s good for her. What I’m saying is that I love sharing those small joys with her - those tasty treats that sometimes just make life good.

One of the best parts about having kids is watching them experience good things for the first time. And I want my daughter to grow up having those happy memories with her.

You can't scare me, I have kids. Part 2

They really need me.

I love my independence and as my kids get older and my hands get more free, I cheer!

Life seems so much easier as I start finding time to wash dishes, make dinner, do laundry... without holding someone on my hip or having them wrap themselves around my leg like a fire pole!

While I may be ecstatic to get household things done, I sometimes forget how fulfilled my heart is to know my kids need me, literally couldn't live without me. It's a feeling that fills you up and I sometimes take for granted.

As put into perspective this morning when I finally let Cohen (who's been asking literally every single day since school started) walk to school by himself. I always tell him, "you're SIX, no way!" and he comes back with "yes, I'm SIX, not a baby!" (Great argument.)

Our elementary is right across the street from our house, so today when he asked I said, "ok, I'll stand here on the sidewalk and watch you walk in." He got a huge grin on his face, said bye and ran (fast walked when the teachers were looking) all the way across the school yard like a big kid.

I turned and was about to head back to our house when I heard "mom!!!". I turned around to see him sprinting towards me, arms open wide and tears streaming down his face.

He needs me and my heart is full.

Even when he yelled, "you didn't even care to kiss me goodbye! You were just going to let me walk in there like you don't care!" Wink emoticon.  Oh buddy, I will walk you to the door and kiss your face for as long as you let me!

I'm just gonna cling onto this moment for awhile.

As told to us by our mom crush, Erin.