For those that are regulars to my blog, you have probably noticed a lack of activity over the past few months. So, I thought I would write an update on what’s being going on in our lives lately.

Spring/Summer 2014 was unbelieveablely awesome for JSP. I feel so blessed to have worked with such amazing clients and shared so many beautiful moments with each of them. Of the 22 weddings I have booked this year, 17 of them occured before August! Last year was the opposite with a very heavy fall/winter schedule (including my own wedding!), so it’s been nice to slow down this fall and take time to enjoy my favorite season of year.

Speaking of our wedding, it’s hard to believe that we have been married almost a year now. I read from a lot of sources that the first year of marriage is the hardest, and if that’s the truth, then we have it made on easy street. I can honestly say that this has been the best year of my life, and I love B more now than I did when we said our vows. That’s all my heart ever wanted: someone to grow old with and to love more every day.

I never had the chance to share our wedding images on the blog because our photographer was submitting them to publications (!!!). In order to be considered for magazines, the images are supposed to be kept unseen. We found out in June that Charleston Weddings magazine was going to be featuring our day, so our secret became even harder to keep. The issue hit newstands last week and we are thrilled to FINALLY be able to share it with everyone! I’ll write a full post on our wedding and all the details soon, but here’s what our magazine spreads looked like and you can see more photos on their website link here: http://charlestonweddingsmag.com/feature/on_the_road.

In keeping with surprises, we also found out in June that we are expecting our first baby. Baby Cantrell is due February 13, 2015…our little Valentine. You can see our pregnancy announcement video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lMcBdHFYbQ&feature=youtu.be. The timing for this pregnancy couldn’t be more perfect too. I was able to finish the busy season this summer without any morning sickness, and my schedule has progressively slowed down as my belly has started expanding. My last 2014 wedding is in December and then I’ll be taking time off until mid-March. I’ll be back to shooting sessions and weddings then, so rest-assured that I WILL be coming back to work!

We ALL thought that Baby C was going to be a boy. B & I referred to the baby as “he” and I started calling him by the boy name I had chosen. Even our ultrasound tech at our gender scan said she was 100% certain of the gender, which made me even further convinced that it had to be a boy (because how can you mistake THAT?). Our reveal party was the next day, and all of our friends and family gathered to see if our intuitions were right. Everyone circled up around us and held confetti sticks filled with the appropriate color. My heart was racing with excitement as we counted down and everyone simultaneously flicked the confetti in the air. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust and realize that it wasn’t the expected blue confetti raining down on us…but PINK instead! As you can see in the pictures below, we were completely shocked to find that out that Baby C is actually a little GIRL! Along with B’s proposal, this was definitely my most surprised and happiest moment of my life. You can see the video of the reveal here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7SlnHjjgSU&feature=youtu.be.

Before I get comments asking what the name is, I will go ahead and address that we are keeping that secret, even from our families. We have selected a first name (one that I’ve had on my baby name list since college), but still working on figuring out a middle name to go with it. The full name will be revealed when she’s born in February!

We have also been hard at work on baby girl’s nursery: the walls have been painted, furniture assembled, artwork framed, and stars applied to the ceiling. I still have a lot of ideas to work through, but it’s been a fun side project to keep me busy. Once everything is done, I’ll show the final results, but you can also follow me on Instagram for sneak peeks (@jennstuartphoto)!

With a baby on the way, one starts to think about how life is going to change too. For example, traveling will probably become less frequent and require more meticulous planning. With that in mind, I decided to schedule a trip that’s been on my list for a long time. My parents have made so many of our dreams come true; they selflessly sacrificed fulfilling their own interests so we could have amazing childhoods with wonderful trips and memories. It’s been in my heart to return the same gesture to them and make some of their dreams come true too. My Momma has always talked about wanting to visit Vermont, and while she never really had an explanation of “why this state”, I really think it all stemmed from the picturesque bed and breakfast seen on the Bob Newhart show. Since my fall schedule allowed for me to take some vacation time, I figured this was the best opportunity to plan this trip for her.

It must be said that Momma hasn’t flown in 34 years…yes, over 3 decades!! She shares the same fear of flying that I have, so instead of discussing the trip with her, I secretly booked the flights, sent her the confirmation, and said “look where we’re going!”. She was so surprised, and honestly quite scared, but it was the best feeling to do something special for her. Again, I’ll write a longer post with more details and photos from that trip later…and maybe while I’m at it I’ll get around to posting our honeymoon too!

So, that’s what we’ve been up to lately. It’s been a whirlwind year, but I’m looking forward to finishing 2014 with gusto and grace. As always, thanks to friends and fans for your continuous support…JSP loves you!