Before I went all out and told you all about the birth story of our son and share photos of him and all the juicy details, I thought I give a little punch of color and pizzaz to this part of the blog, since the last few weeks of my pregnancy were more about emotion and wanting to meet my baby than anything else. Now that he's here, we can really have some fun!

• Based off of a inspiration room I saw online about a year ago.
  
  
• I'm very drawn to vintage and my husband is drawn to anything that he can build himself. We compromise a lot on colors, coordination, and structure. Clean lines with a bit of whimsy.
  
  

BrittanyG Photography of Highlands, Utah first grabbed my attention when it came to photos of giving birth.

If you'd have asked me a few years ago if I would even attempt to give birth I would've said no, let alone the idea of someone photographing me doing it. And even now that I'm pregnant, sometimes when I think about it makes me a little jumpy; I might end up punching the poor photographer in the face. Plus, being a photographer myself, I know just how much the pressure would be on. 

When I first started thinking about having a baby, I was always looking at maternity, newborn, and quirky post-natal items I thought where cool. (Click here to see my 'bump starter' pinterest board) In the process, I came across these amazing pictures of baby Wil's birth story. None of the photos were invasive, graphic, or offensive and it made me look at the delivery process in an entirely new light.

Now that the birth of our little booger is getting nearer I keep thinking more and more about how much I would like documentation of that day. Nothing distasteful or gross... 

I think the entire idea is becoming a bit more trendy and accepted, as I've seen a number of photographers in my area and all over the country offering sessions like this. I would love to offer a session like this!! Especially after I give birth to my own child and know the ins and outs of the progression.

Hubby is a bit weirded out by the entire thought of having someone in the room and would rather just set up a camcorder in the corner. I don't like that idea because at least when you review your photos it's SILENT and you don't have to hear all of the pain you went through to get your little miracle. There are so many tender moments that a family shares in welcoming their new addition into the world; how sentimental it would be to look back on those prized possessions years later! 

A friend of mine told me to remember it on the little camcorder in my head, haha. But, I'm such a sucker and driven by emotion... I can't imagine how tear-jerking and nostalgic those pictures would be... Still-frames will always be my favorite way to capture a moment. No black & white memory could ever do the moment you meet your new son/daughter justice. Or the small instant when your first child realizes they are a brother/sister and hold their new sibling for the first time.

Ahhh! I don't really think you guys understand the crazy adrenaline running through me as I write this! Regardless, of whether I can talk Jon into doing it or not, or how much it costs... I will ALWAYS think this is a good idea. 
I've watched quite a number of birth videos, and read experiences, and heard true life stories from family/friends; I feel like this is a personal choice like everything is. Just like having a midwife or a doula, or having your baby at home vs a birthing center vs a hospital. But, it's definitely a once in a lifetime adventure. <3

We bought a crib today!! So excited!! The exact crib from the inspiration room that I've been wanting for forever! Jenny Lind. Vintage. White. I'm in love with it! 

It was a hard sell to talk hubby into WHITE. He thought white was only for girls and kept going for dark wood ones that looked more like our adult bedroom furniture than something for a baby. Granted, I'm not a fan of pastel blue and babyfied animal prints, but I also don't want Ezra to look like he is growing up in an office (which is what his room is currently used for).

I think right now the retro/vintage dynamic and the fun colors we are going for are the best and I can't believe I ran across something so perfect at Lay Baby Lay. They have some AMAZING inspiration pieces over there and the blog owner is SO friendly. 

We got the crib from Craigslist and while you may ask why I would want a used crib for my 1st biological child, the fact is that this crib hasn't been used at all! It was listed about 3-4 weeks ago and when I first saw it I immediately wanted to go pick it up, but hubby was still in need of some convincing. After looking at HUNDREDS of hideous baby furniture websites or cribs I adored but wouldn't be able to afford in this lifetime or the next, we decided to text the phone number listed on the Craigslist ad. Fortunately, it was still available! BUT, Jon still wanted to wait and see what else we could find. 

With much unwillingness, I agreed to go along with it, just to make sure there wasn't anything out there I was missing out on. Meanwhile, the rest of the cribs on Craigslist were very used and something I could get at Target full-price for the same as what was being asked used. I kept thinking that we would never get our baby's room started. We only just decided to stay in this house and keep renting, while Ezzy will be here in 3 months!

Today, by pure accident, the owner of the Jenny Lind crib I had originally fallen in love with text me today with 3-4 pictures of the crib and said she hoped she was texting the lady who had inquired about the mattress that came with... Honestly, I was surprised that it wasn't already sold. Jon told me to tell her we would come look at it/pick it up right away if she was up for it and she agreed. (Before doing so, I called the store where the crib was originally from and asked them what they sold it for there. Turned out it was a special order. Retail price? $199.00 + 7% tax and you had to pick it up at their location. Almost $250 if you count the gas there and back!) Shannon, the owner, had all of the original packaging for the crib and mattress and her 4 month old, adorable son had never even slept a full night in it. Once they set it up in his room, she and her husband decided that they didn't like it anymore. So, we drove off with a crib and a mattress (over $300 value) for $150! I don't think my day could've gone better!

Now we just await the approval of Century 21 and the homeowners to let us know if we can paint the baby's room the color we want. I am praying that they don't say no as that would give me incentive to change my mind AGAIN and say that we are moving so I can paint my kid's room whatever the heck I want. It's hard to know what to do nowadays with the economy changing so much and the price of real estate on a continuous roller coaster... Sometimes I get so stressed out about it that I just sit there and cry because I don't know what the best decision is for me and my family. 

Even though Jon is the 'breadwinner' we have always made all of our decisions together; even when we were dating. I think it wears both of us down to consider the next step for the 4 of us...