The Bump!

Ok so I got the proofs back from our infamous "Baby Bump" shoot! Here are a few that we absolutely loved! We are so thankful to have met Rachel, she is really amazing! And believe me, we look way better in these photos than in person, so hats off to her!! Plus, I'm super lucky that I have such a photogenic husband!

This one we are going to blow up and put in the nursery....how creative with the Scrabble letters!

This was one of my favorites!

Just some luvin'.....and vintage boots!

Classic Belly Shot

Its Chubby Hubby ice cream......more like "chubby wife" ice cream!!

This just cracks me up!

The sunset shot!

I'm a lucky girl! He is so handsome!

This is not my favorite of me....but its kinda cool because you can see Annabell's head poking out on the left side!!!

Another Classic!!

Before and After

Well...Zac and I have had two very productive weekends. We have (and when I say "we" I mean Zac and my dad) have finished painting the nursery. All that is lacking is the black and white harlequin diamond wall....which I plan to do soon. Plus, Zac has systematically put together all furniture in the baby's room as well as the stroller or "travel system" to be politically correct. I was informed recently, by my much younger preggo friend, that "stroller" is a dated word and "travel system" is the new term.....who would have thought that by the time I would be having a baby, the word "stroller" would be extinct...but I digress.....


We met with our good friend and photographer Rachel Austin last night, to shoot baby bump pictures. She is awesome! I highly recommend checking out her website rachelaustinphotography.com. She not only came up with very cool ideas but promised that she could remove any double chins that I might have from pregnancy bloat. For that reason alone, she is next to God in my book!


I promise to post pictures of both the nursery and the bump once everything is completed. However, I thought I might post some before pics......and when I say before, I literally mean 3 days before we found out that Annabell was coming! Three days before I took 6 at-home pregnancy tests, 3 days before I stopped taking Hydroxycut to alleviate 4 troublesome pounds, and 3 days before Zac and I realized that I was 5 weeks pregnant and there was going to be another Marshall in our house!!

Zac and I in Alexandria, VA, visiting his sister and doing a little shopping!

The Marshall Family having cider at an Irish Pub.....incidentally, the last alcohol I have had.

.........will post "after" pics when nursery is complete and all signs of double chins and cellulite have been removed.......

The Joys of Being Buoyant

I never really appreciated swimming until I got "knocked up"! Suddenly floating in water where you weigh ZERO pounds is an incredible feeling. Those 20 pounds that have found your mid section and reaping havoc on your back....just seem to disappear. I am lucky that I work at a
health club where I have access to an indoor pool at all times (and I'm even luckier that because I work there I can be unattended by a lifeguard, as to not scare him with my new shape). And although I get the "oh you are such a darling little pregnant girl" comments, which I greatly appreciate, I can't help but look longingly at the size 2 True Religion jeans in the back of my closet. I know it will all be worth it in the end, but every once in awhile panic creeps over me. The picture to the right is one from our honeymoon. I had been working out like a mad woman for months and eating as little as possible in preparation for the "big day".....oh how the tables have turned. Don't get me wrong, I still wear this bathing suit........and I look almost exactly the same, if you picture it with the gut of a 55 year old man who has done nothing but consume forties of Keystone for the last 10 years. Still when we go to the doctor and hear her little heart beating at 144/min, its worth that second banana nut muffin and the pruning fingers of a prolonged pool workout.

Virgin Blogger

Well, I am certainly not a virgin to most things......however, blogging is one of those! But I have found myself fascinated by all of the blogs I read from my old high school friends, and I must admit that the idea has intrigued me for quite sometime. So with a little push from my husband to use my creativity for something other than shopping and reality tv, I have thrown caution to the wind and am now a "blogger"!!

My husband and I were married last November.......our 1st anniversary will also mark the arrival of our first child. Not necessarily a planned present, but a wonderful surprise nonetheless! That's right for those of you mathematically challenged, I am 25 weeks (6months) pregnant. Being pregnant is quite scary and amazing all in the same 9 months. Zac and I used to enjoy frequenting wine bars and trying out new tequilas all the while being out til the wee morning hours. Now we find ourselves content to lay in bed at 9:30pm with the iphone playing music on my ever-growing tummy, watching the fetal activity; and saying things like "oh wow" and "omg did you see that one" So to say we are very easily amused would be putting it mildly!

We have conquered the land of Babys-R-Us and are even gearing up to do our baby shower registry. One might think this is as simple as doing your bridal registry.....but not so much! Who cares if you didn't get the matching casserole dish to go with the fiesta vegetable bowl? However, baby items are far more like "survival" items. How will Annabell Grey Marshall survive without a boppy??? And, Do I have enough blankets to keep a late autumn baby warm?? Which is why I tend to do a lot of shopping on my own......what if that $35 sweater from Baby Gap IS just the thing she needs......however, try explaining this to my husband. Nonetheless, I think we are going to be excellent parents, who grow beautiful people with great personalities and the gift of sarcasm.

So there ya go! I guess we can officially say that I have been de-virginized! More blogs to come.