I’ve been doubly blessed that Laura has been able to take maternity photos for both of my pregnancies. Considering she lives in Maryland, and I live in Arizona, it’s quite remarkable to me that we’ve visited each other at just the right times to take maternity photos.

You might remember the beautiful pictures she took of Stephen, me, and Baby Boy #1 on my Pop-pop’s farm in 2010. {Click here to see Laura’s 2010 post and here to see more photos from that gallery.} As I look back at those pictures, my baby bump looks quite small. I was only 6 months along at the time, but I love that Laura was able to capture that moment for us!

Imagine how excited I was when I got a surprise text one day, in which Laura offered to come take maternity photos for me–here in Arizona! I was thrilled that she and Chuck wanted to come for a visit. The photos were to be a happy bonus.

This time, with Baby Boy #2, I was 34 weeks along–nearly 8 months, so my baby bump was quite pronounced. I love it! I thought Founder’s Park in Verrado would be the perfect spot for pictures since it has some cool architecture and lots of grass and trees–not easy to find in the desert. We were rushing to catch the perfect sunset lighting, and Laura knew just how she wanted us posed. I’m amazed at the gorgeous images she was able to take in such a short amount of time–and with a wiggly one year old as part of the equation.

Laura and Chuck make a great photography team. I could really see them going into the photography business. Laura is an amazing and fast photographer. She had a plan in mind and didn’t waste time wondering what shot to take next. Her poses made for beautiful and natural photos. She even had some tricks up her sleeve for getting great pictures of a toddler (who had just been abruptly woken up from his nap). Chuck anticipated Laura’s needs. Whether it was helping her explain a pose, getting a child to smile, or steadying her on the ladder, Chuck had it covered. I couldn’t believe the smiles he managed to get from Silas!

There are so many pictures I love that it will be hard to choose which ones to hang on the wall. Thank you, Laura, for giving us these beautiful times to keep!

{Click here to view more images from the gallery.}