It has been an amazing wedding season over here, and I can hardly believe that the crisp autumn air has arrived and that Fall will be here before we know it! And now that things are starting to slow down for the season, I am incredibly excited to share a very special little secret that we've been holding on to...
By the end of the year, give or take a few days, we will be welcoming the newest member to the FKE family! Nick & I are thrilled to be expecting, and cannot wait to start this new chapter for our family!
While we have shared the exciting news with all of our couples, and those who we see on a regular basis, we have chosen to keep quiet on social media, so that we could stay focused on all of our incredible couples. But my expanding belly is a dead giveaway these days, and so I figured it was about time lol! Most people have pretty similar questions when they find out the news, so I thought it would be fun to answer them all here!
How far along are you? I am currently (almost) 26 weeks pregnant, or 6.5 months along. Crazy how fast the time has flown, but also how slow the day to day sometimes feels!
When is your due date? I am due on December 31st. Yup. A New Years baby may be in our future, but between you and me, I'm hoping we can push it into January by at least a few days.
Do you know the gender? Yes! We found out we are having a girl!! Obviously we would have been very excited no matter what, but it has been really fun getting to start picturing the little girl that has already stolen our hearts.
Do you have a name? We have a shortlist going, and think that we have narrowed in on the winner. But this will be staying top, top secret ;)
How are you feeling? I had a really rough go with morning sickness for the first trimester and majority of the second trimester. It's starting to ease up though, and I am happy to report that other than a few random bouts of nausea, I am feeling really good. The morning sickness and exhaustion that comes with pregnancy definitely made for an "interesting" wedding season at times, but I powered through, and am happy to have made it to the other side.
How is the baby? She is doing great! Heartbeat is strong, and everything is looking healthy and happy. She is extremely active, and after our ultrasound technician seemed a bit thrown off with all of her moving, I've become convinced that her energy level will be taking after Nick's running career.
Will you be booking weddings next year? Ummm....yes! Having a baby does not mean that I get to retire or skip a season, nor do I want to! I am currently booking weddings for 2018, and am really happy with how the season is shaping up so far. And with a baby on the way plus a new house, I have even more incentive to work hard and contribute to our family financially.
Will you be taking a maternity leave? As most self-employed people in this industry know, there isn't really such a thing as "mat-leave". I do plan on taking 6 weeks once the baby arrives, where I will take a step back from the day to day business tasks and allow myself to settle into my new role as a Mom. The lovely Paula will be taking care of all our clients during this time, and I will for sure still be around to check in on things as they come up.
How do you expect to continue your work load with a new baby? We will be learning as we go, and are very aware that it will be a lot harder than we think. But with both Nicks & my job flexibility, the support of our families, childcare, and an amazing FKE team, I have no doubt that we will find our rhythm quickly. I am really excited to continue to grow French Kiss Events and Heyday Events with my new sidekick along for the ride ;)
What are you doing for the nursery? Seeing as we will be moving into the house (hopefully) just a few weeks before baby comes, the nursery will most likely be put off for a few months. But I will say that I have already selected some art prints (Max Wanger for the win!), that will be my main source of inspiration for the rest of the design. Can't wait!
Thank you so much for all of your well wishes and excitement, as we share this happy news! And I can't wait to introduce you all to our little bundle when she arrives in just a few short months!
xo
Barb (& Nick)
