Andrea Nigh Photography

I can hardly believe that all these months of being pregnant and preparing for baby are coming to a close or better yet, a new beginning. Soon, we will meet our little man, Tennison Wyatt Musfeldt and embark on this incredible new chapter in our lives. It wasn’t that long ago that Chris and I were back in Colorado visiting my family when we learned we would be parents in the near future.  It was while we were home that I had a weird instinct to take a pregnancy test, even though I had taken one right before we left (2 days earlier) and it came up negative. But something felt off when my sister randomly brought an entire tub of maternity clothes to my parents house for me to take home and I knew it was a sign.  So, with Chris out and about with Scott (my brother-in-law) and Whitney (my older sister) just in the other room, I took another test. Not even 10 seconds passed and two lines popped up signaling I was indeed, pregnant! I had read the instructions 5 times over and anyone with a brain would know the test was positive but I still screamed at my sister to come to the bathroom and double check it herself.  She was holding her newborn Adalyn at the time and as she looked down at the test, we both burst into tears. The only thing that would have made that moment even better is if Kim, my oldest sister had been there to share in the newsThat would have made it a big girl moment for sure.  I wasn’t sure if I should call Chris right away or surprise him later. So, I ceremoniously wrapped the pregnancy test with blue and pink tissue paper in a Nordstrom’s gift box and when Chris got home I announced I had another birthday gift for him. He proceeded to open the box in front of everyone and stare in shock at the white stick with 2 pink lines.  He looked up at me smiling and said, “What does this mean?”  Knowing full well what it meant.  The rest of the evenings conversations started with, “We are going to be parents, can you believe it?”

Now that moment is upon us and I am so excited to meet Tennison!  His nursery was a labor of love and I knew from the very start exactly how I wanted it to feel and look. I wanted a room that felt cozy and spa like, so that anytime you walked into it your stress melted away and only love filled your heart. Sometimes Chris will find me just sitting in the rocker and relaxing in his room.  I love the natural light pouring in from all angles and the light blues, greens and touches of yellows we used to create the color palette.  The pieces in this room range from brand new to lovely antiques I found over the last 9 months.  I have always loved mixing the old and the new and think it works perfectly for his nursery.  The new pieces give it a fresh clean and uniformed look while the old pieces add warmth, personality and homeyness. I also added a canvas print of my own artwork (the Ringling Circus elephants passing by the Sprint Center) to give it a modern and whimsical touch.  The crib bedding was also very important to me.  Nothing against those who love little boy accents such as trucks, cars and airplanes but I wanted to find something a little softer and more playful.  What made the bedding really stand out is the matching ottoman I purchased for the rocker – my favorite piece in the room!  We hung shelves for his baby books and a drawing of a squirrel framed on one wall.  The squirrel picture is important because when Chris and I first moved in with each other after college on the Plaza, we had a squirrel that would always get in our screened porch and taunt Kona. It’ s funny the things you remember in life and that squirrel will always remind me of where Chris and I started. Speaking of Chris, he was a gem and rearranged all the furniture for me after it was already in place (you can’t see it in these photos but there is a queen bed on the other side of the room, so there was a lot to move around). He lovingly put everything together as I directed and told him where to put it all, ha.  Needless to say, we have also taken on countless home projects prior to Tennison’s arrival that have both excited and tested us at times. Chris always let the stress weigh heaviest on him and I appreciate what an amazing husband he as been during this pregnancy. That goes from everything that has to do with our home life to running a bath and rubbing my feet after shooting weddings – I love him.

Lastly, you are probably wondering what this all means as a client and for my photography business.  In a nutshell, we don’t plan on changing much just learning how to incorporate Tennison into our routine and lives.  I have already started my maternity leave as many of you know but will be booking sessions again starting in November to accommodate all the wonderful graduating seniors and families – thank you!   Many sessions are already booked so please contact me and we will get you on the books as soon as possible – I am even booking out for Spring with senior shoots and portraits so whether you want them done in 2012 or 2013, send me an email either way.  If you are getting married and would like to meet that is no problem, again just call or email me. The only thing I ask is everyone be patient with me for a few weeks. As I get to know my new baby it may take me longer to respond than normal but I will get back to you!  You can reach me at Photography@andreanigh.com  and 816-298-6675.   My clients are what make my job so amazing, you mean the world to me and I love working with you. Thank you for your support during this pregnancy and as the arrival of my son approaches.  The cards and emails I have received  have been so wonderful and I can’t thank you enough for your continued support.  It is a remarkable thing I do for a living, telling other people’s stories with images and preserving their memories for years to come.  Now I have an incredible moment of my own to cherish and undoubtedly photograph so thank you for letting me take the time to do so.   The next blog post I share will include images of my little one, yeah!

Thanks everyone for an incredible year. I look forward to the future and being part of your memories.  I hope you enjoy the images of our nursery and a few maternity pictures as well. Andrea.

Friend and fellow KC photographer Heather Brulez captured these maternity pictures for us. We included our furry baby Kona because she means the world to us and can’t wait to introduce her to Tennison! Thanks Heather for these sweet memories!