Coming April 2023: Party of THREE

We are so excited to share the news that Baby Lawrence will be joining us this April! It’s so hard to believe BLaw has already been cooking for 14 weeks. This has been a wild ride…quite the hormone cocktail (just ask Josh - or don’t, please) with a mix of symptoms I somewhat expected as well as ones that threw me for a loop. Nausea is the most common play in the babybook it seems, so that one didn’t surprise me too much. Crazy dreams? Dizziness? Hell if I had any idea. Been holding on for the ride.

Starting at the beginning - thought I’d take a trip down memory lane since I’ve been a bit MIA these past few months. The day I found out I was pregnant was pretty early. It was one of those sensitive tests that tells you 6 days early. My cycle has always been like clockwork so I knew it was about that time I could test. That being said I was expecting it to be a big fat negative because I’d been having my usual pms symptoms… cramps, bloating, etc… which have also always been like clockwork a week before Aunt Flo hits. And then seeing those two lines… Shock. Excitement. Tears. My heart was bursting. More excitement. Could this be real? Two lines means pregnant right?

Months earlier I had ordered a onesie from a seller on Etsy and literally showed it to Josh the day it arrived because I couldn’t help it. How adorable is this. So I put it in a gift bag with the pregnancy test (and a second one I took for good measure), and Josh got the surprise of his life when he got home. But… he did also kind of call it. A few days earlier we had biked to Fort Harrison State Park and I just about threw in the towel at mile 3. He was so far ahead on the trail I couldn’t see him anymore. I’m normally going Jillian Michaels on him when we bike together and he’s telling me to chill… this time I felt like I was peddling uphill the whole time and it may have even been a slight decline. He circled back to me and said, “I bet you’re pregnant,” and two days later, there we were, smiling like idiots at a stick with two lines on it.

That was about 3 weeks 3 days into the pregnancy. Smooth sailing for a week, and then the nausea struck. I’ve never been more thankful to feel sick… in fact, a few days of feeling great made me wonder if everything was alright. But as grateful as I was for every day that passed with signs that the baby was ok, the nausea was tough.

Take one Saturday morning near the beginning of week 5… painting at the most beautiful wedding for the most beautiful couple. The venue was stunning — Artisan Acres Estate in Noblesville.

BLaw’s and my first collab together!

I damn near lost my cookies the second the bride started walking down the isle. I told her weeks later, and she said, “That would have been hilarious!” which just goes to show how truly wonderful she is. Bawled my eyes out as they said their vows… again, #hormones. Got a text from Josh: “Just ordered you a ton of Preggie Pops.” And a few minutes later a text from Kristi Marsh Watson (by the way Kristi deserves full credit for dubbing our little nugget BLaw, and for being a ride or die since week 4 with the best advice): “Try to drink something with salt and sugar.” And lo and behold, a lemonade refreshment stand just a few feet away… it couldn’t have been more perfect. After I packed up and got in the car that evening, I felt a sense of pride I’ve never felt before. It was so empowering to finish that day. Jen Neel called on the drive back and we both shared that moment together… it was really special and I’m so thankful for her.

BLaw had their first adventure around week 9/10 in late September when Josh, Mama Lawrence, Josh’s cousin Meghan and I hiked through Glacier National Park in Montana. The plane rides were touch and go on the nausea front, but a constant supply of life saver mints and Longmire episodes took the edge off. And these VIEWS, the cool fresh air, the exercise… it was wonderful.

On another note, I swear Josh is never cold. I hope our baby inherits his naturally stabilizing body temperature.

We flew from Montana to Tennessee to spend time with my fam for my mom’s birthday and share the news in person. She opened up her present to find our ultrasound pic, and let me tell you we all went NUTS. My little brother Jack especially was beside himself with excitement. And another fun fact — my due date happens to be my dad’s birthday, April 23! He is stoked to potentially share a birthday with his first grandchild.

Throughout the first trimester I’ve been working on a watercolor flower painting series (nixed the oil painting for now). It’s been a great distraction from the nausea and an easy medium to use at home, where the bathroom and snacks in the fridge are in easy access. I count my blessings every day to be able to have the option to work from home.

This collection has helped me get more familiar with watercolor… and the COLOR and DETAIL of flowers is incredible. Never gets old. A lot of the paintings have been inspired by flowers at Indy’s local flower store gem The Flower Boys.

Planning to release this collection for sale on my online shop in time for Christmas orders, around the end of November… about 50 paintings total. So excited to show you the collection in its entirety.

That’s all for now!! If you’re still reading, thank you and lots of love from the 3 of us… we are so grateful for the journey, and you know I’ll be spamming you with lots of baby pics come April.

Xoxo

Alicia