We're Pregnant! | Charlotte, North Carolina | Film Photographer

Photo by Halee b photography | Film School '17

Remember when we moved to Charlotte/Slash when Nate moved to North Carolina and I joined him two weeks later? Well I found out I was pregnant when I was still in Lynchburg. RIGHT before I was flying out of Richmond to spend a week in Chicago.

We’ll story-tell later on how I kept the news from Nate for a whole week and how I ended up telling him – spoiler alert, it’s all on video. For now, though, we’re excited to share this miraculous gift with you and we’ve answered some commonly asked questions below!

How far along are you/when are you due?
15 weeks today! | April 10, 2018.

How are you feeling?
Well there’s a good dose of extra hormones coursing through my body which makes me feel things even more deeply than I already do. Navigating them has been new for both me and Nate and he’s handled both of us like a champ. As far as straight-up sickness, I have some off days/moments where I’ll feel incredibly nauseas but won’t throw-up. You know, the pain without the relief. And sometimes I get reaaaaaaal tired. I like to describe it as if you drank a whole bottle of NyQuil and you’re ready to fall asleep for three days but, surprise!, it’s daytime and you have to function. My sense of smell has turned into a superpower and poor, sweet Nate has had to change body wash 5 different times.

While I want to share what my experience is like, know that I’m not complaining about this child. I have friends living far harder stories with miscarriages and infertility battles and my heart is for them and their families. As well, I get the privilege of automatic perspective living with my sister Kathryn who has HG and my pregnancy is nothing near what she’s experiencing.

Will you find out what you’re having?
Actually, we already know. Thanks to our friends at Sneak Peek, we’ve known since I was 9 weeks (Which is Craaaaaazy). We’ll be sharing the gender of Baby Schwenk soon. And you guessed it, it’s on video!

Will you still be shooting weddings?
Um, Absolutely! This little baby has already been to 6 weddings, multiple family sessions, and had a root canal...okay that was just me. We’ll continue doing families sessions as well as The Ordinary Workshop in early 2018. I will take some time after the baby is here but I’m open for Pre-Spring, Summer and Fall 2018. So hit me up here to get your date on the calendar!

Wait, I thought you couldn’t have children?
Honestly, we didn’t think we could either. Shortly after we got married I learned I had an allergy to the protein in the semenal plasma. In short, an allergy to sperm. With this diagnosis we assumed it would be painful on my part to have kids but it could still happen. However, after meeting with specialists in Charlottesville, we learned that my body literally would not let an egg become fertilized – that it would self-sabotage to protect me from something it saw as harmful. There were a couple medical intervention options we could try but we decided to hold off for a while. So while we were trying and praying that getting pregnant could/would happen, we were still shocked, stunned, and overjoyed that it actually did.

If you have any other questions, drop them below! We're excited for this new season and even the unknowns that it brings. Thank you so much for being part of our community -- online or in person. You're part of the celebration and that makes it more full for us.

So much love, Kelsey, Nate, #ourdoghenry, and baby.