Wednesday, January 29, 2014

if you like (virgin) pina coladas.

last week e and i escaped the polar vortex part deux and headed (way) down south to one of our favorite places: vieques. it was the third time we've visited this little island in the caribbean, right off the coast of puerto rico, and time and time again it's proven to be an excellent destination for us.

what ensued were 5 days filled with secluded beaches, snorkeling, eating sticky, fresh fruits, reading and just enjoying each other's company. many called this a babymoon, but we just called it vacation. we've made a commitment over the years to do a little winter escape and this year was no different. but in some ways, it did feel more special.

i'd been on the fence with taking maternity photos, but in the end, i knew i really wanted to capture this time in our lives. so i thought that vieques would be a natural, low-key backdrop for us. i found a photographer and we shot a few photos at the house we stayed in once again as well as on the beach, and i was pleased with what he captured. still, in looking at these photos, the ones e took on his phone and even just glancing at my shadow in the sand, it was hard for me to grasp the fact that i'm pregnant. my body, which has gradually changed to me + e each day, drastically showed it's transformation when i was in a swimsuit. it's pretty amazing how it's grown to accommodate this little one inside of me - knowing it's not done but any means, but that so much progress has taken place.

leaving vieques was bittersweet this year. i knew that a mental (and even more of a physical) transformation was going to take place over the next three months to get me through the end of my pregnancy and labor. i knew that demands for my time specifically would increase and that my relationship with many - myself included - would also go by way of my pre-baby body. and much like that silhouette in the sand that was hard for me to recognize, this too is something that i just can't wrap my head around yet. i also knew that our times in vieques (and beyond) would never be the same again. in the same vein, i knew my heart would change as well for the most lovely reason.

when shit gets real in april, vieques will undoubtedly be my happy place where i'll allow my mind to escape. and one day - hopefully next winter, we'll get to share this great getaway with our little bean. and tell it stories of how we sat on those beaches and decided to give the baby thing a go. then the next year, we sat on the porch of that big house and discussed what their name would be. most importantly, it will always be where e and i escaped to carve out uninterrupted time for each other where we would discuss our hopes, dreams and goals. then return to real life to try and make them happen.