As we go through these images from Ashley’s milk bath maternity session, styled by Kristi Stevens at Shoptini, we are just in awe of her beauty and the precious gift she carries in that adorable baby belly. Ashley is a well-known blogger in the Baltimore-Washington area, sharing all of the little things she has NEVER BEEN SO excited to share! Some of those loves include her trunk club, sales, travel, favorite recipes, trends, and now her baby girl who will reside in her cozy baby bump for about another month! You can see her latest BumpDate – 35 Weeks, on her blog.

We met Ashley at another shoot hosted and styled by Shoptini last year – her Summer Garden Party at the Vineyard of Mary’s Meadow. It was a warm Wednesday in July, packed with delicious treats, adorable dresses, blogger babes, and giggles for days! As we spent the day together, we just fell in love with Ashley. Her smile is infectious, she has a quiet confidence that makes her both alluring and approachable all at once, and she is an incredibly kind soul. So when we were asked to photograph a styled milk bath session to celebrate her 9th month of pregnancy, naturally we were thrilled! It was also a double bonus that we could schedule it perfectly for when Jes was also in town so that we could photograph the session together (always our preferred method of shooting).

At first, we thought we would just do the milk bath. We filled the tub up with warm water, against doctor’s orders, of course (sorry Doc!), and poured in a couple gallons of whole milk. It wasn’t quite as concentrated as we hoped, but luckily Meg had recently read that powdered milk was a trick of the trade to creating those creamy, dreamy milk baths. Next thing we knew, Kristi was dumping in old formula she had on hand that her little guy (and our nephew!!!), Kade, no longer needed! It worked like a charm! So, while we don’t recommend dumping something as valuable as baby formula into the tub, we DO advocate resourcefulness and not letting anything go to waste! The formula worked perfectly in a pinch, especially because it wasn’t going to be used any other way. With the milk bath ready to go, Kristi began styling the flowers around the tub and helped Ashley into her lace maternity gown, then we got right to work!  We climbed the bathroom counter, up on a ladder, and all around the tub; we shot through the glass shower, right next to each other, and with a breakfast protein shake in hand. It was the epitome of teamwork and love for other women. It was pure magic.

Ashley was (and still is) glowing through her pregnancy. The love for her baby girl looks so good on her. When Ashley got out of the tub to take a break, she still looked so stunning, and her hair was perfectly dry. We just couldn’t resist a snapping few additional photos of Ashley in the simple, white maternity dress she brought in addition to her gorgeous lace ensemble. Unfortunately, it was raining outside, and we hadn’t planned for any setups other than the milk bath. That didn’t stop Kristi from snatching a beautiful flower crown out of her closet, or us from finding the perfect lighting on the staircase to showcase Ashley’s perfect baby bump. We originally just wanted to add some flair and variety to her gallery, but these images ended up being some of our favorites!