Family & Maternity Photos in Hanalei Bay, Kauai

Hanalei Bay is one of my favorite places. I came here with my family when I was a teenager and have the best memories of searching for shells, swimming in the calm waters, and jumping off the pier with my childhood best friend. When Nick and I were planning a vacation to Kauai, I knew a visit to Hanalei Bay was a must. Since this trip came at a special time—Will was one week away from turning two, and I was well into my second trimester with baby number two—I also thought it would be sweet to capture some family photos while we were there.

Here are some (okay, a lot) of our favorite pictures from our morning at Hanalei Bay, which began with playing around on the pier, strolling along the sand, and then changing into swimsuits and jumping in the water—plus one really big smooch.

These photos were taken by Kauai photographer Erin Gregerson, who was just lovely to work with. I highly recommend her for family photos if you're into capturing candid moments and find yourself in Kauai!

If you're interested, I wore this off-the-shoulder top with distressed denim maternity shorts, plus an off-the-shoulder maternity dress as a coverup. Will's shorts, striped t-shirt, and shark-print swim trunks are all from GAP. Nick doubts anyone cares about what he's wearing, but so as not to leave him out, he's got on Patagonia board shorts and a Lululemon t-shirt (because he loves Lululemon). And here's where we found our amazing pineapple float! 

Here are more details on our stay in Kauai's north shore and south shore.

My Everyday Maternity Staples

I’m more than 40 weeks pregnant and waiting patiently for our baby boy to show up. My husband, on the other hand, is waiting not-so-patiently. He’s ordering extra hot sauce on my Chipotle tacos and Googling how to induce labor with ankle massage. While these last few days may pass slowly, for me it feels like the nine months have completely flown by.

As I look back on pictures from my pregnancy—I took one almost daily to share with my husband—I realize that I’m usually wearing a dress or some version of the following: a basic tee or tank, jeans or leggings, comfy shoes and a layer from the pre-maternity section of my closet. Since I’ve already talked about my love for maternity dresses, I figured I’d share the other wardrobe essentials that helped me get through all three trimesters without spending a fortune or completely abandoning my style.

Tops: I love the ruched tops from Gap’s Pure Body maternity line. I picked up long-sleeve, short-sleeve and tank styles during my second trimester and am still wearing them at 40-plus weeks (in fact, they’re the only tops I’m wearing lately!). They’re really flattering and come in easy-to-wear neutrals. I’ve also loved having a few looser-fitting tops on hand. Gap is almost always having a promotion, so I recommend stocking up on a few different shades and styles when they’re on sale.

Bottoms: When it comes to comfort, it’s hard to beat leggings. I’ve been living in this pair. I also decided to splurge on one solid pair of maternity jeans. This was well worth the cost since I wear denim almost daily, including at work, and having a pair from one of my favorite brands helped me feel like my usual self. The only downside that I’ve experienced with maternity jeans—even the pricier pairs—is that they don’t stay up very well, so I’ve relied on the BellaBand to keep them in place. This band is also a sneaky way to wear your regular bottoms unzipped.

Layers: These are the pre-pregnancy items from my closet that I found myself reaching for regularly. I often topped a long-sleeved maternity tee with a cozy, open-front cardigan during the winter, and now I’m layering my chambray shirt—unbuttoned, at this point—over my maternity tanks on warm days when I still want some coverage. And thankfully, my favorite fatigue jacket still fits. Money-saving tip: While there are some really cute maternity jackets out there, you can probably pass and get by with one you already own if you don’t need to zip it.

Shoes: While I’ve been lucky not to have any swelling in my feet or ankles, I’ve still wanted to keep my feet happy as they carry around more and more weight. Low-heeled ankle booties became a staple since they comfortably add a little bit of height and pair well with everything from jeans to dresses (as seen here). Pretty flats (why these are the best, according to my husband) and slip-on shoes are key for days when you just don’t feel like bending over to deal with zippers or laces. For me, that includes any day with a doctor’s visit since I want to quickly shed every non-essential layer before getting on the scale!

By adding a few new tops and bottoms to my existing wardrobe, it was easy to create a reliable maternity uniform that never left me struggling to get dressed in the morning. While I’m looking forward to eventually rediscovering the other nine-tenths of my closet (there are shirts that I used to tuck in), I’ve loved dressing this bump. If you have any post-pregnancy style tips, please let me know! Now I’m off to go eat some pineapple...tick tock, tick tock!

Maternity Dress Love

I’ve discovered lots of new loves during pregnancy: barbecued ribs, cashew butter straight from the jar, falling asleep on the couch at 8 p.m. This list also includes dresses. Don’t get me wrong—I live in maternity jeans and comfy tees during the week, but on weekends and special occasions, it’s often easier to just slip on (or squeeze into) a dress. You’ll look instantly put-together with minimal effort. I also find them really flattering. They show off the cute parts of pregnancy—like your bump—and hide the not-so-cute parts (my new cravings haven’t only gone to my belly).

While I highly recommend investing in a great dress that you’ll wear all throughout your pregnancy (like this one), it’s a no-brainer to save on styles that you may only wear a handful of times. For maternity dresses that won’t blow my diaper budget, I’ve been turning to Asos, where I found this floral-print dress on sale for less than the cost of some onesies. It was fun and flirty enough to wear on our babymoon in Palm Springs and added some color to our maternity photos (see the rest here). Another tip: For one-time use, consider renting a bump-friendly dress.

Here are more cute maternity dresses that make me wish my pregnancy wasn’t almost over:

P.S. Meet my fellow pregnant friend who swears by maxi dresses.

Little Black (Maternity) Dress

Actually, a more accurate title of this post would probably be “Not-So-Little Black Maternity Dress,” since there’s room for a watermelon in it. But since it’s black and quite fitted, I’d still put it in the LBD category. I’ve already mentioned my new affinity for fitted dresses during pregnancy. I’ve seen one too many pictures of my mom while pregnant in the ’80s to know that muumuus make you look about as shapely as a Christmas tree (sorry, mom!). I added another bump-hugging dress to my maternity wardrobe in time for our babymoon to sunny Palm Springs. The tank-style LBD is perfect for warmer temps as we head into spring here in California.

Ingrid and Isabel maternity tank dress.

P.S. More highlights from our babymoon in Palm Springs.

Must-Have Maternity Dress

So far, my maternity style has looked a lot like my normal style—sweaters, skinny jeans (albeit with elastic waistbands) and booties—with the exception of one thing: the fitted dress. Now that I’m in my third trimester, I consider this ruched dress by Ingrid and Isabel a pregnancy must-have—so much that I have it in two colors (black and grey) and just might get a third. Once you have a bump, it’s fun to wear pieces that show off your new shape—when else will you be congratulated for having a protruding midsection?—and this dress does just that.

More reasons to love this dress? The soft, stretch knit is incredibly comfortable and leaves plenty of room for a growing bump, while the side ruching is super flattering. You also can easily dress this versatile style up or down. It works just as well with booties and a jacket for daytime as it does with heels and fun accessories come date night.

Ingrid and Isabel maternity dress. Velvet fatigue jacket. Sam Edelman booties. 
Michele watch. David Yurman bracelets.

Do you have any must-have maternity wear? I’d love to hear about your favorite finds!