This sweet couple took these sweet photos with the talented local family photographer HaleyClare Photography! Rachel + Chris invited HaleyClare into their home in Bellevue to snap some super fun and casual baby announcement photos! As Nashville natives, this couple has kept their family tight knit and they are super excited to bring this new little baby into the world! Keep reading for more on the Zotti family!
Tell us about you guys as a couple/family!
Rachel: My husband, Chris, and I both grew up in Franklin, TN – So we are both the oh-so-rare native Nashvillians! We are high school sweethearts, and we also both attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. We will be celebrating our 4 year wedding anniversary in November. We currently live on the west side of town in Bellevue, where we built our first house. Up until now, our “only child” has been our adorable 2-year-old German Shepherd, Phoebe. We are so excited to add a new member to our little family! Our due date is April 2, 2020.
What was the moment like when you found out you were pregnant?
Rachel: It was incredible, I will never forget the first time I saw those 2 little pink lines! It was a moment I had thought about and prayed about, but when I actually saw that the test read positive I was shocked and overwhelmed. I think Chris was also a little overwhelmed, because pretty soon after we found out he started listing off things we needed to do – he said “the clock has started!” I’ll never forget it, it was so funny!
How did you announce you were pregnant to your family/friends?
Rachel: We told our family pretty quickly, because there’s no way to keep secrets in our families. We are very lucky in that our two families are very close, and we will all get together for family functions occasionally. Chris and I had my family and his family over to grill out, and right before we ate we let them know we had an announcement. There were lots of screams and tears and hugs. My mother-in-law admitted she had been hoping this was “it” and promptly pulled out a bottle or champagne for celebration! (None for me of course!)
How has your family reacted to your pregnancy?
Rachel:They are very excited! This is the first grandchild on both sides – this baby will be spoiled for sure!
How has your pregnancy been so far?
Rachel:It has been great! During the first trimester, my most intense symptom was the fatigue. A little bit of nausea but I was never sick. Now in the second trimester, I’ve gotten some of my energy back. I’m very lucky that, so far, I have loved being pregnant.
How far along are you in the maternity photos?
Rachel:12 weeks
How did you come up with your concept/location for your photos?
Rachel:The location for our announcement pictures was in our house – We love our home and I just wanted photos to look back on and remember it just being Chris and I in our home, expecting our first baby together!
What was it like during the shoot working with the photographer?
Rachel: Chris and I tend to not take ourselves very seriously so sometimes taking professional pictures can feel a bit ridiculous to us. HaleyClare did a great job making us feel comfortable and capturing the true genuine laughs. We had a lot of fun!
Thank you so much to Rachel for sharing your story and to HaleyClare for sharing these beautiful photos with us!
