This is big for me.

I did a photoshoot near the end of my pregnancy last fall, not just to capture the moment but to try something for the first time — and to hopefully make a dent in poor representation of disabled bodies.

The idea took shape over the summer, and when photographer Jen Squires agreed to work on the photos with me, I knew something beautiful would come of it.

I feel vulnerable sharing the photos (in an excited, important way, not a too-much way, don’t worry!), and I’m very excited that CBC Parents has posted the them, along with my story:

I Couldn’t Find Any Disability Maternity Photos, So I Made My Own

I’m thrilled with the how the images turned out, even more so now that I have a six-month-old and those days of waiting for her arrival seem like a lifetime ago. I didn’t want the standard preggo-photos; I wanted something that highlighted difference and for the focus to be both normalization and celebration of that difference.

Have a look.

Enormous thanks to Jen Squires for her photography and collaboration, to Native Women in the Arts for the space to shoot in, and to Kelty Lewis, makeup artist.