First comes love, then comes marriage...

First comes love, then comes marriage... 

A decade ago today, my hubby and I had our very first ever date at La Paloma in Woodbridge!  I can remember it just like it was yesterday...  He arrived late (haha - if you know him you would understand) and as I sat looking at the door, I wondered if I'd even recognize him since our first encounter.  With every car that pulled up, and every male that walked in, I became hopeful that he would be all that I had recalled.  He entered the Italian ice-cream shop in a turquoise Lacoste shirt and we talked over gelato for hours...  Okay maybe I talked for hours and he did an excellent job of listening!!!

To celebrate our dating anniversary, we went back to La Paloma and revisited some of our first memories as a couple.  We brought our dog Ruby, and figured it would be a good opportunity for us to have a family photo session.

Our story continues, and I am happy and excited to announce - through some of these photographs, that our little family of three is growing!  

While I was travelling to Reggio Emilia, Italy this past Spring, I knew that I would leave feeling inspired and having learned many new ideas to bring home with me.  What I never anticipated though was to begin feeling unlike myself physically, only to find out the biggest surprise of my life to date - that I was expecting!!! 

What continues to boggle my mind, are all of the signs that I saw while I was on the study tour.  On the train ride from Milano to Reggio Emilia, I accidentally sat under a pregnancy sign...  Then I seemed to notice many new mothers walking around with their baby carriages everywhere.  And finally, at one of the Reggio Schools I came across a piece of documentation entitled, "the story begins that a mother is expecting her baby..." which was assembled into a book for sale.  I bought it, thinking you don't suppose this all means something... And then as I continued to feel the exhaustion that lasted longer than jet lag should, I confirmed that coming in January 2016 we would become parents.

I returned home after that trip with more than books, ideas, and memories in my suitcase... I came back with a new blessing, surprise, and secret that I hoped to share with family, friends, and followers in the months to come!

Hope you enjoy sharing in our story! These photos are very special to me, as I am working on a book that I would like to give to our child some day.  We have decided to keep the gender a surprise (so no gender reveal parties for us this time around) and had fun during this photoshoot guessing if it would be a boy or a girl with some pink and blue baby props!  

It's magical how the stars align and the universe changes your direction...  Who would have thought ten Canada Days ago, that it all would have started over some sweet gelato?  More coincidences than I can wrap my head around!!!

This photo shoot was styled by me - the super excited mama to be!  From our outfits, props, sidewalk chalk drawings, and locations...

It would not have been possible without my partners in crime, my husband Arsenios Vergis, and my doggy, Ruby Satine (like the character from the Mulin Rouge).  Thanks Ari for humouring me with all of these ridiculous ideas that I had! You truly are a good sport my love!  

Special thanks to our amazing photographer Vikki Tsekouras of VCM Photography, who captured all of these moments for us!

I am not making any plans.

I'm just going to let the universe surprise me.

                                                                                      -unknown author