My little Leo is 3 months today!!!

We went over to the studio this afternoon to play dress-up and take some milestone photos.  Leo is typically a REALLY smiley baby but he wasn’t giving me anything today.  I was trying anything and everything to get my little guy to flash a grin… I’m sure our studio neighbors were totally annoyed by the obnoxious lady talking in high-pitch/crazy tones.  ;)

These 3 months have literally flashed before my eyes.  I am insanely blessed to have such a happy and healthy son.  Leo… You make Mommy SO happy.  I  love you.

xo

Jen

I saw this blogpost on Babble from author, Melissa Jordan, and fell in love with the words.  The title of the post was, “A Love Letter to Motherhood”…  This note resonated with my soul and reminded me of how blessed I am to be a Mom to two amazing little boys.

For all the mommas out there…

xo

Jen

What is motherhood but the very best chance to learn what you are made of? It will strip you down to nothing. Make you doubt yourself a thousand times. And it will make you roar with a fierceness you’ve never before seen. It will search your heart for your greatest fears and the bravest of all your intentions and set them out on display.

It breaks you. It saves you. It steals the girl you were. All of her. You’ll never sleep like her or be as carefree as she once was, but she’d never believe the courage or the selflessness she’ll one day possess in you. Motherhood replaces her with someone who understands love on a level the girl you were never could.

It’s okay to sometimes wish you could go back and live a day in her shoes. A day to bask in the decadence of irresponsibility. But if she could look forward: If she could see herself tested, how her fears have been faced, how the question “Am I strong enough to survive this?” is answered with a resounding yes, time after time. She’d feel damn proud to become the woman that awaits her.

~ Melissa Jordan (Babys First Year Blog)

My friend, Nicole, found out last Tuesday the gender of her 2nd baby but wanted to do something fun to reveal the baby’s gender to family and friends. I was trying to think of something original where we could use something she loves, that is pink and blue, and has a “Spring-feel” to it. The first thing that popped into my head was flowers at the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market. Thank goodness that this was the first Saturday that it opened and there vendors with buckets of flowers everywhere.

As much as I am partial to boys, I was crossing my fingers that Nicole would have a little girl.  Some women are just meant to be mother’s of daughters and Nicole is definitely one of those women.  I am SO happy for my best friend and cannot wait to meet my little niece this late-Summer.

xo

Jen

Here is a link to the little video that I made for Nicole to share with family/friends…

BABY ELSEN | GENDER REVEAL

A BIG Happy Birthday to my husband, Dan!!!

We have been together for almost 10 years and it’s hard to believe of all the milestones that we’ve gone through together….  From the college days when we met all the way to buying a home and starting a family…  We have come a LONG way.

I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better husband and father to our sons.  Dan, we truly are blessed to have you and love you more than words can express.  Thank you for all that you do for our family.

Cheers to your best year yet!

xo

Jen

I put together a fun little array of photos from the past years (hence, the blurry/discolored photos)…

Wedding Photo Credit: Jennifer Echols Photography

Dan and Max decided to wrestle while I put laundry away. The golden light was shining through the window and I had to capture some photos of 2 of my 3 guys. Tonight was a good night.

Goodnight!

xo
Jen

Addie’s nursery is one of the most unique and beautiful spaces that I’ve seen. Her Mom is insanely creative (my fellow Aquarian) and seriously needs to get into interior design. I love the personal touches around the room… From the hand-painted vintage dresser to the homemade mobile. Also, Addie’s parents found an old chandelier in their basement when they moved in and decided to fix it up and paint it a bright blue. It will be such a beautiful room for Addie to grow into over the years. Speaking from a no-frill-princess-flowers kind of girl (yes, this is why God gave me 2 boys) this room is a perfect combo of vintage and girly-girl.

xo
Jen

With Leo in tow I headed over to my friend Krissy’s house to meet her new baby, Lucy. K & J are parents of THREE beautiful girls. It’s hard to believe that my friend growing up is now a Mom of multiple kids… Heck, it’s hard to believe that I am a Mom of plural children. ;)

Lucy is a perfect combo of both sisters, Emily and Anna. Both of Lucy’s sisters were born with little hair so her parents were quite shocked to see her full head of hair.

Welcome to the world, Lucy!

xo
Jen

This pretty little lady is one of my “First Year” kiddos. It feels like yesterday that I met her parents in Minneapolis for their maternity session and now she is crawling and standing on her own. Brooke is such a smiley baby with the most gorgeous blue eyes. You really do forget how much their personalities change even in a 3 month span. I cannot wait for her big 1 year photos this Summer.

xo
Jen

Nicole and I have been friends since we were 12. We’ve been side-by-side through the awkward years of Junior High and High School. We were college roomates. Nicole and Matt (her now husband) set Dan and I up in college. We were each others Maid-of-Honor. We now live 2 miles away from each other in the same town. I am the God Mother of her son, she is the God Mother of Maxwell. We have pretty much been right next to each other for every big milestone in life. I am blessed to have such a rare, special, once-in-a-lifetime friendship. Totally thankful for this woman.

Cheers to my very best friend, Nicole, as she goes through her second pregnancy. May the next 20 weeks be filled with many baby kicks, no morning sickness, and yummy cravings.

Love you!

xo
Jen

I adore little Cooper. I have taken this cutie’s photos every 3 months since he was born. For his 18 month session we let him loose in the studio and he didn’t hold back. He is truly a strong-willed little boy with quite the personality. Thank you, Cooper, for letting me capture your milestones!

xo
Jen