Before I became a mom, I had visions.

You know the kind: soft swaddles, peaceful rocking chairs, a color-coded baby book, and maybe (just maybe) enough time to sit on the porch with a warm cup of coffee while the baby napped.

What I didn’t picture was crying in the pediatrician’s parking lot because I forgot the diaper bag. Or hiding in the laundry room to get five minutes of quiet. Or sitting on the floor at 3AM, holding a teething baby and wondering if I was the only one who felt completely overwhelmed, completely unqualified, and somehow… completely in love.

Motherhood has a way of undoing you – and stitching you back together into someone stronger, softer, and somehow more yourself than you were before.

And yet, I spent those early months trying to “do it right.” To look pulled together. To keep the house clean. To capture the milestones. To enjoy every moment. (Spoiler: I didn’t. Some moments were really, really hard.)

But somewhere along the way, something clicked.

I started noticing the real moments – the ones no one puts on a Pinterest board.

The sleepy grin after a long nap. The tiny hand grabbing mine mid-meltdown. The cereal spilled on the floor and the dog went crazy while my baby belly-laughed.

The mundane moments started to feel magical. Not because they were perfect – but because they were ours.

That’s when I stopped trying to pose life and started learning to live it.

It’s also when I picked up my camera – not just to capture what things looked like, but what they felt like.

If you’re a mom reading this…

Maybe you’re tired. Maybe you’re touched-out. Maybe you’re worried you’re doing it wrong.

You’re not. You’re just in the thick of it.

And if no one has told you lately: The life you’re living right now is worth remembering.

You don’t need a perfect house or matching outfits. You don’t need to lose the baby weight or wait until the toddler phase is over.

You just need to show up. As you are. Chaos and all.

That’s what I do with my camera. I show up and tell your real story – one beautifully unscripted moment at a time.

Want to see more of the messy magic?

I send out letters from the road – honest thoughts on motherhood, behind-the-scenes stories, and more.

If you’re into that sort of thing, I’d love to have you join me.

 Subscribe here and I’ll send you a little letter to your inbox.

Because real life is worth lighting well.

With grace and grit,
Jess