Jacqueline Horning Photography

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Happy Mother's Day!

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Perhaps a bit unexpected, but this is one of my favorite pictures as of late.  We just rolled out of bed and it struck me how long this babe is getting.  Our eyes show we just woke up and it's just...real.  

It's easy to forget those small, everyday occurrences that are the real blessings of life.  Sleepy-eyed children are one of them for me.  That's the beauty of a photograph, isn't it?  Helping us to remember and celebrate what is good and true, and preserving a fleeting moment for us to come back to?  

Happy Mother's Day, all.  Here's to you and your children, whether they are here now (all day and all night!), already in heaven, or for now only in your prayers.  Give your mama a squeeze for the good things she's passed on.  xoxo.  

My Top Picks for a Diaper Bag

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So as you may have seen, babe #2 arrived in September.  Going from one child to two meant upping my game in a few areas, and a diaper bag was one of them.  

Other areas include strollers, doing life one handed, and making awesome toddler-approved meals in five minutes...so needless to say I'm a work in progress. ;)

Anyway, back to the diaper bag situation: the canvas bag I swung over my shoulder with baby #1 was already starting to get in the way as I lifted my baby-turned-toddler to the sink to wash her hands, bent to see what new treasure she found on the ground, etc.  A backpack was a must, as smarter mothers had already realized. 

Also, I had done the bag that isn't a diaper bag thing and was ok without the compartments....but thought it would be nice and definitely faster to grab that little hair clip that fell to the bottom of the bag.  

Backpacks go with babywearing!  Iphone photo from this fall when he was just a peanut.

So, since we're all searching for the same thing - a diaper bag that doesn't look like one - I thought I'd share my finalists with you.

In no particular order:

1. Storq - The Carryall.  Minimalist black backpack.  It's simple, it's waterproof, looks like a gender-neutral backpack and holds baby gear in a few pockets.  #win.

2. Honest Co. - honest city backpack.  Pretty leather backpacks - I'd expect nothing less from a company that made diapers into works of art!  

3. Fawn - more stylish leather backpacks.  A little rounder shape, comes in black / brown / grey.

4. One Duo - Canvas coated backpack.  Material like the Storq bag but in an unexpected shape (and colors!).  It looks like they are currently sold out, but hopefully there will be more available soon!

5. Lily Jade - Diaper bag disguised as a designer handbag.   Add an amazing organizer insert and straps that convert to a backpack and vóila - form meets function.

6. Fjallraven Kanken - You know, those great swiss backpacks.  No, they aren't diaper bags at all, but why not?  Love their simplicity, people rave about them, and they look great.  I hear some people add an organizer inside to give it some compartments.   

Most of the leather (or "leather") backpack options were out of stock when I was looking so that helped narrow down my choices.  I opted for the One Duo, sold on Etsy, so I'm particularly bummed that it's currently off the market!  I typically opt for understated pieces so liked the plain canvas backpack options.  Add just a tad of style and lots of pockets and I'm one happy camper!

What else have you found?  

Wishing you form and function (so we can forget about the bag already) and enjoy the outdoors with your kiddos.  xo.

Our New Family of Four

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Our little peanut arrived nine days late on September 1st, 2016: Anderson "Anders" James.  He's wonderful and we're all happily getting used to our new normal.  

(I'm loving her face here, although she didn't learn to make a "cheese" face from me!)

So much about birth is amazing and crazy to me.  How I knew that pregnancy leads to the birth of a baby but still felt a shock of "ohmygoodness there's a BABY here now!" as he was born; how it felt so normal to know him and love him after only meeting this babe days earlier; the way our bodies know how to do this whole birth thing without any direction - and then heal and get back to normal (eventually).  Amazing.  

Things will be a little quiet over here this fall as I take maternity leave and soak up precious time with my TWO babies and learn how to be a mama all over again.   

 Send along any inquiries about setting up a session and I'll happily put you on the calendar in 2017.  The rest of this fall is set aside for finishing work for a few clients and taking lots of time with my kiddos.  

Have a fabulous fall (after that summer I'm convinced it will be the most wonderful time of the year) and give your loves an extra squeeze tonight.  We'll be over here doing the same thing and feeling grateful... and tired.  xo.