Priceless Moments // Photos by Jessica Holleque

Everyone always tells you how fast time goes once you have a baby.

I remember towards the end of my pregnancy the days felt so incredibly long. It was like I was going to be pregnant forever and all I wanted to do was meet him.

Then he arrived and the first three months of his life felt even longer. The endless cycle of nurse, change, eat, sleep, repeat.

And then BOOM, just like that, he turned 6-months old.

My pregnancy had come and gone. Those first few months, a memory.

Deep down I know every moment is fleeting.

I know that my 6-month old will soon be one year, then he'll be two and before I know it he'll be starting school.

We have a lot of living to do from now until then and I know it's going to go fast. 

That's why I am so determined to document our life.

I can't hold on forever but with these photos come memories that will last a lifetime.

---

Jessica is an incredible photographer. I've been a fan of her work for a long time. There's so much truth and aliveness to her photos. Once I had Thomas George, I knew we had to get on the other side of her camera.

It's wild because I've actually known Jessica since we were really young. Our mothers were close friends while we were growing up and her family is sprinkled in many of my earliest memories. How cool for us to be reconnecting in this way!

My sister Leah and niece Coco joined us for a warm summer evening in St. Paul, Minnesota. Our babes did so good during the entire session and our images turned out better than I could have imagined. Honestly, I can't wait to do this again.. next time with the hubby too!

As things change and our children grow, I will truly treasure each moment -- precious and priceless.

All photographs taken by Jessica Holleque.
You can find more of her work below: 
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Thomas George // 7-months-old

Tom George turns 7 months old tomorrow.

Gosh he's changed so much this month.

He's crawling on all fours, he got his two bottom teeth, he pulls himself up every possibly moment he can, sits up like he's been doing it for ages and he loves to eat.

The sun starting to creep into the bedroom early yesterday morning. As the light flooded our room I ran to grab my camera. This boy was crazy on the move and it wasn't even 7am yet!

Too early, mom.

My absolute favorite part of the day is going to get Mr. happy boy after he wakes up. He is SILLY and he knows it. We play for a good 20 minutes before we leave his room. I sing, I roll, we peek-a-boo, I dance...  anything to make him laugh. His laugh is everything.

Since he started to pull himself up last week, every time I go in his room, he's standing... and he's proud of it!

Two bottom teeth! 

Raspberries at mom!

Oh my curious little muffin. So interested... fascinated by the world around him. He has to touch, taste and ok I'll be honest, destroy everything he touches. He wants to make noise, reach up to the top shelf, and play with anything that isn't really a toy. 

I love the way his eyebrows go down when he is concentrating hard. The way he raises them when mom is being silly. The way he smile grins when his daddy gets home from work... and the best is that cute little laugh he does when he sees the jar of food.

Thomas George.

We are so proud of you.

July 2017 // Trip to Minnesota

I grew up in a small town north of Duluth. I love my family but couldn't wait to get out of there.
The month after I graduated high school, I left, determined to live anywhere else.

It's funny what 10 years will do. 

Minnesota, the Iron Range particularly, is my absolute favorite place in the whole world. No matter where I go or what I do it'll always be home.

July in Minnesota is perfect*. Everywhere is buzzing with that summertime energy. It's cool at night, warm during the day and the days are gloriously long. 

We arrived the very end of June and Tom and I hit the ground running. We were visiting family and friends every single day! Tom was only there for 10 days and we had a lot of people to see and  a lot of things to do!

*Yes, I write this acting like mosquitos do not exist.

I had so much fun playing with my camera while we were home. I tried my best to take it out as often as I could and I'm so grateful for the moments that I captured along withe the incredible moments that I'll only have in my memory.

Time with all the grandparents...the best. My mom and dad, Tom's mom and stepdad, Tom's dad and stepmom, grandma and grandpa Briski. The time spent with my sisters; Leah, Coco, Angeline, Danielle.. my little squishy Coco Mae head and my nephews Brandon and Owen. My aunts, uncles, cousins and friends that I actually got to spend time with! AMAZING! So amazing.. 

The baby showers, weddings, baseball games, parades, lake days, shopping days, breakfast dates, hair cuts, lunch dates, co-op runs, Tommy's tri, CHIPOTLE and an awesome trip to Lakeville.

These are the best moments. The moments I live for. They are busy and crazy but there is help and love and lots and lots of laughter. These are the moments that are most important. Time with family.

I got to spend the entire month of July in the midwest. How incredible is that?

The day my parents dropped me off at the Duluth airport to head home - I cried. I cried because I had the best month. I cried because how darn lucky was I to be able to do that? I cried because I missed my husband and Finn so darn much and I finally allowed myself to feel it. 

Things aren't perfect, gosh no, but I am one incredibly blessed mama.

I live a life that can never, ever be taken for granted.  

June in Review ~

- Went to the Big Island for the weekend
- Watched hubby complete Ironman 70.3 on Kona
- Visited Kevin & Kelly! <3
- Took Tom George's 5-month photos
- Amber necklace for teething Thomas
- Pool day with the baby!
- Celebrated Tom on Father's Day! Nico's for dinner!
- Chopped all my hair off
- Story time at Kaneohe Library
- Lunch with Gigi and Noe
- Thomas's 6-month wellness check & shots
- Tom's North Shore swim
- Tom George's first swim in the ocean!
- Nacho's at Uncle Bos, Haleiwa
- Completed 2 Skillshare classes
- Booked a photoshoot with Jessica Holleque in July
- Cactus date with husband (baby TG too!)
- Read the book White Hot Truth by Danielle LaPorte
- Gave myself a mani & pedi
- Left for Minnesota trip! HNL ---> MSP
- Caribou in MN!!

May in Review ~

- Celebrated Grandpa George's 80th birthday in Minnesota
- Flew back to Hawaii
- T. George had his 4-month wellness check
- Celebrated my first Mother's Day
- Brunch with family at Crepes No Ka Oi in Kailua
- Back to the Dermatologist
- Binged watched 3 seasons of Shameless (quit watching, couldn't take anymore and needed my life back!)
- Took 4 photography classes on Skillshare
- Purchased Michelle Gardella's Story Waters Lightroom presets
- Aloha BBQ in Honolulu for Tom's co-worker, James
- Mama baby day trip to Ala Moana Mall in Honolulu
- Lunch with Sage and Theo
- Auntie Katie visits
- North Shore Oahu family cruise
- Thomas started to crawl!
- Annual women's appointment with my midwife
- Made a Terrarium with Cami and Art Bridge at Anuenue in Kailua
- Solo coffee date at Chad Lous
- Started an online collection of my photographs {portfolio}
- Packed up my little dude for our next trip to the Big Island

First Trimester -- Thomas George

The first trimester.

We found out we were pregnant at about 4-5 weeks. Once we had that positive test, it started to get real... there's a baby on the way!

7 weeks pregnant with little baby J!

- My favorite part of the first trimester was telling people we were pregnant. Getting to call my parents, Tom's parents and my sisters, cousins, family and friends was SO MUCH FUN. Everyone seriously freaks out and cries and celebrates and... it's fun. I loved that part.

- It wasn't all laughter and celebration though.. in fact, I was sick the entire first trimester. It wasn't morning sickness, it was all damn day! From my first appointment to my second, I lost 8 lbs! I couldn't eat and was choking down crackers trying to get by. That part is tough because you look normal and you aren't really telling people yet but you're SICK but not sick... lol, a struggle for sure. 

- I remember longing to eat a real meal, a BIG meal.. any kind of FOOD. There was a small part of me that even wondered if food would ever taste good again.

- Pregnancy and mamahood wasn't something that was really on my radar, so when we found out we were pregnant I had a little bit of a freak out... I knew ABSOLUTELY nothing about pregnancy or babies. It was time to hit Amazon! Books on books on books. Pregnancy books, birthing books, breastfeeding books. I went a little bit crazy but I also had a lot of fun reading and learning about the future of my body and my life.

- I wanted a home birth and Tom wanted a hospital birth so we compromised on a birth center. I had an OB and two midwives that I met with and I really liked them. We had our first appointment at 8 weeks and it was SO COOL. Seeing the little blobby human and hearing his heartbeat -- let the unbelievable moments (along with the million appointments) begin!

- One of the other biggest things for me in the first trimester was exhaustion. I was SO TIRED -- so I slept.. and slept... and SLEPT like a rock. I pretty much took a 2 hour nap everyday after work. I'd get home, collapse on the bed and sleep. At the time I was teaching a Yoga class and had to get a sub for my classes. I felt like a big, useless slug. So much sleep, so much rest.

- The first trimester is so trippy because I didn't look pregnant. I felt sick and I felt tired but the craziest thing was just knowing I was growing a human. All day everyday I just kept thinking, "I'm pregnant. I can't believe I'm pregnant. We're going to have a baby. A baby." LOL -- seriously, ALL DAY LONG.

- Another one of my favorite parts of the first trimester was getting BOOBS! My boobs got big right away and I loved it. I finally filled out a swimsuit and I looked great in a tank top. It was short lived but a wonderful experience I'll remember forever. Haha

- Another big thing I experienced in the first trimester was doubt. Could I be a good mom? I would look up to the sky a lot when I was on my walks and I would ask in all seriousness, "Are you SURE you want me to do this? You trust me to be a good mom? Ok, if you think so."

- Oh, another thing. Hormones. The crying started in the first trimester. If it was silly, I cried -- sad, I cried. I was smiling and joking one minute and then crying the next -- my hubby, poor thing, did so good with me.

12 weeks pregnant and on my way to the second trimester!

- MOM BRAIN. It's so real and I had it so bad. It started right there in the first trimester and oh. em. gee. I was running into walls at work, I couldn't finish a sentence, and I would seriously just lose my balance trying to walk. It was absolutely nuts and weird and I thought my mind was jelly for good and I would never be the same again. (It went away, thank goodness!)

- I didn't actually buy any maternity clothes in the first trimester. I stuck to skirts and shorts and tanks.. I went up a size in the scrubs at work for comfort. It was really all about being comfortable!

- Something that changed for me right away that I thought was really weird... every single time I brushed my teeth, I gagged. It lasted my entire pregnancy. I couldn't brush my tongue at all and even just brushing my teeth was weird. 

- Just a few short days after telling my sister I was pregnant, she had a surprise for ME.. she was pregnant TOO! We were due only a week apart. I think I needed someone very close to me to go through the entire experience together. Thank goodness for Leah and Coco!

- By the end of the first trimester, I felt like I had gotten really big... which after experiencing 41 weeks of pregnancy, is a hilarious statement. ;)

- The whole thing felt so slow-fast. Each day felt long but it, of course, went by so quickly. All I know is I was grateful as all can be that I was growing a healthy little baby. We couldn't wait to find out what we were having! 

Baby is the size of a: LIME
Length & weight: 2.13 in. & .49 oz.
Mama's cravings: NONE -- could barely choke down crackers!
Weight update: 0 lbs. ~ I lost eight and gained it back so I'm at a 0 lb. weight difference in the first trimester
We're feeling: Excited, nervous, proud and mama is a bit sick! Can't WAIT to find out if you're a boy or a girl.
Highlight of the first trimester: Telling our family, friends and co-workers! THE BEST.
Energy levels: Slug status.
Habits: Legs up the wall every single night, started taking a prenatal vitamin, not really exercising, but I want to!
 

Read more of: 
The Pregnancy Diaries

April In Review ~

- Went to Maui Brewing to visit the Williams Ohana
- Had the in-laws here for a week
- Took Thomas up to Ko'Olina for the day
- Published That Positive Test -- Pregnancy Diary Part Two
- Play date with Sage & Theo x 2!
- Yoga at the YMCA - many times/week!
- Completed 23 Conversations Challenge with Heather Thorkelson
- Created Earthen Women FB Group for new moms
- Hosted a Dreamboard Workshop at The Yoga Hut
- Went to Beauty and the Beast with the girls
- Attended Stryker team building / Took Thomas to the beach
- Dermatologist appointment / Mole removed
- Easter at Lauren & Jon's house
- Solo coffee date at Chad Lou's
- Best Buy for my new baby : Canon 6D
- Watched my hubby cross the finish line at the Lanikai Triathalon!
- TRIP TO MINNESOTA! <3