At the time of writing this, my daughter Matilda (aka Tilly) is 14 months old. I'm half laughing at myself typing that, as before I had a child, I thought it was odd that people would state their child's age in months.

I also never knew what it was like to survive on so little sleep. I used to think that seven hours sleep at once was not that much. I've not slept that long at once for almost two years now....Four hours will do me :D 

I've learnt so much since becoming a Mum. I felt like I understood my families when they came along to shoots, having photographed so many! But after becoming a Mum, I marvelled at the fact they could come along on time with all their children in clean clothes. 

How does anyone have time to do anything?! 

I knew being a Mum would change my life, but I didn't realise just how much. 

The constant cycles of feeding, changing, settling, and wondering if I was doing it right, and when it would ever end...

The celebrations you have when your child finally learns how to go to sleep without a fight. (It took 13 months here!) ....

The warm fuzzy feeling when they give you a cuddle. The every growing feeling of love for a tiny human....

Seeing the amazement in their eyes when they discover something new....

How precious 'childfree time' becomes (quick, do ALL THE THINGS!!!!) ....

Becoming part of a new community of people - MUM FRIENDS are your saviours!! 

The days sometimes drag, but there's never enough time to do everything? 

You feel so lucky, and yet so challenged at the same time. 

Then you wonder how on earth your baby grew up so fast, where did the time go? 

This is why capturing family photographs are so important. 

How they looked, their personality, their expressions. 

The value of the photos I take increase as the months go by, watching my tiny human grow

I'm sure they will be even more precious as the years roll by too. 

Being a photographer is great, but being Tilly's mama is the greatest

All images and text copyright Jolly Giraffe Creative Family Photography