When you have a toddler life becomes chaotic, unpredictable and very, very busy. A toddler's energy is simultaneously wonderful and frustrating, and this exhausting yet endearing stage has been brilliantly captured in a new series of photos.
Anna Angenend, 23, from Texas, USA, is mum to a two-year-old daughter called Mia. She is also a professional photographer who noticed that her day-to-day life looked very different to the 'picture perfect' family photos she was commissioned to shoot.
"I get stuck in a bubble with my daughter and I don't know if I'm doing things right,"Anna told Rex Features. "Is it normal for her to have a meltdown at the grocery store? Should my house be that much of a mess?
"Being around a two-year-old 24/7 is an endless amount of inspiration for a new photo. If I couldn't laugh at some of the ridiculous situations I've been put in, I might just go a little crazy."
Anna says that the photo above was taken during Mia's 'I can do everything on my own' phase.
"Even though there were only a few tops that she deemed wearable at the time, she needed to be able to say no to every one, before picking the a shirt with a puppy dog," Anna explained.
"She would proceed to spend the following 30 minutes, 20 of them in tears, putting on her top."
Anna started her 'Mom Life' photo series last August when her friend's children were going back to school after the summer holidays.
"My friends were so emotional about sending their kids off to school. As a stay at home mom of a toddler, I wanted to show how I felt about school starting up," said Anna about the photo below. "Plus, we are planning on home-schooling Mia, so we're in for the long haul."
You can see more of Anna's photography below, or on her website.
One Trip or Die
"With my husband frequently out of town, a young child, a car full of groceries, and an apartment building 50 ft. from the parking lot, I faced quite a dilemma. I can't leave the baby sitting in the car, nor can I leave her sitting alone inside. The result is me lugging her back and forth while I unload the car, or make like a mule."
Sandbox Day
"Anyone who has taken their child to the beach, or sandbox, can relate."
Peace and Quiet
"Even though I think that carrying a 3 lb toddler several hours a day and power cleaning your house should count for something, I still attempt to do an official workout at home or go to a gym on a semi-regular basis. Annually, at least.
"Mia will either climb under me or on me during yoga. She puts herself in a regrettable place during kickboxing and terrifies me when trying to pick up my weights. It's cute, and a very effective way to end my workout 10 minutes in."
Make up Mishap
"After Halloween, Mia really took an interest in raiding my make-up collection. I am just glad that she smeared cheap face paint all over the counter, instead of my MAC make-up."
Hide and Read
"Mia's favorite game currently is hide and seek. I have spent a lot of time in 'hiding' trying to catch up on all the texts I haven't responded to in a week and read at least a couple of news headlines."
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