This photographer captured just how exhausting parenting actually is!

Parenting is exhausting.

Yes, we all absolutely love our little ones and there is nothing quite like seeing them smile after a long day at the office.

But sometimes, we’d also just like to come home to clean floors and walls that haven’t received a new paint job courtesy of our kids and their terrible twos, but a peaceful sanctuary complete with well-behaved children perched on the couch watching some TV. And all this is after they’ve completed all their homework, chores, had a bath and are ready to run into your arms and just smother you with some much-needed love and affection, of course.

But as we all know, parenting isn’t peace and quiet and obedient little ones sprinting into your arms. No, no, parenting is a marathon.

• Also read: Sweatpants and messy buns: This mom went viral after her hilarious and relatable post

And working mom Danielle Guenther knows just how utterly tiring it can be.

The New York based photographer and mother to an 8-year-old boy perfectly captured the challenges of being a parent in a series titled Best Case Scenario and we are either crying at how funny it is or in tears about how utterly relatable we’re finding it. Either way we are loving it.

Danielle told Parent24 that she got the idea when she was on assignment shooting a regular lifestyle session.

“They laid down in exhaustion on the couch afterwards, and I decided to take that action and turn it into the reality of what most of us parents really feel like. "Parenting is Exhausting" was the first image of that series.”

The updated version, 3 years later...

Danielle continued to shoot more and more staged images wanting to capture the reality of being a parent. She said, “On social media, people tend to share the perfection in life... but we all know (especially as parents), you can have that amazing moment with your child, and the next 45 minutes can be a massive temper tantrum.”

Thus, hoping to photograph every parent’s struggle in a humourous way, she set out to create what for many parents is the Best Case Scenario. Take a look:

"Just Another Mouth to Feed"

• Also read: WATCH: Feisty two-year-old has the internet in stitches with hilarious first-day-of-school rant

While we realise that the scenes were obviously exaggerated, they were in fact inspired by Danielle’s own experiences as a mother. We found the following image particularly relatable. 

Commenting on the image Danielle told Parent24 that after she had her son, she was in so much pain waiting for milk to come in, her mother brought her frozen items to put on her breasts for relief. 

“I actually have an image of me with ice packs sipping a Guiness a couple days after birth,” she said.

"Keepin it Reel"

• Also read: WATCH: These moms are all of us when it comes to planning parties

Danielle explained that while her little one helps her now and occasionally even lets her photograph him, there were times back when she first became a parent where she felt as though she couldn’t quite keep up.

“I wanted to crawl into a corner and cry, while numbing myself with a bag of doritos and a bottle of wine,” she explained.

We’ve all been there. We’ve all been in almost all these best case scenarios, actually.

But as Danielle continued and perfectly concluded, “Life isn't perfect, but these are the moments we'll want back someday. These are the stories we'll tell. It may be chaotic in the moment, but we'll look back and laugh and beg for them back.”

Danielle also created a maternity series appropriately titled What The Bump? and What Women Want series that we also completely loved. You can check them out on her site.

You’ll be rolling on the floor laughing.

I mean, an old school girls night where we all just get together to eat and sleep?

I’m there for it!