Life Before 8am {Kate}

“See and appreciate the significance in the mundane, in the everyday, in the fleeting. The big moments are important, but some of the best moments are in the in-between ones.” – Karen Jacot Photography

When I signed up for my “Before 8am” photo shoot, my first thought was “I need to buy new pajamas!” I looked at my messy house, my messy wardrobe, and at the messy mom staring back at me in the mirror and instantly regretted my decision. Not only were these photos going to forever capture my unkempt life, but they were forever going to be on the internet for all to see! However, I stopped to really think about the goal of Karen’s photos and of the experience as a whole. We all have pictures from amazing outings or special family vacations, but we rarely capture what our everyday, un-staged life is like. When my son is an adult, he will be able to look back at these photos and see what life was really all about – what a seemingly average, (normally) non-photo-worthy morning was like. I may not be a Martha Stewart or a Cindy Crawford, but I absolutely love my life and my family, and I wanted these pictures to capture that joy. My fears turned to excitement and I couldn’t wait to see these beautiful and authentic memories; grubby t-shirt and sweatpants from high school and all!

Good morning! Ben is an early riser. Poor Karen traveled down from Boulder in the snow to capture this sweet babe getting up at 6am!

Hanging out in his sleepsack, WubbaNubs at the ready.

Who can be mad at a 6am wake-up call when this sweet baby face is looking at you?

Nursing was a bit of a struggle in the beginning, but now I have to say it is one of my most cherished moments of each day. Sometimes Ben plays with my hair and sometimes he just pats my chest and looks up at me with those big, beautiful eyes. He doesn’t need or seem to want to nurse much anymore, so I know these sweet bonding moments are numbered. I’m so glad to have this portrait of motherhood forever.

Tickles and cuddles are the best!

This shoot happened on a Saturday, so my husband Rob got to spend the whole morning with Ben! Rob leaves for work early during the week, so weekday mornings usually just consist of a quick cuddle and a kiss before he’s out the door. The weekends are the best, and Rob likes to get as much father-son time in as possible.

Here’s our cat, Oreo. He really only likes Rob and me. He tolerates the baby. Can’t you tell he’s excited Karen is here?

Even though I stay home with Ben, he rarely says “mama.” “Dada,” however, is a favorite. Can’t you tell?

On the weekend, I like to make breakfast for us while Rob and Ben play. I made blueberry muffins that morning – a family favorite. Don’t get too excited, it was just a box mix!

Ben is so curious about cups. Here he is having a sip of mama’s juice.

Rob and I lovingly refer to Ben as our “hungry, hungry hippo.” He just loves to eat and finished this whole banana in no time. Are those muffins ready yet?

Playing “Peek-A-Boo!” is fun for us all. The belly laughs from this baby just melt my heart.

One of our favorite outings during the week is story time at the library, where Ben just goes crazy for the bubbles. I bought this little bubble machine for him and he was captivated the first time we used it. This time, not so much. Babies are predictably unpredictable!

I tried to get him excited, but it just didn’t work.

This shoot happened not too long after Christmas. Ben got this little bike from Grandma and Grandpa. He’s a pro at using the little bell now.

Getting closer and closer to walking every day! My big boy!

Chest puffed with pride, Ben takes confident strides.

Oreo came out from his hiding spot for a little attention. Ben got excited as his beloved “gheedl, gheedl” (kitty kitty) roamed around for a bit.

Giving his lovey some hugs.

Looking out the window. It was way too cold and snowy to play outside that morning!

Getting my arm workout in for the day, haha!

This picture reminds me of the days when Ben was first born. He barely fits on my legs like this anymore (I’m tall, that’s the only reason he still does!). He was getting sleepy and let me just graze his belly with my fingertips. It almost puts him in a trance.

Barely past 8am, and it’s already time for a nap! He usually takes a short morning snooze a couple of hours after he first wakes up. We had swim lessons later that morning, so it was good to get a little rest in.

Rob and I have been married for more than eight and a half years, and for the first seven and a half plus, it was just us two. Now that our beautiful Benjamin has come into our lives, we are all about him. While we still enjoy our time of just us two, we are happy to have this tiny human enrich our days, even before 8am!

For more pictures and a peek into Karen’s perspective of the shoot, be sure to check out her post here. And don’t forget to check out the rest of the posts within this amazing series as well!