“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 the in-between ones.” – Karen Jacot Photography
I believe the saying is “when it rains, it pours.” So of course when our “Before 8am photo shoot” was scheduled, we were in the middle of the storm. We had just returned a few days prior from the mountains, I came down with a sinus infection and our little man had also developed an ear infection. Let’s just say that laundry was piled up, we were all tired, and the house was just plain messy. I thought about rescheduling, but then I realized, these moments I may forget as time goes on; how my house and life were in shambles one week. One day I know I will miss the mess and the cuddles, so this is actually a good, honest, and candid time to capture us as a family of four.
These are our moments before 8am. It’s these moments I don’t want to forget.
I am definitely a morning person and try to get downstairs for a cup of sanity coffee each morning when I am home for the day. Every morning my heart melts when my daughter wakes up, complete with messy hair, pajamas, and yells out for mama or daddy. It’s this moment I don’t want to forget.
To keep my sanity and get breakfast going, I let her watch Paw Patrol (on the double!) or Bubble Guppies. She loves dancing and singing along with them in the living room (or laying on the side of the couch in this instance). It’s this moment I don’t want to forget.
My husband generally gets our baby up for me. He is so much help with the kiddos, tending to diaper duty as much as me. Our little guy is always so incredibly happy when he wakes up and smiling, even with an ear infection on this Friday morning. It’s this moment I don’t want to forget.
We have Friday morning pancakes at our house. They are simple to make and everyone loves them. Even our black lab tries to snag a few bites from the kiddos. I swear my little one-year-old eats more pancakes than my daughter. Where does all of the food go? It’s this moment I don’t want to forget.
Post pancakes, it’s time to get my three-year-old dressed. This portion of the morning is not a game to be played by an amateur. She has a massive amount of energy after breakfast (maybe it’s the syrup), so she runs a lap in the hallway each time she completes a task. 1. Getting Dressed 2. Brushing Teeth 3. Brushing Hair 4. Getting socks on 5. Getting a pony tail 6. To drive mama crazy. It’s this moment I don’t want to forget.
Now it’s time to get hair done. Both mama and daughter are learning this process. It’s this moment I don’t want to forget.
The baby has crawled upstairs and found us, so it’s time for mama to get some cuddles in. It’s this moment I don’t want to forget.
We then go back downstairs as my husband leaves for the day. My husband is self employed, so thankfully he can have a few extra minutes to get out of the door. The kiddos love sending him off with kisses and hugs. It’s this moment I don’t want to forget.
And still trying to get out for the day. It’s this moment I don’t want to forget.
After all of this, I finally remember it’s time for me to eat. I felt terrible this day, but the doctor said I needed to eat before taking my medicine. I love oatmeal, it’s quick and on my post baby diet, thankfully. Yes, I know I’m 14-months postpartum, but it’s hard! It’s this moment I don’t want to forget.
Now we can’t forget our first child, our black lab. She loves to sneak up on to the bed in the middle of the chaos. It’s her favorite spot in the whole house, period. She was our only child before our babies were born, and we still love her with all of our heart. It’s this moment I don’t want to forget.
Finally, I need to put on some makeup. I am not feeling well today, but I refuse to leave the house with at least foundation and perhaps a bit of eyeliner. The kiddos follow me around, and today they found sunscreen! It’s this moment I don’t want to forget.
After makeup is on and I’m halfway presentable, we go back downstairs for some down time. It was toy time and Buzz Lightyear to the rescue! It’s this moment I don’t want to forget.
The baby loves to crawl. No down time for this mama. It’s this moment I don’t want to forget.
These moments, while completely unglamorous (I’ve never had my photo taken before 7am until this day) are a glimpse into our normal, ordinary life. It’s chaotic and we were definitely on the down and out, but you know what, this is my happy place with my favorite people, and I wouldn’t change any of it for the world. It’s these moments I don’t want to forget.
Thank you to Karen for coming into our home on this day and capturing these images.
