“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’ve always been a morning person, even before I had kids. I love waking up early and watching my children while they sleep. I love opening the pantry doors and choosing what to make for breakfast. I even love starting a load of laundry or putting the dishes away. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment before the day even begins. For me, mornings are full of untapped potential. It’s a brand new day and anything can happen! (I know, my husband thinks I’m annoying, too.) So, needless to say, when Karen suggested she arrive around 6am to photograph us for her before 8am series, I didn’t even bat an eye. Our shoot was on a Sunday because Marcos leaves for work around 6:30 on most weekdays, so she was able to capture us on a lazy weekend morning.
Scout, my youngest daughter, woke up just before Karen arrived. Here she is stretching her arms after a long night of being swaddled.
Coffee is a must on any day of the week. We have an espresso machine that gets a lot of use at our house. Marcos makes the best lattes.
Rory woke up about half an hour after Karen arrived. As much as I love the alone time in the mornings before my kids wake up, I can’t wait to hear them call for me once they’re awake. Seeing them all cozy in bed and giving them kisses on their cheeks is the best way to start my day.
We make pancakes on most Sundays and Rory loves to help. Here she is stirring the batter.
To say Rory likes to talk would be an understatement. She pretty much talks from the moment she wakes up until its time for bed. Luckily, Scout is a good listener. She is practicing holding up two fingers to show how old she is.
We keep a basket of library books next to our dining tables to read at meal times. I used to be a teacher, and know how important reading is, so there are baskets of books all over our house.
Ever since Rory saw the Nutcracker last November, she has been ballerina-obsessed. It is not unusual for her to ask for her tutu as soon as she wakes up in the morning.
We had our basement finished about a year ago, and it’s Rory’s favorite place to play. Here we are “making cookies.”
Scout usually takes a morning nap a few hours after she wakes up. Marcos has the magic touch when it comes to rocking babies. I’m not patient enough!
This is my favorite picture that Karen took. It shows Rory’s personality perfectly, tutu and ice cream and all.
Even though it was Sunday, teeth still had to be brushed. I love that she refuses to let go of her ice cream cone. It’s not unusual for us to all end up in our bed on weekend mornings.
Mommy brushes the teeth and daddy gets to play. Sounds about right!
Rory resists getting dressed almost every morning, but we finally convinced her to ditch the pajama/tutu combination. One of my favorite things about girls is seeing them with their daddy. I love it when he helps them with their clothes and hair. It’s so sweet.
All ready for the day! Thank you, Karen, for these beautiful pictures and for capturing our life before 8am on a typical Sunday morning.
For more pictures and a peek into Karen’s perspective of this Life Before 8am shoot, be sure to check out her post here. And don’t forget to check out the rest of the posts in this amazing series as well!
