Before 8am {Sarah}

“Life is an adventure, and there is no script. I see something in ordinary moments. I believe that perfection comes not when you are dressed perfectly and wearing lipstick – but in little moments and interactions that make up our days and build and sustain our relationships. Let me show you the beauty in your unscripted moments…” – Karen Jacot, photographer

For the first two years of being a working mother, I woke up at 5:30, got myself and my daughter ready for the day, and raced out of the house to make it to work, coffee in hand, by 7:30am. My husband did daycare drop off in the morning, and I left work at 4:30, fought traffic, all to make it to daycare early enough to enjoy some quality time with Maggie before her bedtime. Our family grew by one little boy in November 2013, and upon returning back to work – I quickly realized my roles and responsibilities had grown as well. We decided to make the leap to a nanny, and I changed my hours so I could be available later in the day at work which means I eeek out quality time in the mornings with my babes and I swoop in when they are fed and bathed and ready to wind down and move into bedtime routines. Is it the ideal perfect situation in which I prepare home cooked meals and frolic in the front yard with my kids before bedtime? HA, not at all. But it is life and what works for me and my family right now! There are some huge upswings. Gone is the hustle, the hurry ups, and my obvious aggravation at morning kid speed. And extra cuddles still wearing jammies and half awake babies curled up in your lap sure are something I’m not saying no to! John was out the door early on the day Karen came to capture our morning, a morning that also happened to be Jack’s 1st birthday!

choc milk

Chocolate milk is her morning love language. She’s not a morning person…it’s inherited straight from me. A little Netflix du jour and that chocolate milk perk her right up though! TV and flavored milk right out of the gate…just being real here friends!

getting ready

 I usually get ready in between Maggie and Jack waking up…if not, I’ve got a one year old in that bathroom with me.  And he knows how to open the toilet just enough to drop objects in there? And he knows how to climb into the tub? Who taught him these things?? Sometimes he stays in his crib until the MA-MA-MA’s and BA-BA-BA’s crescendo to level 7 or 8.

pancake1

On our best days, Mags and I get a little extra time to ourselves. Sometimes it’s a book, sometimes it’s dancing, but most of the time it’s dress up. But today, today was Jack’s 1st birthday! So we made pancakes with chocolate sprinkles!  I love this moment that Karen caught – you can just see who thinks they are Boss.

pancakes 2

Pancakes aren’t the norm people, please note that most mornings I’m zapping Eggos in the microwave!

jack awake

The birthday boy is awake! And look at that face!

feeding

Everyone is involved in Jack getting his bottle. Including my first born – often inadvertently neglected – fur baby, Piper. She has been within 2 feet of that glider every morning while I feed babies for the past three years. I always imagine she’s just wishing I’d cuddle her up and give her a warm bottle of milk!

hes off

And he’s off. And he never stops. BOYS!

jack walking

My Boy on his 1st Birthday! That chubby foot reaching out and ready to take on the world!

party time

And it’s Party Time! Typical Sarah – trying to take a picture with my phone while my child reaches for the burning candle. Don’t tell my husband, he already fusses me for being on my phone!

cell phone

Totally worth it though! I needed something for Instagram to document that banner and the pancakes and the cute jammies and…you know. Ha.

candle

 Karen captured in this one picture what basically sums up my mornings…but really my life as a Working Mom {probably all moms!}. Juggling everything just enough to make it look and feel like it’s all held together. I’m always behind on something, I’m always deficient somewhere. My house is really never all the way clean, the laundry is never done. I’m buying a loaf of bread at Walgreen’s on the way home because it’s faster than Kroger, most of my shopping is done through Amazon Prime, and I’m trying with all my might to blow out a candle before my one year old burns his hand. I love my job and love having a career – it is a huge part of who I am. But gosh darn it…it’s hard to keep it all in balance!

sharing

1. Sharing – with Piper and with each other! Piper always knows when little people are eating!   2. Bananas – my kids eat insane amounts of them!

getting dressed

Time to get dressed! I love that little blonde mop that runs through my house and my life!

maggie dressed

My efforts at real clothes obviously aren’t working…but it’s not a school day, so the mermaid costume can stay!

jack dressed

Unless there is a bottle of milk in that mouth, he doesn’t give me much time to get him changed and dressed. A game of peekaboo with his PJ top usually buys me an extra 20 seconds or so!

piper

Piper has retreated to her chair, she’ll participate in the kids morning shenanigans for a little while longer and then she’ll head to my bed to take a 8ish hour nap under the covers.

jack kitchen

This guy. Open, Close, Open, Close, Run, Jump, Open, Close, Rinse, Repeat.

ms ana

AND she’s here! Ms. Ana! I have no words for what she does for me, my kids, my family. She is one of my best decisions and an amazing addition to how our family functions! Obviously, my kids feel the same way!

jack kiss

Ms. Ana’s arrival is my cue to give out one more round of hugs and kisses and head out the door to start my work day. Some days they can’t be bothered to stop and tell me bye because they are too busy loving on her – but today I stole extra kisses from my birthday boy!

I can’t thank Karen enough for such a wonderful gift she has given me through these pictures. We can move so fast through days at this time in our lives, it was really a special treat to go back and watch such a routine time through the eyes/lens of someone else. I hope you enjoyed tagging along.

To read more from Karen’s perspective and to see even more of the pictures she captured, be sure to check out her post.  And be sure to take a peek at the rest of the posts within this amazing series as well!

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