This is the last post (for now?) in my "Monday Morning" series, which documented five mothers in the NY area (chosen at random from Mommy Shorts commenters) to prove there is beauty in every mother's morning. To find that beauty, I enlisted the amazing lifestyle photographer Raquel Bianca.
First there was Annie from New Jersey, followed by Ilona from Queens, Teresa from Manhattan's Upper West Side and Jennifer from Brooklyn. Now we are going to get a glimpse of Borami from Hoboken.
Borami's story is a little different than the other Monday Mornings posts. Namely because, we photographed her morning twice.
You see, when Raquel sent me the photos from Bormai's first shoot, it all felt a little too perfect to me. Everyone was dressed nicely, there wasn't a toy out of place and both parents seemed to share all responsibilities equally.
But in subsequent emails, Borami described her mornings very differently. The most major difference being that her husband, Anthony leaves for work at 6:30am, often before their ten-month-old daughter Natalia wakes up, and Borami does the morning routine by herself.
"Why did you ask your husband to be there?"
"I was afraid my actual morning would appear like my husband is not an engaged dad, which is far from the truth. His engagement is just in the evenings."
That made sense. But at the same time, I couldn't figure out how to write about the details of Borami's morning while posting pictures of her husband helping change the baby's diaper.
Photo from first shoot:
Also, so many readers had commented throughout this series about how surprised they were that all the families we photographed had both parents at home in the morning. They thought it was more common for moms to get the kids ready alone.
After discussing with Raquel, we decided that we would like to offer Borami a reshoot, but we weren't sure how Borami was going to react.
Honestly, I was afraid she would be offended and turn us down, but Borami responded graciously and agreed to do it. She said she was inspired to do the reshoot by her sister who said, "Most moms shy away from the camera because we’re never put together. Not wanting to be caught without makeup, our hair brushed and a cute outfit, we take a million photos of our kids instead. However, in the eyes of our children we are the most beautiful women."
So here is Borami's real morning. She's by herself and in her pajamas. Forgive me if I think that makes the photos even more beautiful.
Most days, Borami's husband leaves for work at 6:30am and she has to leave for her job by 8am. On those days, she usually breastfeeds Natalia, then gets dressed and takes her to daycare. On other days, Borami works from home and spends more time playing with Natalia on the floor in her PJs.
Borami showers and blow dries her hair at night after Natalia goes to bed. This way "the mornings are never rushed."
To put on her make-up, Bormai uses a trick I know well. She sets Natalia up in the hallway on the floor with a bunch of toys right outside the bathroom, so she can continue to engage with her while getting herself ready.
I'm curious what happens once Natalia goes mobile. That's when my morning routine got way more difficult.
When Borami gets dressed, she takes Natalia with her. (I can relate to this too.)
"I had to laugh at the photo of Natalia playing with the dry cleaning bag because EVERY plastic bag says keep away from kids, but lets be honest thats all they ever want to play with." (Yep.)
Then Borami packs herself a lunch and packs a bag for Natalia's daycare.
Borami always uses her last moments to squeeze in some quality play time with Natalia.
It's interesting to compare both of Borami's shoots. Obviously, her husband isn't there so that's a big difference. But to be fair, both mornings look pretty perfect. Borami looks just as calm, just as put together and just as under control. There's a serene quality to a mother with her only child in the morning.
Or maybe that's just what photos do. For instance, would you ever know there was a yapping Chihuahua in the next room?
"I had to keep my ridiculously yappy Chihuahua in the bedroom, which is why she didn't make it in any of the photos. She is nutty and wanted to attack Raquel. She thinks she's a killer attack dog even though she only weighs 5lbs."
At 7:45am, Bormai puts Natalia in the stroller and walks her to daycare. Here she is deploying my least favorite piece of baby gear on earth— the rain cover.
Thank you Borami, for letting us photograph your beautiful morning twice.
And just because it's a really sweet picture, I'll post one from Borami's first shoot. A photo with that super involved husband of hers.
A big thanks to Anthony for trusting me to portray his family without him. We know you are not a deadbeat. Just a dad who has to get to work early and makes up for it later in the day.
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This post is part of a series called "Monday Mornings", documenting five different mothers throughout the NY area, in order to help us see the beauty in our mornings through an outsider's eye. It is done in collaboration with the amazing photographer, Raquel Bianca. You can read her take Bormai's morning here.
If you want to be part of my next project (whatever that might be), follow Mommy Shorts on facebook.
Oh, god, this was gorgeous. Borami is gorgeous! No make-up? Not fair.
Kudos for the reshoot. A beautiful series.
xx
I love that you did the more true-to-their-lives reshoot. That’s what we all really wanted to see. Her daughter is ridiculously cute!
What a beautiful family. Love this. I want more of this series! More, more, more!
I love that you did the reshoot. I am one that has questioned why nobody gets to work early. Finally someone who’s husband leaves at 6:30 (mine leaves at 5:30) and who gets to work by 8:00 herself (like I do here in the midwest). The pictures are beautiful.
I agree, the re-shoot is great. My husband does most mornings by himself. I have to be at work at 7:30 and he doesn’t have to go into work until 9am. He get’s the kids ready and takes them to daycare. I am lucky if they are awake and I get to see them before I leave at 7am.
Beautiful!! Loved this series ladies! xx
All the photo shoots were beautiful but this might have been my favorite of all!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this series. And, my husband does our mornings solo, and I know how lucky I am. Some days though, when he sends me pictures or texts of the cute things they say, I really wish I had that special morning time, no matter how chaotic it may be.
Such a beautiful morning, and I can relate – my husband leaves before the kids get up, too.
Loved the series and I particularly like the way you handled this shoot. Beautiful re-shoot, and I’m actually glad that you had to do it – because then you got to portray most families with the added care of mentioning dads who are absent from the morning routine because they *have* to be, not because they want to be. Beautiful.
I love all of the Monday Morning Series you’ve done. But I still believe my mornings do not look as perfect as all of these beautiful family’s! lol
Please send your photographer to Kansas so I can show my crazy hectic mornings. 🙂
I am so glad you did the reshoot. This is my favorite in the series since it is more relatable to me (mornings are on my own, too). This one actually got me a little teary. Well done all.
This one is my favorite – our mornings are exactly the same.
So glad you did the reshoot! But I agree… It’s still beautiful and peaceful. But I also agree that things can change fast once a baby becomes mobile!
I really love these posts and these photos. I’ve long been a believer that, while my home may be messy and I may not have makeup on yet, my morning time with my son is the best part of the day. I wish someone was there to capture my morning!
So beautiful! I love your morning series. I wish you could do some outside of NY! I would love a series in other states : )
–A Texas Mommy that Loves Your blog
This shoot made me get all choked up. I love it. There’s so much love in every picture.
I love this whole series…and your entire blog! Now you need to do a “special” one for a Mom of 15 month old twins in Queens 🙂
So sweet, loved this especially your comments at the end about daddy. My husband is up early each day so he can attempt to get home in time for bed. We sleep trained with pickles and ice cream and now have an earlier bed time. It works for us but is hard on him, so he tries so hard to get home each night in time!
I really wish I lived in the NY area so you could photograph my morning. I do it all by myself and not because my boyfriend goes to work early, he just chooses to sleep.
I love this series, but have you considered finding participants that are willing to expose it all? Meaning not clean up before cameras, not brush their hair and do their makeup before they answer the door, and so forth. I want to see some messy mamas too! Because most mornings, I feel like I’m .02 seconds away from a mental break down. And most mornings, I don’t even remember to brush my teeth, let alone pack my lunch.
I absolutely love this! Um, can we do photos in Nashville??
I really love this series and the photographs are beautiful. I too have wondered if anyone would allow a truly real morning to be photographed for the world to see. I think I might have mentioned on a previous post that I have a towel on my head 10 minutes prior to departure. I cuddle with my baby first thing, before dad wakes up to watch him while I’m in the shower. I love cuddling with him, but I’m not even out of bed yet, and I am sure I look horrible. that’s the only cuddle time we have in the morning.
but I am sure people, when it came down to it, wouldn’t really let their real morning all over the internet. I mean, I would make sure my kitchen table is clean. rather than the “real” situation: dad collecting yesterday’s mail, my son’s homework, and my breast pump accessories that I should have sanitized the night before, and moving the junk so we have a place to sit down and have breakfast together.
These are beautiful. My mornings are not so serene. 🙂 Ellen
Loved the series. It has made me stop in the middle of the chaos to appreciate the extra hug or kiss. I think, ah, that would have been THE shot. Every morning my daughter cries while I comb her hair and she gets lots of hug and kisses for each pull. (I learned that’s better than fighting it.) Or when my 3yo boy comes to me for an extra snuggle. Thank you for that.
And I wouldn’t let anyone see my real mess either. I wouldn’t want a picture of that.
I agree. When I leave with my daughter very early in the morning (she started school this year) my baby is still asleep. Sometimes I’m glad my husband has to do his part, other times I wish I could be part of my son’s morning as well.
I am really sad this series is over. I just loved it and even considered doing some of my own. I have to say my favorite was Ilona but they were all beautiful.
I want more of this series too! How about sending a photog outside of the city? Let’s say a little town in Southwestern PA…to take pictures of a mom of four who also handles the morning routine after dad is off to work. Wink wink.
“Just a dad who has to get to work early and makes up for it later in the day.” That’s really good of him, and good for their family. My husband leaves early and comes home very late, leaving the mornings and the evenings to me, with a 4 year old and an 8 month old and me going to work as well. I wish he could “make up for it later” like this husband. 🙁
Loved this series. I especially liked this one because I’m actually the one that leaves for work before the children are awake and my husband does the mornings solo. And just like the dad here, I make up for it later in the day!
I love this series. That’s that way my mornings go, and I’m glad to see a mom portrayed who does the solo routine. My husband has a long commute, and he’s out the door by 6ish, and home by 6ish. It’s a long, long day for my daughter, missing her dad…
This shoot and that final picture made me verklempt! Loved this series and I look forward to your next brilliant idea!
This series made me touched and a little envious of all the cute decor. Seriously though, I do the get the kids ready by myself-thing and some mornings it’s okay and other mornings, it’s a complete disaster. Today was a disaster day. I’m hoping tomorrow looks a bit like Borami’s.
Beautiful. I too get my kids ready alone in the morning. Happy to see this is more common.