“Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.” – Mary Jean Irion
On October 18th, my daughter was born and I became the mother of three children. Hundreds of miles away, on the same day, another baby girl was born and another woman added the third child to her family. We were complete strangers at that time, but our love of photography and family brought us together. We started to have a conversation about motherhood with images, because we tell stories with our cameras. Since some tales are so similar, and some are not, we decided to collaborate and share a photo a week from a normal day as a mother to three.
Being number three means you have two siblings that are competing with you for mama’s attention. Your brother and sister need mama too. Sometimes it seems like they need me more than you do. In fact, there are times when I have to leave you in the middle of whatever we are doing to go and check on them immediately. This happens a lot. You have become so good at sitting there half-dressed entertaining yourself.
photo by Heather Robinson Photography
Olivia wrote this to me this week:
“I’m inspired by you and the self-portraits you do with your kids. I don’t do them nearly enough. So here’s an attempt of a portrait from dinner, which is easily the worst part of my day. My children don’t eat, my husband is never home until bedtime or later, and my energy is basically gone at 6 PM (as is my patience). But I’m working on it. We sound a chime to center ourselves before the meal in silence, then light candles and play music. The meal can still be long and tiresome, but I’m trying to find and make joy out of it. Oh, and sometimes I have a little sous chef that needs to be in arms during it all. Thank goodness for baby wraps!”
photo by Olivia Gatti of Click Click Love