Mommy & Me Dates
It’s your lucky day because this is a two-for-one post! That’s right; TWO insanely sweet mommy & me dates combined in to one super adorable post. Both of these aaaaah-mazing mommas entrust the care of their children to me on a daily basis. (For those who don’t know, I am doubly blessed to nanny for both of these incredible families). Which sometimes means they miss out on memorable experiences with their little humans. And even though there are often picture recaps of our explorations it’s just not the same as being there in person. So we planned some special time for the mommas to join the morning adventures! Rarely do moms have non-selfie pictures with their kiddos since they are typically the ones capturing the action. So it was extra, EXTRA important for me to document these adventures & give these momma bears the gift of actually being IN the picture with their cubs.
Mommy & me date #1:
Our first special outing was with momma bear, Katie, and her cub, Harrison, to the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. Neither had been to Duke Gardens before so I was extremely excited to show them around this stunningly gorgeous place! If you live in the Triangle and haven’t visited Duke Gardens, I highly recommend you get yourself there ASAP. People aren’t exaggerating when they tell you it is one of the most beautiful gardens you will ever experience. Promise you won’t regret it!
The whole morning you could tell how excited Harrison was to share this new adventure with his momma. I mean, just look at that happy, adorable face! And Katie was equally as thrilled to spend the morning exploring with her baby boy. It was so endearing watching them stroll through the gardens hand-in-hand and seeing their faces light up with each new discovery.
Harrison LOVED running in all the wide open spaces but was always quick to return for another snuggle with mom. Then it was back to the races! Run, snuggle, repeat was our rhythm for the morning. Katie and I started breaking a sweat trying to keep up with H man!!
The love they have for one another is obvious in every moment they spend together. Even as the morning grew much warmer than we anticipated, he still wanted to be close to momma. Exhausted from all the running he asked Katie to carry him the rest of the way. She willingly obliged, of course. We reminisced about the fun morning we had as we walked back to the car. On the drive home, Katie was already planning their next visit to the gardens so they could bring dad along too. A true sign of a successful adventure!! So if my enthusiastic prompting hasn’t convinced you yet to visit Duke Gardens then maybe these adorable smiling faces will :D
Mommy & me date #2:
Our second date was with Miss Ava cub and her momma bear, Hilary to the Chatham County Public Library. Ava was over the moon when we told her mom was going to join us for a special girls’ morning out! Pretty sure she squealed no less than 10 times when Hilary shared the surprise before jumping straight into helping us plan out the morning adventures. No doubt this girl loves spending time with her momma and was ready to take FULL advantage of the extra one-on-one time!
We decided to first go to the Chatham County Library in Pittsboro because Hilary hadn’t before visited. Ava was VERY excited to show her momma all around this beautiful library that we often frequent on our nanny adventures. Daylight floods the library from the floor-to-ceiling windows, creating a warm & inviting space to snuggle up with a good book (or with mom, in Ava’s case) for a calm, rejuvenating morning.
I don’t think there was a more content duo in the library that morning than this mother-daughter team! It was fascinating to step back and observe their tender connection as they worked together; reading books, doing puzzles, and coloring masterpieces. They have such a trusting relationship and their love for one another flows effortlessly. Ava was never far from Hilary’s side the whole morning, often sneaking onto her lap for a snuggle.
After the library, we stopped by another of our downtown Pittsboro favorites, the Blue Dot Coffee shop, for some coffee and a sweet treat. Anyone surprised that Ava’s treat of choice was a chocolate chip cookie?! After quickly demolishing her cookie, she snuck in a few extra snuggles & kisses with mom before we had to head back home. Our enjoyable morning out made us wistful for mom to join our morning adventures more often rather than having to work. But we are thankful for the memorable morning together and are eagerly looking forward to the next mommy & me date!
Such wonderful memories were made during both of these extraordinary adventures! Thank you momma bears, Katie and Hilary, for letting me tag along on your special mommy & me dates! I witness daily the tireless sacrifice and selfless love you pour into your cubs. The work of motherhood is hard, messy, and often times feels unseen… But your little ones see you and so do I. My sincerest hope for these sessions was to capture and preserve all that you are investing in your children; to show you and remind you that the work you are doing is SO very important!
We love you ‘beary’ much!!
XOXO,
Sebree