Hi, Mommas! I am Morgan Petek, and I’m a new mom in a new city. I am thrilled to be a part of MMC and look forward to meeting all of you in person at some point. Until then, I hope we can become each other’s cheerleaders, supporters, and sounding boards online.
Miami
I’m originally from Atlanta but have since called NYC, London, Nashville, Stockholm, Marbella, Chennai, and now Miami home. My wonderful (Swedish) partner, Erik, and I relocated to Brickell from Sweden in February 2021 and welcomed our adorable, gregarious, bubbly daughter, Monroe Britthea, in June. We love the diversity and culture that Miami has to offer. You can often find us exploring it in one of the best possible ways–through food and drink. We, of course, also enjoy the warm, winter weather (my hair and I are still getting used to the summer humidity!), and we take advantage of it as much as possible by being active outdoors. As we continue to get settled, we look forward to exploring more of the people, places, and cultures that make Miami so “magical.”
Mom
Erik and I met the good old-fashioned way–online–while both living in NYC. After a whirlwind romance, we were separated for five months on opposite sides of the Atlantic due to Covid and travel restrictions. Upon reuniting in Europe, we have been inseparable, and when the opportunity to move back Stateside presented itself, we jumped at the chance. We relocated to Miami in February of last year and welcomed our daughter, Monroe, in June.
What was supposed to be a time of pure joy, turned bittersweet.
My beloved mom was diagnosed with breast cancer just three weeks before Monroe was born. Almost overnight, I became a caregiver to our newborn and my mom. For the last nine months, we have watched our precious girl smile, laugh, and crawl for the first time in parallel with my mom undergoing surgery, chemo, and radiation. While it has been “the highest of highs” and “the lowest of lows,” it is a part of my motherhood (and daughterhood) journey that I wouldn’t exchange for the world. It has been extraordinarily beautiful, achingly challenging, and wholly transformative. And has given us all so much perspective on “the important things in life.”
My mom/“Mormor” completed her treatment a few weeks ago. She and Monroe have become the best of friends through it all. We see each other almost every day. It has been so special to witness the love and support that we all have for each other. (And especially Erik, who never missed a beat through any of it and has been a pillar of strength and love for all three Ms–I’m Morgan, my Mom is Maureen, and our daughter is Monroe…and my Grandma was also an M!)
Collective
I am excited about being a part of Miami Mom Collective because as a reader, new to motherhood and new to Miami, I have found it to be an invaluable resource for everything. From baby-friendly restaurant suggestions to “FTM, I don’t know what the heck I’m doing, HELP!” tips. I am a very social person. But given the circumstances of a new city, pregnancy, pandemic, new baby, and my mom’s cancer journey, I have not had the opportunity to connect with as many local moms as I would like. I look forward to sharing my motherhood journey with you and hope that we can inspire and empower each other through genuine communication and meaningful relationships. Over here, we are Team “Real Talk” and “You Got This, Momma!”
