Help with iCloud photos.

Hi. I'm pretty tech un-savvy, so I apologize for the rambling post that probably doesn't make sense.

So my Iphone 7 went for a swim last week. It initially worked (which in hindsight I know I should of backed it up at this point at the very least, but whats done is done), but then turned off 2 hours later.

My partner took it to a repair shop and they said the motherboard is fried. Which apparently means the photos are gone.

I checked itunes on my computer and it says there are 3 backed up devices x2 iPhones (last back ups 2014 and 2017), and an Ipad (last back up 2016).

I vaguely remember getting annoyed with iCloud pop ups telling me I'm low on storage and I possibly turned it off but don't really remember, regardless I'm almost 100% positive that I've plugged in my phone to the computer in the last month or so, so I don't know why the back ups say so many years ago.

I'm living off the Ipad at the moment and as a twist I randomly opened my "notes" section where I keep a to do list on my phone normally and the notes were current from the day the phone turned off.

My questions are: Is there any way my photos have been backed up? How would I find them if they have? Why would my notes be current but my photos gone? If I have turned off iCloud like an idiot is there ANY way of recovering my photos.

On my phone was all my photos of my baby for the first 3months of his life. So I'm pretty desperate to get them back.

NB: I'm aware of how much of an idiot I am, please there is no need to point out the obvious, i understand I should of backed up the phone, I understand I should not of turned off iCloud. Trust me, I'm beating myself up more then anyone else could.