Mom of Fame – Bri

We loved every single thing about this interview. Bri has twin four year old boys and a husband who is away at work for long periods of time. That sentence alone would make anyone weak in the knees, but Bri handles it like a pro and with humor. For those that know her, seeing her Facebook posts brings a smile to your face. She finds the humor in parenting and it’s something to look up to.

Bringing these two wonderful boys into the world was a bit of a struggle for her and her husband as they underwent failed fertility treatments, but in the end, they got these two.

Bri is open and honest with her answers and we couldn’t appreciate that more. It is hard to tell the world your insecurities, struggles and triumphs (people don’t like to brag), but it is so refreshing when someone does. Thank you, Bri. You deserve the title of Mom of Fame!

What is the best piece of advice you were given about motherhood? Did you take it? would you give that piece of advice to someone else?

When you’re a mom of multiples, you are always a mom who has to split her time. I never got to be the mom that ooh’d and ahhh’d at every little thing my baby did because I simply couldn’t always be with both of them at the same time. The best advice I got from other moms of multiples is to make sure you still give your kids their special one on one time, even when they’re infants. I definitely made the effort to follow that advice.

For me, our special time was middle of the night feedings. I never tandem fed because I wanted that special time with just the two of us when I knew the other was asleep and wouldn’t interrupt. Even 4 years later, I still try to make sure I do something special with each twin every day. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. We might read a book together, color a picture, or play on the swing set while their brother is off doing his own thing.

I would absolutely give this advice to other moms. You can learn so much about your kids when they don’t have a sibling trying to steal your attention away.

Is motherhood different than you imagined it would be?

Absolutely.

To begin with, I never imagined having boys, let alone twin boys. When we found out we were having twins, I was convinced at least one would be a girl. When I found out there were no girls in my future, I readily admit that I was devastated. It was almost 3 weeks before I got excited about my impending boys. And this is coming from someone who spent 3 years dealing with failed fertility treatments. Every month I would cry thinking I would never have kids and now here I was crying because I was having them, but they were going to be boys. I imagined these wild and crazy kids that would be constantly wrestling and destroying my house. And don’t get me wrong….that is exactly what my kids are, but I wasn’t prepared for how cuddly, funny, and, caring they would be. Now I can’t imagine motherhood without these two crazy boys.

What are your three strengths when it comes to motherhood?

I would say my three strengths are:

Having a lot of patience. Twin life is extremely chaotic at times so I try my best to stay calm to keep peace with everyone.

Knowing when its time to walk away. Sometimes panic outweighs the patience. I know my limit. I know when I need a break and have no shame in taking it. It can be anything from hiding in a closet and crying while my kids scream my name on the other side of the door wondering where I went, to actually getting a babysitter for a couple hours so I can go do something, anything, alone.

Teaching my kids how to “act properly” (as we call it in my house). I have taught my kids to be respectful and that their actions have consequences. They must say “please” and “thank you”, say “excuse me” to get someone’s attention, and they do their best to share and take turns with each other and playmates. At times it’s easier to just give in to your child (especially mid-meltdown in a public place), but I want my kids to be as successful in life as they possibly can be so I’ve tried to teach them from the beginning that there’s way to go about getting what you want and it involves “acting properly”.

Describe a time where you were completely overwhelmed as a mother?

It was about a month after the boys were born. We lived in Japan and had no family around for support, my kids had just spent three weeks in the NICU, I had pretty extensive post-c-section complications which landed me in the ER three separate times, and my husband left on a work trip 10 days after the I delivered and wouldn’t be home for six weeks.

Even with all of that, I was still holding it together pretty well. When the boys finally came home, I was excited to have that mother/baby bonding time that I felt was not really given to me while they were in the NICU due to how sick they were (I didn’t even get to hold my youngest until he was a week old).

One thing I really wanted to do was breast feed. Not only does everyone harp on new moms about how important it is for baby’s health, but everyone talks about how it really bonds mother and baby in a special way. The first night home, I tried to breast feed and one baby refused to do it and the other was so small that he kept choking and spiting the milk up everywhere. This continued to happen throughout the next day and I was completely stressed out, fearing the boys would end up back in the hospital. I even went and had an appointment with the lactation consultant, but nothing changed. I called my husband crying because I felt like a total failure as a mom – I couldn’t even feed my babies!

It took a lot of mental pep talks with myself and with calls crying to my husband to come to terms with the fact that I wouldn’t be able to have this special “thing” with my kids.

Mom guilt is a real thing and I had it bad with this, but we quickly found new ways to have our mother/baby bonding and the stress of not being able to breastfeed my kids finally passed.

Is there anything you feel you have lost about yourself since becoming a mother? What have you gained?

For quite awhile, I felt like I lost myself completely. My life was consumed with keeping these two tiny humans alive and (sometimes unsuccessfully) out of the hospital. We lived in Japan until they were 2 1/2 so having any kind of outside help was minimal during that time. My husband is constantly gone for work so it was just me and the boys. Before kids, I had a job and friends and a life that allowed me to just jump in the car on a Saturday afternoon to do whatever I wanted. It was – and still is at times – hard to accept how much life has changed. I never thought I would miss working, but now I’m counting the days until my kids start kindergarten so I can go back to work and have some time for me,  before being “mom” again.

Something I gained would definitely be my understanding of other moms dealing with their kids in public. Pre-kids, my initial thought of a kids screaming through a store while the mom grocery shopped seemingly without a care in the world, would be “please make the screaming stop!! Why are you letting that happen?!” Now I just laugh and give the mom the all-knowing “we’ve all been there” look.

What do you want your children to learn from you?

I hope they learn to be good people. I want them to have their own thoughts and opinions and know it’s okay for them to be different from someone else’s, but not to be disrespectful toward someone who doesn’t agree. I want them to be giving, but not taken advantage of. I want them to have compassion, drive to be successful, and most importantly to always have each other’s back. I try my hardest to teach them these things and also show them through example every day.

What are the challenges and amazing moments that come with being a military wife with twin boys? Any advice or comments you would give to someone in your situation?

An obvious challenge of being a military wife with kids is that I do a lot of the child rearing on my own. It’s hard when my husband is gone and I kind of start running the house as if I was a single mom, but then he comes home and all of a sudden I need to co-parent again.

It sounds weird, but sometimes having someone come in that doesn’t necessarily know how you’ve been running things can really throw a wrench in things. There is always an adjustment for us, but my best advice would be to just be very open with your partner if you start to get frustrated with how things are (or aren’t) working. Also, my husband and I have always had the mindset that we should never contradict each other in front of the children when it comes to discipline. When we don’t agree with how one or the other is handling a situation with the kids, we will speak privately about it so that we always appear as a united front to our children.

As numerous as the challenges are, there are also so many amazing moments. Seeing the looks on my kids’ faces when my husband comes home from a deployment or extended temporary duty is enough to make all this worth it.

Mom of Fame – Carrie

The whole idea behind the name “momfaming” was to “fame” all different kinds of moms in hopes of ending some “mom shaming”. We were just so tired of reading about moms judging other moms that we wanted a place where moms were celebrated like they all deserve to be. That is why when we stumbled across Carrie’s video about mom shaming on facebook we knew that we had to talk to her!

Carrie is a mom who does it all. She raises 4 kiddos with a pilot husband who isn’t always around to help, and works as an executive consultant at a well-known skin care company. In order to juggle all of her jobs she took her youngest child with her on a business trip. During this trip a woman “momshamed” her for having her baby out too late. Instead of letting it get her down, she used it to empower herself and other women by creating a “Women Supporting Women” movement.

We love the message Carrie is trying to get out and are so happy that she was willing to participate in our interview. Please helps us welcome her into the Mom of Fame, and read on to hear all about her and her movement.

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

I am a Christian. Pilots wife, mom to 4 active kiddos (Thomas 8, Amelia 5, Estele 3 & Blaire 9 months) I am an entrepreneur, CEO of AIE and now #WSW.

What is the best piece of advice you were given about motherhood? Did you take it? Would you give that piece of advice to someone else?

I guess this isn’t necessarily advice on motherhood, but a way that I live. To “Fail Forward” every single day. I try and be a better mom, wife, daughter, sister & friend every day. A better version of myself, learn from my mistakes and give myself grace.

How is motherhood different than you imagined it would be?

I honestly didn’t have any expectations. Before dating my husband Mark, I didn’t see being a wife nor mother in my future.

What are your three strengths when it comes to motherhood?

Patience, Organization and Multitasking. My husband is a pilot, so I need to be able to do everything on my own. I work from home and the kids take piano lessons, play sports and dance. I think I thrive on being busy.

Describe a time where you were completely overwhelmed as a mother.

My children do well on very little sleep and none of them sleep through the night. Sometimes after a night where it seems like I am up every hour on the hour by someone…I feel like I am done for the day before it’s started.

Is there anything you feel that you have lost about yourself since becoming a mother? What have you gained?

In 2010, when we had Thomas and we decided that I would become a stay at home mom, I was thrilled. By 2014 my identity had become Mark’s wife and Thomas/Amelia’s mom. While those are lovely, I needed to find my “Carrie-ness.” I’m not sure who coined this term, but it was used to describe me back in High School. In August of that year…

I found a new church that felt like home and started a business that fed my soul.

What do you want your child(ren) to learn from you?

Strength and abundance. What’s funny is for the past few years I have chosen a word to focus on. This year I woke from a deep sleep with two words engraved on my heart and ringing in my ear and you guessed it, they were Abundance & Strength. Strength in knowing that they choose anything out of this life. But they only get one, so make it count. Abundance. AHHHH now this is a word I struggled with at first. It felt very gluttonous. After deep conversation with my soundboard & power partner Tracey, she helped me realize that abundant can mean so many things. I pray that my children are abundantly blessed in life, so that they can be abundantly give back and pour into others.

Describe your recent experience with “momshaming” and how it encouraged you to come up with your “Women Supporting Women” campaign on Facebook.

While on a business trip to New Orleans my then 8 month old and I were outside on Bourbon Street. She was sleeping in her carrier and I was rocking her. We were in the restaurant for a celebration and at 10 pm the whole establishment became a bar, at which point we left. I planned to take a Lyft home with a couple gal pals who were finishing a walk down Bourbon Street. It was 10:06 pm, I had just gotten off a “Face-time” call with my husband where I jokingly called myself “mother-of-the-year” for having my baby on Bourbon. The universe must not have known I was kidding because seconds later a women came charging at me from the bar across the street. She cussed me up one way and down another about what a “bad mom” I was. I hate confrontation. It makes me very uncomfortable. I made sure I looked her in her eyes and said “I see you and I hear you.” I explained the situation and her response was still alarming, she continued to call me ridiculous. I’m sure it was only a few minutes but at that moment it felt like an eternity. At the time, I was embarrassed and shamed. But after time and consideration I found peace. I also found my voice and a topic that fuels a fire deep down inside. Finally on October 3rd, I broke my silence and created a movement for #WSW or Women Supporting Women.

Here is a link to the original video 

Here is our #WSW Facebook Group

Mom of Fame – Bianca

When we first started this blog we were so excited to interview all different types of moms. Due to logistics, though, we thought that we would only have the opportunity to interview other moms in our area. We have been lucky enough to branch out from that and hear from moms all over the country. This interview exceeded even that, and comes to us all the way from Australia!

Bianca is a mom of two who works part time and runs her own blog, B. Darker. We loved reading her answers because even though she lives on a different continent her answers sounded so familiar. It really made us realize how alike moms are even when we live in completely different worlds!

Please help us welcome Bianca into our (international) Mom of Fame! Also be sure to check out her blog at the link above!

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Tell us a little about yourself and your family.

My name is Bianca I’m 28 years old from Australia and I’m married with two beautiful babes, my little miss is 4 and my little mr is 15 months. I have my hands full working 3 days a week and juggling being a wife and mum. I wouldn’t change it for the world.

What is the best piece of advice you were given about motherhood? Did you take it? Would you give that piece of advice to someone else?

I was given so much advice before I became a mother, and my one piece of advice I took was “savour every moment because the days are long but the years are short” and that’s so true and I would share that with any new mum to be.

How is motherhood different than you imagined it would be?

Motherhood is extremely different from what I imagined it would be. It’s one hell of a roller coaster that’s for sure.

What are your three strengths when it comes to motherhood?

My three strengths would be
Patience
Love
And boundaries.

Describe a time where you were completely overwhelmed as a mother.

I was completely overwhelmed as a mother when my daughter got extremely sick with a tummy bug and was hospitalised for dehydration, I felt so overwhelmed and guilty- oh that mum guilt it’s a bad one. And to add to that I just found out I was pregnant the day before.

Is there anything you feel that you have lost about yourself since becoming a mother? What have you gained?

I think we all feel we lose ourselves a little when we become mothers but I think we gain so much more when we see our babies grow and smile and laugh it gives me so much strength anyway.

What do you want your child(ren) to learn from you?

I would love my children to learn that everyone should be treated the way you would like to be treated.

Finding out the Gender of Baby #2

One can never predict whether or not your emotions will go crazy when you sit in that ultrasound room as you wait for the tech to give you the money shot.

Her first profile pic 🙂

We have a boy at home so in my mind I was always going to have another boy. A girl was straight up out of the question. I have four nieces (with a fifth on the way) and only one nephew. We were due more boys, right? I was always going to be a #boymom.

Well, my husband and I were quickly surprised when we were asked to guess the gender at our appointment. When we had Ben we knew it was a boy from the ultrasound. When the tech asked us to guess, Adam immediately said girl. He was right.

Man, to be there in that moment. Of course, I cried. I guess I was secretly holding out some hope to have a girl. Not because I don’t love raising boys. I do. Ben is my world. I just wanted us to be able to experience both the boy and girl. I wanted Ben to be the big over protective brother that will always have his sisters back. I wanted him to be my special little boy forever.

I wanted to buy some girl clothes.

There are a lot of emotions right now. Joy overtakes everything.

We had so much fun telling Ben. His reaction is priceless and I cannot wait to watch him become the best big brother. His reaction video is below.

 

Mom of Fame – Colleen

We both met Colleen in college (Go State!) when she was dating (now married) to one of our friends. You could tell, even then, that Colleen was always meant to be a mother. She graduated from MSU with a degree in education and continued on to become a teacher.

She, honestly, makes things look easy, but as she can attest, it’s not. She is married to someone in law enforcement which makes her schedule a lot harder than most moms. The unpredictability of that schedule has her leaning on herself and her tribe.

Now she has a beautiful four year old and (almost) three month old daughter. Things may be hard and are sure to get harder, but anything you throw at Colleen she’s got. That’s why we were so excited she wanted to share her story. Welcome to the mom of fame club, Colleen! You deserve it!

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What is the best piece of advice you were given about motherhood? Did you take it? Would you give that piece of advice to someone else?

Not really advice, but one thing I heard over and over again was “The nights/days are long but the years are short.” At the time, in the throws of a sleepless first year with a baby who was constantly getting ear infections and never sleeping well (I mean never) when you’ve got to survive on four hours of sleep or less (you know that lack of sleep is legit a form of torture, right?) and work your full time job, you want to punch those sweet old ladies who say that in the face. But then she’s four, and going to school, and tells you to leave her alone when she’s upset and suddenly it dawns on you that you wished the time away and you’ll never get that time back.

Those days are very hard and it’s very real and acceptable to be frustrated. It goes by in a blur of sleeplessness. So, I’d give that advice but with a twist-Don’t wish it away. Try to take just a few minutes every day or night, just enjoying that creature you created. It’s ok to be frustrated, exhausted, etc…but don’t wish for them to “just get older so they’ll (insert your goal here).”

How is motherhood different than you imagined it would be?

It is much much harder than I had ever expected. I always see other moms and think they make it seem so easy and I feel like a hot mess. It’s amazing, but it is not a cake walk. I realized no mom has it all together 100% of the time, no matter the outward appearance.

What are your three strengths when it comes to motherhood?

1. A sense of adventure. I am pretty good at realizing what will be fun for my mini me. I try to embrace and encourage her adventurous spirit.

2. A sense of humor. Sometimes if you can’t laugh about it, you’ll cry. And a lot of the times, a four year old does some pretty wild and crazy stuff that you’ve just gotta laugh at.  Newborns and babies too.

3. A sense of flexibility. You’ve gotta be flexible. Once you think you have your baby or kid figured out, they go and do something completely different.

Describe a time where you were completely overwhelmed as a mother.

When we brought our second daughter home from the hospital, it naturally took a while for our oldest to adjust.  She was tired and not getting the attention she was used to getting with a parade of visitors who usually play with her, just wanting to see the baby. One of my favorite times of day with my oldest is bedtime. I love giving her a bath, reading to her, singing to her and saying goodnight with tons of hugs and kisses. Baby 2 also loved to eat nonstop during the exact time as bedtime and would scream and fuss if denied. It was a crazy couple of weeks but we eventually got it worked out and most nights bedtime is back to being a calm and sweet moment.

Is there anything you feel that you have lost about yourself since becoming a mother? What have you gained?

I think when you have a child you lose a certain sense of self. Where before it was easy to have girl’s night out or do something on a whim, with a child it makes everything much more scheduled. Life becomes about that tiny human or humans more than anything else. But I’ve gained much more. Mostly, I’ve gained an understanding of the deepest love possible. I never fully appreciated my own mother until I became a mother myself. Now, I understand how deep her love was and is for me. I never loved so deeply or was loved so deeply. It’s such a deep, instinctual love that takes my breath away.

What do you want your child(ren) to learn from you?

I hope my girls learn to be fierce, independent, and adventurous. Life is too short to sit on the sidelines.

Being married to someone in law enforcement must be hard while raising two little girls and working yourself. Do you have any tips and/or advice for moms in similar situations? How do you handle everything?

I will not lie, it is not an easy life being a LEO momma. You often are the only one on duty morning, noon, and night. Having a schedule helps keep me grounded. As I prepare to go back to work, I’m working on establishing a schedule that lets me get everyone ready in the morning (including the dog) as well as an evening schedule that gets everyone fed, bathed, and in bed. I can’t rely on him being able to do these things because of the nature of his job.

Another important thing is don’t be afraid to do things. Don’t feel guilty about going to a birthday dinner for a friend just because he can’t come with you or to take the kids places if he’s not available. They understand the nature of the beast and you can’t deny your kiddos or yourself opportunities just because he has to work on a weekend or a holiday. Speaking of holidays, establishing unique traditions or celebrating on alternative days are necessary evils.

Lastly, find your tribe. You will need them. They need to be the kind of people who don’t care that you will always have your children in tow. Better yet, find people who will occasionally watch your kids on a weeknight so you can go on a date. Sometimes that’s all you get. Your tribe is essential.

 

Down Syndrome Awareness Month

October is Down syndrome awareness month. I didn’t even know this existed a year ago because I honestly didn’t know much about Down syndrome back then. But I do now because of my amazing son, Ryan. Ryan was born in October so you would think that I would have actually known about this last October, but our introduction into the DS world wasn’t as simple as all of that. You see we went four months without even knowing that Ryan had Down syndrome. Weird, right? Let me rewind…

Meet Ryan

Ryan was born on Saturday, October 14th at 1:18 am. He was a perfect 7 lbs 2 oz and 20 inches long. He was 11 days early but came into the world without any problems. We were immediately in love and cherished every minute with him. He didn’t have any health issues besides having to have a hearing test (which he passed) when he was a few months old because he didn’t pass the one at the hospital. He was a pretty easy going baby who was a great sleeper and hit his milestones either early or on time. Fast forward to our 4 month doctor’s appointment… 

The Doctor’s Appointment

We go to a practice that has several pediatricians and this was our first time seeing this particular one. Everything was going great…his heart sounded good, his lungs sounded good, he was babbling for the doctor…until she excused herself to use the bathroom. She was gone for quite a while, which I thought was weird but didn’t really think much more of it at the time. When she came back she said, “does he always stick his tongue out like that”. I said “yes, he does stick his tongue out a lot, but he’s doing it less than he used to.” Then she very casually said, “I think we may need to get him tested for Down syndrome.” I felt my heart fall to my stomach and needed to sit down so that I didn’t drop Ryan. She went on, “let me explain. He has almond shaped eyes and sticks his tongue out which are both characteristics of Down syndrome. He doesn’t have many other traits and I feel in my heart that he doesn’t have it, but I think it’s something we need to get checked out to know for sure”. I was at the appointment alone and immediately called my mom when I got in the car. I’m not sure she could understand much through my tears but she definitely heard the words “Down syndrome”. She eventually calmed me down and we made it home, where she met me to calm me down even more. My husband, who was at work, kept texting me about the appointment and how it went so I told him to call me when he got a chance. We spoke and he left work right away so that we could take Ryan to get the blood test.

The Call

The results of the blood test took a week to come back and it was the longest week of my life. I tried to stay away from Google, but obviously gave in and looked at a few things. I spent the week staring at Ryan and going back and forth from “there’s no way in hell he has this” to “okay, maybe I see it”. I think throughout the week I eventually came to terms with the fact that he really might have it, which made the phone call slightly easier. It was a Friday and the doctor called at 7:00 at night. She told me that he does have Down syndrome and some other things that I honestly don’t remember now. When I hung up I told my husband and we took turns crying and comforting each other. At one point we were both crying and Ryan, who was on his tummy, looked at us, smiled, and rolled over (the first time he had done that since he was tiny). I think it was his way of saying, “I’m good, what’s wrong with you guys!?”

The Journey (so far)

The next couple of weeks were a blur. We had to tell all of our friends and family and we had to sort through our own emotions. As much as I love my baby and knew we were all going to be okay there was still a little bit of grieving to do. Grieving for the future, really. The plans I had already made for him in my mind that will now look a little different. 

We also had to follow up with the doctor and get him into several other specialists. He had to see a cardiologist—even though his heart had always sounded fine, heart problems are very common in babies with DS so he needed an EKG and an echocardiogram to be sure. We also got an appointment with an ophthalmologist (because vision problems are also common) and have to see a pediatric dentist by the time he is 1 to try to help with any dental issues. He also had to go get his blood drawn to check for several different things (which he’ll have to do every year for the rest of his life) and we made an appointment to see a genetic specialist. On top of those, I had to get in touch with our school district to start with Early On (a special education program for children birth through 3). So far all of the appointments have gone great and we love the Occupational and Physical Therapist who come to our house each week through Early On.

The Point

So why am I telling you this long winded story? For several reasons, really. One, if you have been reading this blog or looking at our Facebook page, you have seen Ryan a lot. Along with seeing him I wanted you to get to “meet” him too. Second, since it is Down syndrome awareness month, I wanted to make everyone AWARE. This is what Down syndrome looks like for us. This is our story and from what we’ve learned it’s not a very common one. Finally, and most importantly, if telling our story helps even one other family going through the same thing it is worth it. Obviously Down syndrome has changed our family, but for the BETTER. It was definitely hard when we first found out and we know that there will be bumps along the way but Ryan is an amazing little boy who has a very “normal” life. He does the same things as other babies his age, he just does them a little later and has a few more appointments to go to. We know we were chosen to be his parents for a reason, and we will fight to get him everything he needs to succeed in life. Trust me, he’s worth it!

~Erin

Mom of Fame – Teri

Teri is another amazing mom with a lot on her plate. She has three little girls-one with special needs, a full time job, a blog, and a husband. That’s more than enough to keep her beyond busy but she somehow found some time to answer our questions for us. All of her answers are thoughtful, raw, and very relatable. She talks about having to put her perfectionist personality aside, raising three independent girls, and making sure her youngest gets everything she needs to strive.

Please help us welcome her into our Mom of Fame, she is such a deserving addition. Also, check out her blog, My Cuteish Life, if you are looking for a fun blog that talks about motherhood, organization, and home decorating.

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Please tell us a little about yourself and your family.

Cute-ish is not even a “real” word, but if there was ever a way to describe my life, this would be it! I’ve probably said it 100 times. To me…it is when you’re trying or putting in the effort but the end result is well…so so, okay, better than average maybe but definitely not quite as good as planned! This in a nutshell is my outcome 90% of the time and you know what?!? I’m okay with it! I’ll take it. Who has time for perfection?!? Was character ever built through perfection? Well, yes it probably has been but we’ll go with no to make me feel better.

My name is Teri Morton and I am a thirty something woman who is responsible for keeping three tiny humans and one tall, skinny (and quite handsome I might add) husband alive and fed. I AM NOT A WRITER! LET ME REPEAT…not a writer. I write like I talk which isn’t perfect and isn’t always even logical but I beg you to bare with me! I work full time as a public accountant. Yes, I’m one of those crazy people who actually enjoys numbers and the balance that accounting brings…but I tell myself that I’m not your stereotypical accountant. I do enjoy creating and making things fun or pretty. Some of my favorite things to make cute-ish are my three crazy baby girls…Gracie Faye (8), Addie Gayle (6), and Enslie June (1). I spend my days running between my office, school pickups, doctor appointments (loooooooots of these but that’s a story for a different day), soccer practice, horse-back riding lessons, church and squeezing in outings with my family and friends! I manage to make this all work with the help of coffee (so much coffee some days), my tribe of amazing women and family members, prayers and a wee bit of wine. I do not always make it look easy but the key is I generally make it nonetheless. I hope you all will enjoy some of my ideas on how to handle organization, home decorating, family fun, mommin’ (you’ll soon learn I love new words), and reviews of products and places I love. Please join me in making this life CUTE-ISH!

What is the best piece of advice you were given about motherhood? Did you take it? Would you give that piece of advice to someone else?

“Your house can wait. The dishes can wait. One day, the kids will be gone and all you’ll have left are dishes and the house to clean. Let that be your focus then.”

Yes, I certainly have [taken this advice]. I am a perfectionist by nature and it makes me feel crazy and anxious to look around and see a mess…but it makes me even more crazy (and anxious) to try to keep everything spotless with all my littles around. It’s simply not possible to have it all done all the time, so I have given myself permission to accept this.

Yes, I certainly would [give it to someone else]. I can’t exhaust all my energy on spotlessness and I don’t think anyone else should either when little people (and big people) need your attention more.

How is motherhood different than you imagined it would be?

I think I expected it to be calmer and probably easier (ha)! I don’t think I expected quite as much chaos.

What are your three strengths when it comes to motherhood?

I am fiercely independent and strive to instill this in my children while also giving them as much help and support as they actually need. I feel like I have done a “decent” job of creating little independent ladies…except the baby of the family. She still needs some work. 😊

I aim for consistency and feel like I can consider myself consistent with them about 80% of the time. They typically know how I will react to a situation before I actually do react. They know what crosses the line (and not that they don’t ever cross it…because they do) and they know that will bring more serious consequences.

I am not an overly affectionate person by nature. I’m not super touchy feely but I know how important physical touch is…especially to little ones and they get more hugs/kisses and pats in a day than I could ever possibly count. They know they are loved.

Describe a time where you were completely overwhelmed as a mother.

Our baby has a chromosome abnormality which has resulted in her needing a LOT of therapy and her immune system was really down for about 3 months (immediately following her diagnosis) …meaning she had the flu, RSV, 2 bouts of febrile seizures and a constant ear infection during that time in addition to the therapists’ visits (roughly 3 a week) and regular doctor visits. I’m an accountant and of course these 3 months were smack in the middle of tax season in which I work 55 – 60 hours. It was an extremely overwhelming, stressful time of trying to process her diagnosis, juggle work, appointments and just regular “mommin’” life.

Is there anything you feel that you have lost about yourself since becoming a mother? What have you gained?

I don’t actually feel that I’ve lost anything other than time…time disappears so fast since having children. Maybe it would have with age anyway…but I feel like time is so fleeting and it does feel like I’m always running out of time, whether it be for things I want to do or just things I need to do. (And…before kids I was able to keep things completely organized and looking prettier than I do now.)

[I have gained] everything. It all sounds so cliché…but I can barely remember a time before my girls. They are our focus, what we do, what we care about, what we enjoy and what makes us crazy. I am so much more compassionate, understanding and accepting of the fact that I know so little. Before kids, I thought I had life figured out…haha! I now know that I have nothing figured out and that is great! I will get to keep learning for the rest of my life…learning things for them and with them.

What do you want your child(ren) to learn from you?

I want the girls to know that there is absolutely nothing in this world that they could ever do that would make me love them less. Their best is enough for me…less is not, but if they are trying their best…I will be 100% accepting of that and always have their backs. If they have a problem, we have a problem and they can bring it to me and know they are not alone. The world is full of people and things that will turn on you on a dime…I desperately want them to know that while that is so true…they don’t have to worry about this with me or our God.