Mom of Fame – Brooke: Girl Mom of a Toddler & a Teenager

Brooke is another amazing mom that we are lucky enough to add to our Mom of Fame. She is a *girl mom* of a toddler and a teenager (and she is still alive to talk about it!) She tells us about the overwhelming moment that finally made her ask for help, what losing her sister at a young age taught her and how becoming a mom made her love herself more than ever. Please show Brooke some momfaming love!

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

I am a Health, Wellness and Life Coach. My husband is a therapist, we live in Rochester Hills and have 2 Daughters Gabriella (14) and Paisley (4).  My husband and I love to spend our free time with the kids, either going to the park, to the local hot spots or travelling up north. Gabriella plays Club travel volleyball and that takes up a lot of our time as a family traveling to support her at her tournaments. We enjoy family game night and Friday Pizza nights. Our youngest is obsessed with dance and we enjoy watching her nurture and develop that. We try to have a date night twice a month so that we stay connected, because if we are in sync everything else sort of falls into place. We are just your typical family of girls, all things pink.  We really try to have fun as a family and laugh as much as possible.

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?

The best piece of advice I was given about motherhood was to be like water and go with the flow [and to] remember to enjoy the little moments because in the end those are the biggest moments.

I continue to take this advice, I’m not perfect at it but having kids whose ages are farther apart I see the value in it.

I give this advice to any mom who asks for it.

How is motherhood different than you imagined it would be?

Motherhood is a thousand percent different than I imagined it. I think when you are pregnant with your first you sort of start planning things out and imagining how they will look. Then when baby comes it’s like WOAH, this isn’t what I signed up for! HAHA. But, It ends up being everything you never thought you needed and more; truly incredible. Even on the most challenging days, the love you feel and the connection is more amazing than anything. At least for me, that’s how it has been.

What are your three strengths when it comes to motherhood?

I’m caring and loving; I lost my sister when I was 13, so I really show my kids how much I love them and make a point to tell them daily..

I would say I encourage my kids to be uniquely themselves and independent, by showing them in my actions.

I’m pretty good at making them laugh either with me or at me and we love an impromptu dance party. I really try to be fun but with a side of responsible.

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

A time I was completely overwhelmed as a mother was when I was sick with gall stones and a blocked bile duct. I had multiple outpatient surgeries with a baby and tween. I was sick and I was in pain and exhausted. I felt guilty for not being able to keep up with either kid’s schedule and I had an emotional melt down. This forced me learn how to ASK for help and receive it. Something I don’t think many of us are very good at. Learning that has been monumental in my ability to feel confident reaching out to family and friends when I’m in over my head.

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

I would say I lost some of my feisty free spirit; but, what I’ve gained is so much more than what I felt I lost. The beauty about motherhood is that things about yourself can be lost, but they can also be found again and when those things come back it’s better than you remembered it. I learned unconditional selfless love because of being a mom and it is what defines me now. Honestly, the thing I am most proud of today, is being a mom and my kids.

What do you want your children to learn from you?

I want my kids to know that they can be anything they want to be, and not to dim their light for anyone. I really take to heart that kids will do what you do, not what you say, so I just try to show them that it’s never too late to do the things that light you up.

Mom of Fame – Ale: Mom, Step-Mom, Infertility Survivor

Ale is another amazing mom-blogger that we were lucky enough to “meet” through the wonders of the internet. She is a new mom, a step-mom and an infertility survivor. After having her son, she feels like she forgot about what she used to love to do for herself. In order to get those feelings back she started her blog, HappinessYpunto!.

Ale talks about the important advice she received from her mom, what being a step-mom taught her, and how she teaches her boys all about choices and consequences. Please help us welcome her into our Mom of Fame and check out her blog at the link above!

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Please tell us a little about you and your family.

Hi, my name is Ale and I’m a wife, a new mom and a step-mom, and an infertility survivor. We live in Florida with our two Boston Terriers. We are an outgoing family, always looking for the next adventure to go to. You can always find us out on the boat, snorkeling, deep fishing, or just relaxing at the beach.

I am a bilingual blogger at HappinessYpunto! A happiness blog helping women think more positive. A place where I share my experiences and life hacks I discover along the way, so moms like you can spend more time where it matters and achieve more #momwins.

What is the best piece of advice you were given about motherhood? Did you take it?

Out of all the solicited and unsolicited advise I received, I think the one that stuck was to “listen to your gut”. It has been my compass and my guide when other advise received has conflicted with one another. Your gut/your heart always knows best.

Would you give that piece of advcie to someone else?

Absolutely! My advise to new moms has been “you will receive tons of advise, too much even. Don’t let the hormones take over and tell people off – just nod. Turn around and listen to your gut. Then do what your gut tells you”.

How is motherhood different that you imagined it would be?

Motherhood has been a lot harder. Your brain is constantly on and there is little room to pause and just relax.

What are your three strengths when it comes to motherhood?

I think by being a step-mother first I learned a lot of tricks and ways to manage situations, so when my baby came along he was kind of like a second child in some ways that I was able to be more relaxed and flexible and understanding as I adjusted to this new role.

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

I think the first few months were definitely very overwhelming. This tiny human needed me and depended on me and it was a lot of responsibility when I had no idea what I was doing. I had my step-son since he was two years old, so this baby stage was completely unexplored territory.

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

I have but I can’t really put my finger in it. I am so busy in mommyhood that I forgot what I liked and what I did before baby came along. I have slowly tried to make room for those things that sparked joy in my life such as creating art and blogging.

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

I always tell my son that life is about choices and consequences to those choices. Your state of mind is a choice, what you choose to focus your energy is a choice, you can choose to focus on the negative or you can choose to focus on the good stuff life has offered you. I think if I can get them to understand that, they will be happier in life.

Mom of Fame – Christine

Christine is another mom blogger that we recently “met”. Her blog is called The Growing Creatives and it’s a place where you can find crafts, pretend play ideas, and other creative parenting hacks. She told us, “I think it’s really important to be intentional in how we play with our kids to let them freely express their creativity and grow their imaginations. I wanted to add a little corner to the internet where parents could be inspired to find silly and unique ways to interact with their children.”

In her interview she talks about how it’s important to be present, why she tries not to micromanage her kiddos, and how being a mom is “mentally exhausting” (right!?). Please help us welcome her into our Mom of Fame and check out her blog at the link above if you are looking for fun things to do with your kiddos!

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Please tell us a little about you and your family.

My husband and I met in 8th grade, dated for a couple years in high school, and eventually got back together after 4.5 years apart. Now we live in a very rural town with our 2 kiddos. My 3 year old, Adeline, is super sassy and thinks she knows it all, but her confidence is amazing and the way she loves loving on her little brother melts my heart. My son, Jaxson, is the silliest and most curious 9 month old ever. He can get super focused on one thing which is pretty cool but also drives me crazy when he’s trying to get into something he’s not supposed to!

What is the best piece of advice you were given about motherhood? Did you take it?

When I was pregnant with Adi, my MIL told me not to listen to anyone but myself. I really appreciated that because you get so much advice thrown at you and it can be overwhelming. It was reassuring to hear from someone I trust that my own intuition will tell me what’s right for my children. I do look to others for guidance a lot, but I’m secure in knowing my final decision will be what’s right for my kids because no one knows them as well as I do or has their best interest in mind as intensely as I do.

Would you give that piece of advice to someone else?

Absolutely. I think it’s the only advice that can be used for anyone. Anything else is subject to that particular mom and baby. But generally speaking, a mother who is involved in her kid’s life and trusts her intuition will always make her decisions out of love.

How is motherhood different than you imagined it would be?

It’s more mentally exhausting! Some days I can’t even think of anything I accomplished and yet I’m still tired. Constantly putting your children before yourself, making sure they’re ok, worrying about their future… it’s a lot more mental weight than I expected. 

 What are your three strengths when it comes to motherhood?

Hmm. I am pretty good at making sure my kids are creatively stimulated throughout the day with art, pretend play, building stuff, etc. Doing activities that make them think or use their imagination is really important to me, so I make it a priority to be a part of every day.

I try to be present with them for a good portion of the day and not distracted by my phone or housework. It’s hard when it feels like so many other things are fighting for my attention. But I’ve realized not only does my daughter behave better when she’s spent a decent amount of quality time with me, but I also have more time to focus on other stuff! If I give her 15 minutes of undivided attention, she’ll willingly play on her own for a little bit. So much better than trying to do everything all at once!

Lastly, I consider it a strength that I don’t hover and micromanage my kids. It’s so tempting to show them the “right way” to do something, or hover over them to prevent any bumps or scrapes. I still make sure they’re safe, but try to give them space within the security of knowing I’m right there while they try figuring stuff out on their own.

Describe a time you were completely overwhelmed as a mother.

When I was pregnant with Jax. I am apparently one of those people who doesn’t like to be touched at all during pregnancy. At the time, my daughter was still nursing a lot during the night. Between the pain and just needing to not be touched so much, I really struggled when she wanted to nurse constantly. One night I remember feeling like I was having a panic attack because I couldn’t stand it anymore. I had planned to nurse until she was 2, but ended up having to wean her at around 21 months because of this.

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

Absolutely, this is something I struggle with. I go through phases where I feel like my identity is entirely based on being a mother. I’m better about it now because I know there are many other parts that make up my whole. 

However, what I’ve gained is the fact that being a mother IS such a large part of my whole and I’m proud of it. There’s nothing more meaningful I could do with my life than make sure my children are cared for and grow up to be kind and productive people.

What do you want your children to learn from you?

To be genuine. There’s going to be so many people in their lives trying to tell them who to be, but if they stay true to themselves they will always make the best decisions for THEM. I will always try to be transparent with them so they know our mistakes don’t define us and there’s a difference between *doing* something bad and *being* bad. 

I also really want them to have amazing imaginations. It’s such an important part of childhood and helps with other mental developments like critical thinking, contentment, and independence. I try to encourage it in as many ways as I can, which is why the daily creative playing is such a priority to me!

Mom of Fame – Donna

Donna is another mom who doesn’t know what “me time” is. With 2 under 2.5, a full-time job that includes nights and weekends, and an online business she keeps herself very busy. We were lucky that she took a little time out of her full schedule to answer our questions.

She talks about the importance of daycare centers, letting kids be kids, and how she was scared of motherhood. Please help us welcome her into the Mom of Fame and leave her some love in the comments so that she can realize that she definitely has many strengths!

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Please tell us a little about yourself and your family.

The Mortellaro household is a busy one. With a very hectic farmer/rancher head of the family plus 2 oh-so-loved toddlers aged under 2 and a half, this community hospital laboratory scientist (yours truly) who works more than the usual 40 hours a week (We are talking about calls at night and on the weekends as well!) can barely handle all. Oh how I thank God for daycare centers! I couldn’t even imagine how life would be if they didn’t exist. My online business wouldn’t even be possible without them. Seriously!

On that note, I proudly introduce my website called The Upward Blip. It is an online baby store committed to creating high quality baby bandana bibs of colorful variants. It also offers a blog section where parents, especially mothers, can find hacks about self-care, baby, family lifestyle, and so much more.

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 found this adage by Rebecca Eanes on twitter the other day and it just struck me to the core. It says, “So often, children are punished for being human. They are not allowed to have grumpy moods, bad days, disrespectful tones, or bad attitudes. Yet, we adults have them all the time. None of us are perfect. We must stop holding our children to a higher standard of perfection than we can attain ourselves”. I don’t need to expound that. It is too powerful of a quote for me to even try. Therefore, I will just leave this here and suggest that all mothers bear this in mind. Everything will be better when you put it to heart.

How is motherhood different than you imagined it would be?

I have always been scared to be a mother. I envisioned (and I still do) motherhood as a herculean task. Mothers are super people in my eyes! So when I knew I was going to become one, I was so nervous. I was even questioning my ability to be one at some point. Then I thought if I wasn’t scared at all, I wouldn’t be half the mother than I am now. Motherhood is a beautiful thing. I will definitely do it again.

What are your three strengths when it comes to motherhood?

I am my own worst critic. That being said, I couldn’t even think of my strong points. All I know is I am constantly striving to better myself for my kids’ sake.

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

The struggle is real! There’s no joking around on that one. It may be overwhelming now and again (especially when I was pregnant with my second born as my first born was only 10 months that time), but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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

My old self is gone, but I have gained a new one. I am happy and at ease of what I am becoming because of my children.

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

Embrace your individuality. You don’t have to fit in. You just need to learn that everyone is different. You may not agree with everything other people believe in, but always respect others. One other thing. Resilience. If you don’t have it, the world will eat you alive!

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.