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This post is part of the New Mom Monday series! A series about moms and their advice to new moms! Books and videos can only teach us so much, but there’s something special about hearing from real life moms. Honest, true, and always beautifully inspiring!!
♥ What’s your Name?

Michelle

♥ Tell us a little about yourself!

I’m 28 years old. I work a full time job in content marketing, alongside blogging & freelance writing, plus taking care of my son. My husband is a teacher for at-risk youth. We live in beautiful western Oregon and enjoy movies, hiking, and reading.

♥ How many kids do you have? What are their names and ages?

I have one son, Forrest, who is 15 months old. I also have a furbaby, a chocolate lab named Remus, who is 3 😉

♥ How do you find your “me time”?

Oof, this one was a struggle for the first 10 months of my son’s life. He was not a sleeper… or really a napper. He is very independent now, but until we made the decision to sleep train, he was touching me 24/7–to sleep, to eat, to play… he had to be touching me! That first night where he slept in his room… I felt like I had all the time in the world! Now, I get pretty much everything home-related done once he goes to bed at 6pm. During the day, I work, write, and blog from the kitchen table while he plays in the living room. In the evenings, I make sure to reserve 1 or 2 hours just for myself–no writing, no blogging, no cleaning, nothing. I sit in the bath tub; I lie in bed and read; I watch the ID Channel. It’s just about “me” and I make that expectation very clear with my husband!

♥ What is the best baby related book you’ve ever read?

I’ve sat and thought about this one for a long time! I’m an avid reader (I read at least a book a week), but I honestly can’t think of a typical “baby-related” book to write about here! One of the best books about motherhood that I’ve ever read is Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.

♥ What’s the most useful baby product you have? Why do you love it?

Our Homedics white noise machine! I ordered it off Amazon Prime one night and I have it on auto order in case it stops working… it’s that important!! My son cannot sleep without it.

♥ If you could say something to yourself when you first brought home your first baby, what would you say?

“It’s ok to stop pumping right now. Don’t torture yourself.”

♥ How much planning did you do before your baby was born, and how do you think that it helped or didn’t help?

I’m very Type A! I need a plan. My husband and I had everything planned out for the baby–my maternity leave, the insurance situation, everything. It all absolutely fell apart, however. A week before my maternity leave was due to start (two weeks before my due date), I went into the hospital for preeclampsia; I was induced 4 days later as it rapidly became severe. My son was born on the exact DAY that our insurance deductibles reset–good bye savings! Good bye plans! We were in the hospital for a week due to my son’s low birthweight and hyper jaundice. I was exclusively pumping round the clock and sobbing hysterically the whole time. Nothing–and I mean nothing–about my pregnancy, delivery & newborn days went according to plan! All the planning did not prepare me for the reality of what was about to happen to me!

♥ What do you believe are the top three pieces of advice a new mom or someone trying to conceive should know?

1) Your life will absolutely change. I know you know (I did too) but I also… really didn’t know. And it’s totally ok to miss how things used to be. You’re life will be different–better in some ways, worse in others (the sleep… really, the sleep), and it’s okay to be wistful about pizza nights with your partner pre-baby! 2) Nothing goes according to plan. Really, nothing. I had everything laid out in my head of what I would do and how I would be. I threw it away a few days in! 3) Don’t be afraid to ask for help. But remember: you’re the mom. No one can tell you how to be the mom to your baby.

♥ What is your best memory so far of being a mom?

The moment they flopped that tiny little newborn baby on my chest, I looked down and saw what I had been waiting for my entire life: it was him. It had always been him. Truly, love at first sight.

♥ Give us the short form version of your birth story.
I was emergency induced due to preeclampsia. When I arrived at the hospital, it was 9 am and they didn’t get my induction IV and medication started until 2pm–and they took that moment to tell me that, unfortunately, you’re not allowed to eat once induction has started, especially with preeclampsia! I was starving to death by 6pm; I wasn’t in labor yet so thankfully, my doctor gave the OK for me to eat. That’s the funniest memory I have: I was just really, really hungry! My water broke at 2am and I had my son at 9:37am. My husband and my mom were in the room with me and it was just a really nice, calm time. As another funny story, they discovered that I’m allergic to latex, thanks to my epidural; I went 27 years without knowing!
♥ Lastly, for fun, define motherhood!

Motherhood is so much about nurturing another person. This little human that I’m responsible for: I feed him, I clothe him, I teach him right from wrong. But in a lot of ways, motherhood is about nurturing myself as well. You matter as much as your children and they want to see you feel good about yourself. They want to see you succeed as much as you want them to succeed.

 

To hear more from Michelle be sure to visit her blog Writing Between Pauses and follow her on Instagram.

If you would like to participate in New Mom Mondays please feel free to message me by using my contact form! I would love to not only feature you on my blog but learn from your answers, as I’m sure many readers would too! 
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This post is part of the New Mom Monday series! A series about moms and their advice to new moms! Books and videos can only teach us so much, but there’s something special about hearing from real life moms. Honest, true, and always beautifully inspiring!!
♥ What’s your Name?

Ashton Taylor

♥ Tell us a little about yourself!

I am a self-proclaimed music nerd, and I plan to pass that along to my kids who already love to shake their little groove things. I am a current stay at home mom, and semi-single parent as my husband is gone 14 days out of 21, and I am lucky to go to bed sane some days ha ha.

♥ How many kids do you have? What are their names and ages?

I have a terrible toddler and an infamous infant. Spud is 2 and half, and his sister Princess Tally is just over 6 months old.

♥ How do you find your “me time”?

Ha ha ha ha, when I get some I will let you know…. But really my husband is a dream daddy when he is home he gets up with the kids and feeds them breakfast and lets mommy sleep in for a few hours, which is about the extent of my me time.

♥ What is the best baby related book you’ve ever read?

The Preemie handbook, when we had my son 16 weeks early that book gave me hope but kept it real.

♥ What’s the most useful baby product you have? Why do you love it?

For our Preemie… A mamaroo, yes expensive but the issue with preemies we were told was over stimulation, and this helps stimulate them with out over doing it because you have full control of the speed and volume of the sound. I did do a blog entry on it.

♥ If you could say something to yourself when you first brought home your first baby, what would you say?

Oh god…. See that’s scary to me, after 5 months in the hospital we were re released 3 times before we were home for good because my son had apneac episodes so sever we had to call 911…. So I would have pushed harder to stay in the hospital the extra 45 days…. Just to make sure. That’s what I would tell myself, trust your gut. A mama always knows.

♥ How much planning did you do before your baby was born, and how do you think that it helped or didn’t help?

I had a master plan in place on putting money away and when I was going to buy things by 4 months along enter my 22 week my water broke and all my plans went out the window. Pregnancy and kids have their own plans. Just go with the flow.

♥ What do you believe are the top three pieces of advice a new mom or someone trying to conceive should know?

Don’t stress, relax, and you may have read the baby book, but the baby didn’t.

♥ What is your best memory so far of being a mom?

My son hugging and kissing his sister, he loves to feed her give her, her teething biscuits, and her suss. Watching him be an awesome big brother is my favorite part.

♥ Give us the short form version of your birth story.
Spud: My water broke at 1 am when I was 22 weeks along, I was admitted into hospital until I was 24 weeks and 2 days along when I went into active labor and gave birth to my handsome little man who came into this world screaming, at 1 pound 12 oz and 11 inches long. 157 days in the NICU and 33 days in the childrens Hospital, lots of breathing support as well as a few scary procedures, you could bot even tell what his start at life was like.
Princess Tally: I was induced, due to her being over due and my blood pressure was going a little nuts, and was in active labor for 38 hours before they (after i yelled at them to cut her out of me) decided she was not descending and I was in need of a c section. So after another hour of waiting she was here! Screamed once and fell asleep
♥ Lastly, for fun, define motherhood!

Motherhood is the hardest, job you could ever sign up for, with more perks that make everything worth.

 

To hear more from Ashton be sure to visit her blog Our Preemie Family and follow her on Instagram.

If you would like to participate in New Mom Mondays please feel free to message me by using my contact form! I would love to not only feature you on my blog but learn from your answers, as I’m sure many readers would too! 
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This post is part of the New Mom Monday series! A series about moms and their advice to new moms! Books and videos can only teach us so much, but there’s something special about hearing from real life moms. Honest, true, and always beautifully inspiring!!
♥ What’s your Name?

Dominique

♥ Tell us a little about yourself!

I’m 32, live in Florida but originallyfrom Ohio. I was diagnosed with PCOS at 15 and was told the likelihood of having my own children was slim to none.

♥ How many kids do you have? What are their names and ages?

I have 1 child, a daughter. Her name is Rozlynn but I call her jellybean, she is 9 months old.

♥ How do you find your “me time”?

“Me” time is hard to find. Especially now that I’m a SAHM. I find me time when she is napping or when my bf is home and watches her so I can be alone for a bit.

♥ What is the best baby related book you’ve ever read?

I was given What to expect when you’re expecting and both of Jenny Mccarthy’s books on her pregnancy. (Her books were more funny than informational)

♥ What’s the most useful baby product you have? Why do you love it?

I loved our bassinet, it had a mesh covering we could zip and take outside.  Kept her close and let her get fresh air and kept the bugs out. The baby Bjorn and the wrap I have for her have been life savers. The wrap/baby carrier helps me when she doesn’t want me to put her down but I need to get house work done. I could wear her for hours with the wrap and she’s completely content

♥ If you could say something to yourself when you first brought home your first baby, what would you say?

Congratulations,  take it slow and enjoy every moment.  Even the bad…they will only be this size once.

♥ How much planning did you do before your baby was born, and how do you think that it helped or didn’t help?

My original plan was to have a nest egg of money set aside for medical costs and doctor visits. To be “financially stable”….but that didn’t go as planned since she was a surprise. We had just been told 5 months prior that due to my PCOS I didn’t ovulate and we would have to try fertility treatments to conceive. …boy, did I prove that doctor wrong. We bought as much as we could on our own and were blessed to have 2 showers and received a ton of diapers and wipes. ..if I had it all to plan all over again I would try to have a larger diaper supply stocked.

♥ What do you believe are the top three pieces of advice a new mom or someone trying to conceive should know?

TTC – Stressing yourself will only make it worse, don’t focus on what you don’t have, focus on what you do and enjoy life. Don’t lose hope…miracles happen everyday

New mom – You will have bad days but remember you are doing your best and it’s OK to not get everything done. Your child will be this size once, enjoy it and them…you can clean, cook and do laundry later

♥ What is your best memory so far of being a mom?

Besides the first time I held her, I’d have to say the day she said her first word, “mama”…music to my ears.

♥ Give us the short form version of your birth story.

We were induced a week early. I was in labor for 2 days, when my water finally broke and it was time to push. After we started  the doctor realized her head was stuck and my blood sugar dropped to the 60’s so he decided we needed a c-section to try to ensure neither of us went into any medical emergencies. My boyfriend was with me through it all and she finally arrived , perfect and amazing.

♥ Lastly, for fun, define motherhood!

Motherhood, the scariest,  craziest, most fun, fulfilling, rewarding and thankless journey you will ever take.

If you would like to participate in New Mom Mondays please feel free to message me by using my contact form! I would love to not only feature you on my blog but learn from your answers, as I’m sure many readers would too! 
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This post is part of the New Mom Monday series! A series about moms and their advice to new moms! Books and videos can only teach us so much, but there’s something special about hearing from real life moms. Honest, true, and always beautifully inspiring!!
♥ What’s your Name?

Annie Foreman

♥ Tell us a little about yourself!

I am a wife, mom, Realtor, and lifestyle blogger. My blog is where I share about my life, fun activities, fashion, food, Fresno, entertainment, kids, and much more.  I was born and raised in Fresno, CA and have grown to love and truly appreciate The Central Valley.  I married my high school sweetheart, Kevin in 2009 and we welcomed our first baby girl is November of 2011 and our second baby girl in May 2014.

♥ How many kids do you have? What are their names and ages?

Emily Grace – age 3.5  Madison Anne- Age 15 months

♥ How do you find your “me time”?

Finding “me” time is very hard but I think the most important aspect of finding me time is having support from your family especially your husband.  My husband is WONDERFUL about giving me “time off” rather frequently.  Whether it’s dinner or happy hour with girlfriends and a night away to reboot.  I’ve learned that “me” time makes me a way better mom and wife.  As a type A mama I found it really hard to ask for help or not take on everything myself.  However, I learned (am still learning) that the breaks make me a better mom and wife.

♥ What is the best baby related book you’ve ever read?

Baby Wise.

♥ What’s the most useful baby product you have? Why do you love it?

Baby Brezza is a great tool for steaming and pureeing food.  I made all my own baby food so having something to streamline the process was great.

♥ If you could say something to yourself when you first brought home your first baby, what would you say?

Ask for help.  You don’t have to be supermom.

♥ How much planning did you do before your baby was born, and how do you think that it helped or didn’t help?
I read a few books during my first pregnancy but always just felt that I was meant to be a mom so I don’t think I did an overwhelming amount of research.  The books I did read did help especially Baby Wise because the schedule helped me so much.  Also doing research gives you confidence even if you don’t agree with the point of view.  You can learn different ideas then take what works for you.
♥ What do you believe are the top three pieces of advice a new mom or someone trying to conceive should know?

Trust in God, You will get through it (whatever IT is), Ask for help

♥ What is your best memory so far of being a mom?

There are thousands of wonderful memories in my past 3.5 years of being a mom.  It’s nearly impossible to narrow it down to one memory.  Seeing my husband hold our first daughter for the first time was priceless.  I never had a father present so to see the ultimate love when he held her was breathtaking and indescribable.

♥ Give us the short form version of your birth story.
My water broke in the early afternoon and our baby girl arrived not so many hours later at 10:14 pm.   When my water broke I wasn’t quite sure but after a few minutes of “leaking” I figured this must be “it.”  I called my husband to tell him, “I think it’s time.”  He rushed home and was anxious to get to the hospital but I wasn’t in any pain so I was in no hurry.  I told my husband to take a shower and get his things together.  I even made him stop at Whole Foods so I could pick something up on the way to the hospital.  Once we got there I still wasn’t have any contraction pain so they called  my OB/GYN.  He instructed them to give me Pitocin to initiate labor but once they checked me they were shocked to find that I was 4.5 cm dilated.  They called upstairs for someone to come get me.  By the time I arrived to the 6th floor the contraction pain had begun and was quite INTENSE.  I asked for an epidural and those next 30 minutes or so of waiting seemed pretty long.  As the anesthesiologist was numbing my back I heard him say, “Dad are you okay?” and dad responded, “yeah,” and then BOOM, dad hit the floor extremely hard.  Everyone ran to his side as I was having the worst contraction yet (my epidural was delayed needless to say).  I was so worried he was really injured but they took my husband outside while they finally gave me the epidural.  Luckily, a few minutes later he returned and was okay except for one huge bump and a headache.  They decided to check me right after the epidural and they were utterly shocked to find that I was totally effaced and dilated to a 10.  Labor went really fast, especially for my first baby.  At 7:55 I started pushing.  As quick as labor was, I pushed for almost 2.5 hours.  Towards the end my dr. gave me an episotomy and had to use the vacuum.  At 10:14 our bundle of joy was born.
My husband and I decided that only he and I would be in the room especially since this was out first baby and we didn’t know what to expect.  Looking back I am so glad we made this decision.  It’s a very special experience and the moment your baby is born is indescribable.  It was so wonderful that we got to share it together; with no other distractions.
♥ Lastly, for fun, define motherhood!

The greatest joy and hardest job in the world.  Motherhood is wiping bottoms, drying tears, cleaning up messes, losing sleep all with a giant smile on your face!

To hear more from Annie be sure to visit her blog The Real Housewife of Fresno and follow her on Instagram.

If you would like to participate in New Mom Mondays please feel free to message me by using my contact form! I would love to not only feature you on my blog but learn from your answers, as I’m sure many readers would too! 
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NEW MOM MONDAYS CHASING LITTLES
This post is part of the New Mom Monday series! A series about moms and their advice to new moms! Books and videos can only teach us so much, but there’s something special about hearing from real life moms. Honest, true, and always beautifully inspiring!!
♥ What’s your Name?

Heather Koontz

♥ Tell us a little about yourself!

I’m a full-time working mom with lots of hobbies and dreams. By day, I’m a digital marketer. When I’m not working, I run a personal blog where I share musings, adventures, and DIY tutorials. When I’m not doing that, you can find me in my craft room, drinking wine, or watching Dateline.

♥ How many kids do you have? What are their names and ages?

I have one 18-month-old little boy named Russell.

♥ How do you find your “me time”?

Full disclosure: I don’t think I even know what “me time” is anymore! But, I do try to take time at the end of every day (after working, cooking, cleaning, blogging, checking off my to-do-list, and maybe squeezing in a shower) to spend 30 minutes or so watching television with my husband. It’s our way to connect and relax, and I look forward to it every day! Outside of that, I like devote a portion of my time to self-improvement in the form of devotionals, reading other blogs, etc.

♥ What is the best baby related book you’ve ever read?

When I was pregnant, I was a big fan of the “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” classic.

♥ What’s the most useful baby product you have? Why do you love it?

Two words: gripe water. My son suffered from severe colic, and he was in pain for the first six months of his life. When we started using gripe water, we saw him get instant relief. It helped us survive the colicky months!

♥ If you could say something to yourself when you first brought home your first baby, what would you say?

It’s not as hard as you think! Yes, your baby cries all the time. Yes, washing around the umbilical cord area is intimidating. Yes, he is so small and fragile. But, trust yourself. You know what you’re doing, and you know best.

♥ How much planning did you do before your baby was born, and how do you think that it helped or didn’t help?

I’m nothing if not a planner. I have no less than five active planners and calendars at any given time, and I like to have everything scheduled and checked off. BUT. When it came to having a baby and bringing him home, none of those plans mattered. The perfect birth I planned went horribly against plan; my plans to work while my newborn slept did NOT happen; and the baby book I so thoughtfully planned to keep updated is pretty much empty right now.

♥ What do you believe are the top three pieces of advice a new mom or someone trying to conceive should know?

1) You can do this. There are times when it seems impossible, but girl, I promise you can do it. You became a mother for a reason, and you are the only person meant to be a mom to your baby. 2) It gets better. Colic? Crying? Sleep regression? Growth spurts? It all gets better. And believe it or not, you will look back and regret how quickly it went by. 3) Reach out. If you’re feeling sad, even a little bit, find someone you can talk to. Don’t remain silent if you’re suffering from any kind of emotional pain. PPD is real, and it’s dangerous. Reach out!

♥ What is your best memory so far of being a mom?

My son is a very sweet human being. He loves to hug and kiss and smile. The very first time he spontaneously hugged me is my best motherhood moment thus far. We were playing on his floor and when he looked up at me, and I could see his little eyes sparkling. His face softened, he started to smile, and he decided to stand up and wrap his little arms around my neck. It made me feel like maybe he realized – in that moment – who I am and how much I love him.

♥ Give us the short form version of your birth story.

My birth experience wasn’t what I expected. In fact, it was pretty much my nightmare. I’d been leaking amniotic fluid for a week before realizing it, so an emergency induction, threats of an emergency C-section, and blood pressure scares followed.

♥ Lastly, for fun, define motherhood!

Motherhood is sacrifice, anxiety, and lots of sighing. But, you’d never, ever want to give it back once you have it.

new mom mondays

To hear more from Heather be sure to visit her blog OakCityFolk and follow her on Facebook.

If you would like to participate in New Mom Mondays please feel free to message me by using my contact form! I would love to not only feature you on my blog but learn from your answers, as I’m sure many readers would too! 
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