Their ages: Isaac, age 4. Loretta, age 1
1) How has motherhood surprised you most?
I had this perception that my life would slow down and I'd become more cautious but in fact, motherhood has made me fearless. The first year of my son's life broke me down to my core - caused me to reexamine EVERYTHING about my life - from my career to my fashion choices. Being raw & vulnerable like that allowed me the space to become fearless. I take far bigger risks since becoming a mom because I've faced some of my biggest fears.
2) What is a typical day like?
My oldest is part rooster and wakes before 6 am. My youngest is often snuggled into my armpit until 7. We play & eat breakfast as a family while my husband & I take turns getting ready. Everyone is out the door to school, work or daycare by 7:45.
Since we're mostly a digital business, I make my coffee, quickly pick up the living room, have a 3-minute dance party and then get down to work. My days are spent between meetings, lunches & pitch preparation.
I bust a move across town at 5 for daycare pickup, dinner by 6 and bedtime for my youngest is 7. My son & I have special time- making lunches or coloring till his bedtime at 8.
Afterward, it's life-prep & more work (either advocacy or my day job) until 11.
Weekdays run like a clock because of our work commitments.
3) What is the biggest challenge?
We're in a bit of hustle mode. My husband is starting his therapy practice & my to-do list feels endless. We often don't get more than a few minutes to be with each other before we have to continue to grind it out at our respective passions. I'm also notoriously bad about prioritizing EVERYTHING over exercise.
4) What is the biggest joy? Hearing my son make my daughter laugh is the single best sound I've ever heard in my life. Listening to them crack each other up brings unparalleled joy.
5) What is the best piece of Mom advice you've been given or would give?
Oh man... I have so many things to say about this. Quite simply it's to listen to YOUR instincts, not theirs. From the moment you tell someone you're pregnant, the entire world starts to weigh in - friends, parents, strangers in line at the grocery store. Those opinions can feel really intrusive and make you tune out your own superhuman mom instincts. So my advice is to be kind with a "sounds like that worked well for you" response and then party on in your own way. You know more than you think you do.
