Welcome to the first Meet the Mommy feature for 2018! It’s been a while since the last one, and I thought reviving this series would be a nice idea. I’ve been in touch with some lovely mommies, and I’m looking forward to sharing their stories with you in the coming weeks.

For those who may have missed how this series got started… A while back I was thinking about how all the moms I know are different in many ways – be it their parenting style, or whether they go to work, stay at home, or work from home. Some have one little person, while others have three or four. Some of our babies began their journey inside us learning the sound of our heartbeat, whilst some began in another only to meet us later and hold our hearts forever. Whatever the differences in how we became moms, how we parent… Being a mom, plus ALL that comes with it, is what we all have in common.

And that’s how I came up with the idea for this feature – an interview with regular moms like you and I. Here we’ll get to “meet” different mommies, and find out a little about them.

This week we meet Teri, a mommy blogger I’ve been Insta-stalking for a while now. ? I’m so happy to feature her here today.

1. Please tell us a little – or a lot (we like details) – about yourself? 

I never really know where to start with a question like this. We have so many labels we go by – mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, and so on. So considering this is about me being a mom, let’s go with that. I am a 30-something mom, who works full time in a marketing department as a brand manager. I have a 2 year old girl, and pregnant with a boy due in March. My husband and I have been together for a really long time… 16 years, and were married in 2009. We struggled to fall pregnant and tried for many years. When we almost gave up, we were blessed with having a successful pregnancy. Me, Teri, the mom, I am pretty laid back, and super chilled type of person – most of the time. Situation dependent, I am known to rant on about a specific subject if I feel passionate about it. I crave creativity, from art, photography, and writing, which probably drew me to blogging, and having a platform to express myself.

I started my blog, as a way to reach out to other moms that felt alone on the journey, and wanted to connect. My blog, Choose a Row has become a passion project of mine, where I talk about parenting, social media, and many other topics of interest. From my own experience and need to connect with other moms, myself and 2 other mommy bloggers started #InstaMamaMeet, bringing together moms from meeting on social media into real life, and making real connections. I never knew how much I wanted to become a mom, until I thought that option was not available to me. Now it just feels so natural, like it’s always been my role – corny I know, but that is my truth. Life has certainly changed since becoming a parent, from finding new joys in life, to being introduced to a whole world of mothers to connect with through social media.

2. What’s the one thing you find most challenging about being a working / stay at home mom? 

Time, the time work takes away from being with my child; and missing milestones and moments I don’t get to see. There is also the factor of being able to let go and let other people be active participants in the raising of your child. There is also the guilt of taking off work when your child is ill, and then getting behind and trying to catch up. Equally splitting your time between everyone that demands attention. It truly does scare me, to think that I will have two children and working full time. I do love my job, and it is something I am passionate about; my career is not something I stumbled on, just to make money, it is a choice I made to study and grow in. If any moms have some tips on how they juggle more than one child and a full time 8 to 5 job, please let me know.

3. We all know there are challenging moments – moments which call for chocolate, or wine (or both), to soothe those mommy nerves… Forgetting all that though, what is your absolute favourite thing about being a mom? 

The way my child makes me feel like a child myself. Seeing everything a new through her eyes; and the absolute joy she brings into our lives; the laughter and learning to be a better person because of it.

An added bonus of becoming a mom is a world of new friendships that have opened up to me. The amazing moms I have met have added so much additional life value, and learning and growing with them.

4. From the experience you’ve gained since becoming a parent, what is a pretty cool piece of advice you would give to other moms?  

Don’t sweat the small stuff, rather focus on the bigger picture. And play with your kids; it’s important to get on the floor, make a fool of yourself and be silly. Let them know that you are there for them every step of the way. Don’t just give a toy and walk away; engage with them, paint, draw, colour, and kick a ball together. We are their world, just as much as they are ours.

5. Share with us one of the funniest moments you’ve had since becoming a mom.

There really are way too many to mention, trying to think of a really good one on the spot… wow, now that is a challenge. I would have to say, something that happened last night. We have been potty training Skylar for a while, and she has not done a number 2 in the toilet, until last night. Skylar was so proud of herself, she shouted for her dad to join us in the bathroom. We all clapped hands and did a little happy dance. I never thought I would be dancing because of someone being able to do their “business”. Then this morning, she insisted she wanted to try again – and sat there forever; I walked in to check on her, and her little hand went up and she told me to “wait my turn”. The things these kids say. Not sure if that was the funniest, but it is definitely the most recent.

6. Please tell us where we can find you online.

Here are some quick links to my social profiles:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/choosearow/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/teri_row
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/choosearow/Blog: https://choosearow.wordpress.com/

Thank you Teri for giving us a glimpse into your life as a mom. 🙂