Danielle talks about how important the role of being a mother is to her, how it’s helped shape who she is as a woman, and how much she loves to share her favorite things about life and motherhood on her own blog. Read more about her journey in motherhood below.

First, tell us your name and a bit more about yourself!

Hi, my name’s Danielle! Born and raised in Orange, CA and I recently just moved back! Outside of motherhood, I run a lifestyle blog called Danielle Alana where I share everything from my Amazon finds, book reviews, life updates, recipes, motherhood and more. Basically everything I like & love! You’ll never hear me tell you no to a bowl of chips and salsa or an iced coffee (but not together, ha). If you were to find me enjoying a weekend, you would most definitely see me going to a cute coffee shop, browsing antique stores, and exploring or being by a cute beach city. Then ending with a meal outside!

How many kids do you have? What are their ages?

3 kiddos. Age 3, 1 1/2, and 1 month!

What has been your favorite stage of motherhood yet? What has been the hardest yet? And is there a stage you’re looking forward to or nervous to reach? Why?

Every stage of motherhood is truly my favorite, but the more kiddos I have, the more I realize how much I love the newborn stage. There’s nothing quite like holding a precious little baby, knowing you’re their entire world. That being said, the hardest stage for me so far has been the toddler stage—age 2. They’re growing so rapidly, learning to speak for themselves, having opinions, exploring their emotions, and although it’s beautiful, as a parent it can be exhausting. While teaching my toddler boundaries and how to properly handle big emotions, I found myself also having to do a lot of inner work and growing myself! The stage I’m most nervous to get to currently I’d say is elementary school age. Will they have enough friends? Will they have to deal with bullying? Kids can be so mean nowadays, especially the ones that have access to social media early, so I’m nervous for that stage!

Tell us about your journey into motherhood. How was the transition from no kids to kids?

I always said going from 0-1 was the easiest for me. Now that I have 3 though, looking back I would say it was the hardest. It’s your first time being a parent, every single thing is new, and you jump at every little noise and move they make. Not to mention, I dealt with PPA & PPD with my first as well. It was a bumpy road, but at the end of everyday, I knew it was everything I always wanted and more. Not only that, but that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. That grounded me and always brought me back to my “why”. Which is why we started trying for baby number two within the first year!

How do you define your role as a mother? What does being a mother mean to you?

To love, care for, protect, nourish, and to provide a safe space for my children. Being a mother to me means living out God’s plans for me here on earth. It means my heart is walking around outside my body in multiple humans and that I get a front row to seat to it all.

What about motherhood has surprised you?

How much I’ve learned about myself. I didn’t realize how being a mother would make me reflect on so much—my emotions, why I do things the way I do, my own personal upbringing and more. I’ve done so much personal growth these past three years all thanks to motherhood!

We all love a good recommendation when it comes to baby gear! Do you have a favorite item in your baby’s nursery? Tell us about it!

I feel like I have a ton of favorite products, and more specifically different ones for every stage. But for the newborn stage I’d say the things I can’t live without are the keekaroo peanut changer, the vava nightlight and the hatch sound machine. Head to my blog to see more of my favorites!

Think back to the early days with your baby(s), then all the way up to today. Is there a memory in your baby’s nursery that stands out? What is it and why is it special?

So many memories took place in our nursery walls, but there’s one I’ll never forget. We came home from the hospital with my first son and the first thing I did was go to his nursery and sit in my rocker. My husband brought him to me and that’s where we introduced him to his older siblings—his fur siblings! It was our first moment at home as a family, and it will be engrained in my heart forever.

Do you have any words of advice or encouragement for new moms?

Know that even on your hardest days, you are still doing a great job. And that every new day offers a fresh start!

Thanks so much for sharing your motherhood experience with us! Where can we find you outside of this blog post?

My blog is www.daniellealana.com and you can find me on social media as @daniellealanareyes. Hope to see you there!

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