Sydney shares about how much she loves motherhood, how she is challenging the modern culture around motherhood, and her go-to for nighttime routines and the jump from crib to toddler bed! Get to know more about Sydney and her journey into motherhood below!

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

Hi! My name’s Sydney. I am a spring time girlie, any weather above 65 you can find me outside on a walk, at the park, working, drinking coffee, planting a garden, anything that involves being outside fills my cup! I live in Fort Worth, Texas. My favorite food is hamburgers currently. I’m a huge fan of anything with cheese but my nursing little one is dairy free so I’m dairy free… joys of motherhood!

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

two; 3 years and 6 months

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?

My favorite stage of motherhood is ever changing. I think with every new stage of the kids life I say “this is my new favorite”. I think I’m just really in love with children learning new things and watching them evolve so every season is so exciting to me! The hardest stage but also the most fun has been this 3 year old… It’s such a delicate balance of she’s hilarious, let her live. And she’s 3 and extremely emotional, I have to set hard boundaries while keeping in mind her developmental stage and feelings… Now that she’s understanding more and feeling more and able to communicate well, I am feeling all the emotions about making sure we’re raising her well and allowing her to grow! It’s very nerve racking that every move I make may or may not affect her!

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

I absolutely love being a mom. The transition from no kids to kids brought me so much peace, joy, confidence, and energy that I didn’t know I was capable of. I just can’t wait to keep having more and loving each of them harder and harder!

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

To me, being a mother means being someone’s everything. I often remind myself on hard days or when they’re crying and only want me but I’m feeling tapped out for the day, that I am *literally* their everything. I gave them life, I provide nutrients for their body, I regulate their emotions, I teach them, I nurture them, I am literally everything. And to me that brings me back into a calm state of mind. Thinking about how frustrated I am when I’m dealing with an emotional crying toddler but switching my thinking to her and how she’s going to think back on this moment like “mommy sat here and snuggled me while I cried and it made me magically feel all better” is such a necessary perspective shift I think we should all take note of!!

What about motherhood has surprised you?

How much I love it!! It has such a negative connotation lately and I hate that for us!

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!

Always the hatch machine. This thing saves the day more often than not and is KEY for that crib to big girl bed switch!

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?

I think just all of the prayers prayed over my babies in the rocking chair at night. Just the serene peace of a sleeping baby, no where to be, spending time alone with them and snuggling and praying!

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

Be confident in your mothering! You are everything to your children and no matter what you do, they will show you unconditional love. So show yourself that same love! Try to see yourself through their eyes as much as possible.

And because I have to ask… What’s your favorite thing about the book, Your Nursery Walls?

The whole book is such a sweet story of all the special times we want to keep and remember forever!! Babies do not keep, but memories do 💙

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

Find me on Instagram @rousedesignstudio or my website at Rousedesignstudio.com

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