Getting to Know the LWB Leadership Team: Lissie Nee

     Hi!  My name is Lissie Nee and I'm so happy to share a bit about my life with you today.  I live in Cedar Park with my best friend and husband, Chris, and our 11 month old little girl, Jacqueline.  I grew up in New Jersey and moved to Austin almost 10 years ago, mainly for higher income with a lower cost of living. However, I also loved that it was a city full of people my age and I wasn't finding a man in small-town New Jersey.

    Two years after I moved here, I met my man but it wasn't until another two years passed that I saw him again and we started dating. He likes to tell you he knew he was going to marry me that first time we met and he was just letting things marinate. I like to believe it, cause, well...what girl wouldn't?!

    

 In 2012, after two years of marriage, our vows got put to the test when my dad was diagnosed with and died of cancer (within 3 months) and Chris got laid off from his job. We decided to take the season of change and run with it – we sold our house, furniture and lots of belongings and bought one-way tickets to Sydney, Australia! The plan was to start on the other side of the world and work our way back for the next year or so. All of our friends at home were having babies, but we wanted some adventure before we settled down.

     We felt great relief about our decision to postpone children after we stayed with friends in Australia who had a 2.5 yr old and 1 year old twins. They were cute, loveable, exhausting anchors that we happily cut off when we headed to New Zealand. Our travels were fun and carefree, and it was so great to have that time with each other with no distraction. Of course, no tv, no stress and lots of time means it was like a looooong honeymoon so it wasn't terribly shocking when we found out I was pregnant.

     Though I was hoping to get knocked-up more towards the end of our travels, I was relieved to have a legitimate excuse for the insane mood-swings I'd started to experience. Crying over silly things like having to wear a cover-up for modesty's sake in a small village in Indonesia isn't my norm, so I knew something was wrong.

     Though our plans were to continue traveling and having check-ups in major cities, morning sickness quickly took over my world. The humidity, weird smells and foods of Southeast Asia didn't help. When I found myself running across streets or out of the train at random stations to throw up in a somewhat discreet place, we knew it was time to come home.

     It's hard to believe all that was a year and a half ago! But before this post turns into a book, here are a few bullet points to bring you up to speed:

~When we moved back, we bought a house at the Georgetown auction and have been fixing it up since, much more slowly since Jacqueline was born. Moving in a week before her birth, I insisted on having a toilet upstairs, but otherwise, I like to remind Chris that he's lucky he's married to me. ;)

~We finally learned the gender of our baby when Jacqueline arrived 10 days late. I had her at the Austin Area Birthing Center, but once you hit 42 weeks, the birthing centers can't deliver so I had two acupuncture sessions to help move things along. Natural, drug-free birth was intense, especially with back-labor, but I knew my body was designed for it. Also, I'm glad they don't have drugs there or else I may've changed my tune!

~I've always wanted to be a mommy and this year has not disappointed me! Don't get me wrong; we've had trials with the joy.  When Jacqueline was 2 months old, her sudden 105 temp ended up being a UTI that we fought off with essential oils (hence my obsession with them).  Making the call on what goes into her body was and is scary!  More recently, I've struggled with a decrease in milk supply and we've had to supplement with homemade formula. However, we are a pretty chill family so I'm not usually one to worry too much with the ups and downs of parenting . If you ever need anyone to talk you off the ledge, I'll be there with a glass of wine, happily reassuring you that you and your baby are normal and fine!

~I'm still nursing and, even with J's 1st birthday approaching, I'm not sure when I'll stop. I haven't really thought about it too much, other than we won't be a scene from the movie “Grown Ups”.

Thanks for reading and I hope to meet you at a LWB event soon!

Love,

Lissie

Getting to Know the Ladies with Babies Leadership Team: Lauren Scurry

Hello Beautiful LWB ladies,

     I’m happy to be on the blog today sharing a little bit about me!  I’m Lauren Scurry and am mother to 10-month fraternal twin girls, Eleanor and Maggie. I am married to my best friend, Tom (who has an unhealthy love for Aggie Football), and we live in Round Rock. I met Tom while attending Texas A&M in 2003, and we got married in 2007. We spent our first year of marriage living in a small town in west Texas for my husband’s job.  (I always say that my greatest marriage advice for newly-weds is to spend your first year living in a tiny remote town you’ve never heard of hours away from even a Target, share a cell-phone and a car, and save every penny you can! Talk about a marriage boot camp!)  After that adventure, we moved back on the grid to Dallas and then finally to Round Rock in 2012. I worked in the mental health field for several years before I went back to school in 2010 for Speech Pathology.  I work part-time as a Speech Therapist with a pediatric home-health company called Therapy 2000 and love it!

     As far my journey into motherhood…well…it has been a long one, full of tears , heartache, smiles and hope! I’ve had multiple miscarriages, D&Cs, uterine surgery, a rescue cerclage, and then finally, by the grace of God, gave birth to twin girls on December 10, 2013 at 34 weeks. Eleanor was 3 lbs 12 oz and Maggie was 4 lbs; 1oz. They were in the NICU for 15 days, and we got to finally bring them home on Christmas Day! All that to say…I know the feeling of loss and loneliness related to miscarriage…I know how scary and overwhelming it is to have a preemie baby, and I have experienced  the roller-coaster of emotions that go into being a NICU mom.  It’s been a dark, scary, and lonely road I’ve traveled, but I just have to say that God is good! Even during those dark times when I felt so alone He was there, and He heard my (literal) cries….and I have two miracle babies that remind me of that everyday!

     I’m looking forward to sharing more about my story and the ins and outs of being a twin mom later on the blog.  However, in the meantime I’m an open book so if you’d like to talk or hear more about my experiences with miscarriage, twin pregnancy, bedrest/cerclage, unplanned C-section,  being a NICU mom, or having a preemie, I would love that. I am also open to talk to anyone who may have concerns about their child’s speech and language development, and even feeding issues. I may not have all the answer but I can definitely point you in the right direction.  My email address is laurenscurry@gmail.com or you can just send me a message on FB. 

     I am so blessed to be a part of this LWB group and excited to serve on the Leadership Team! Raising a baby (x2) definitely takes a village and you ladies are my village! 

XOXO, Lauren

Getting to Know the Ladies with Babies Leadership Team: Kara Kopecky

     I am Kara Kopecky and the proud mother of a 9 month old baby girl named Abigail, who seriously has the chubbiest cheeks I have ever seen.  I am a 35 year old former hedge fund accountant turned fitness instructor who now stays at home full time learning the ropes of motherhood.  My husband Tom and I have been married for 7 years and met while both living and working in downtown Chicago, parenthood being the furthest thing from our minds at the time.  

    

     Fast forward a few years and we decided to move back to Austin, where I grew up, and start a family.  We soon learned that God had other plans when we found ourselves unable to get pregnant after 2 years of fertility treatments.  We were clearly lead to pursue infant domestic adoption after a final round of fertility testing and, 9 months later, Abigail Marie was in our arms and we were looking at each other saying, “what do we do now – with a baby??”  We have a wonderful open adoption with Abigail’s birth family and I look forward to sharing that story with you in a future blog post.

      I have a passion for engaging with other women and making people laugh.  I tend to be the one who says something out loud that everyone else is probably thinking, but is afraid to say.  My other passions are music performance (piano and voice), fitness, fashion, reading, and having deep conversations with others who are not afraid to get real.  

     I have no idea what I’m doing more than half the time as a mother, but has God blessed us with a chilled out, laid back baby who at least gives me time to consult Google before I freak out.  Tom and I live downtown by Zilker Park and we would have our fire pit and grill going 7 days a week if the weather would only cooperate (we find Texas summers do not allow us this indulgence).  We love to host outdoor cookouts and engage with our neighbors and church community at Austin Stone. I would love to talk openly with anyone about motherhood realities (the good, the bad, and the ugly), infertility, and most importantly, adoption.  We thank God every day for the journey that led us to our Abigail.  

Getting to Know the LWB Leadership Team: Ruthie Hart

     I am Ruthie Hart and I can be easily recognized by how many posts I make on the LWB Facebook page! I am 26 and the mama of 14 month old boy Ford and expecting our 2nd in April 2015. I am a stay at home mama, blogger at www.ruthiehart.com, writer for MOMquery, and on the prayer and writing team for Thrive Moms Community. Yes, I love the internet! I am married to a hunky man named Jon who sells software by day and by night, works on cars, plays basketball, and has an unhealthy obsession with holiday decorating. I’m an Aggie, he’s a Baylor Bear and we met while I was interning at the company he worked at and were married 1.5 years later. We live in Steiner Ranch, go to The Austin Stone Community Church, and love traveling, playing games, and being active as a family (we are serious board/card gamers!). 

     With Ford, I was blessed to get pregnant right away but also cursed with getting sick shortly after. I was extremely sick from weeks 6-33 and experienced every negative pregnancy symptom out there. Baby #2 has not been too nice to me either which makes me think it is another boy! Despite not having the storybook pregnancy, I loved being pregnant. One thing I have learned is there is no need to be a hero! Medication is my friend! I also had a very rare and painful labor and delivery. I never went into labor (never had a contraction on my own!) and was induced at 41 weeks. After asking for an epidural and being pumped with the fluids necessary, I was told my blood platelets were too low and the risks were too high. I had a gestational blood disorder called Thrombocytopenia. This came to a shock because I was on hour 4 of a Pitocin induced labor and my waters had broken. I am pretty sure I screamed something profane when I found out I would feel every part of labor. Pitocin is a mean, mean lady! I tried for 8 hours and Pitocin did not dilate me even a half of a centimeter. I truly believe it was not in God's will for me to have this baby vaginally. I was rushed into general surgery, was put under full anesthesia for my C section, and my husband could not be with me. I met Ford an hour after he was born but don't have any solid memories until a couple of hours later. I am sad to say that the birth of my son was not the best day of my life but the hardest, most traumatic, and most painful. Recovery was intense and I went through a rollercoaster of emotions by my unexpected birth story (we even skipped the chapters on C sections in the baby books!). You can read my full birth story here. I would be happy to talk with anyone about the emotions after a failed vaginal delivery and/or c section recovery. Other topics I love chatting about are: breastfeeding for a year, bottle strikes (Ford never took a bottle), mastitis, sleep training/cry it out, traveling husband, blogging/internet presence, and 2nd pregnancies. 

Cheers,

Ruthie Hart

Getting to Know the LWB Leadership Team: Alexia Estes

     Hi! My name is Alexia Estes and I’ve been married to Jeffrey since February 27th, 2010 - almost FIVE years! My son Jack was born on October 11th,  2013.

     Before Jack was born I taught adult ESL (English as a Second Language). I am currently teaching one small class with an organization called English @ Work. I’ve taught in many places and love working with the immigrant community. If this interests you, too, let’s get together!

     My pregnancy was thankfully pretty uneventful. My doctor even used the word “textbook” at one of my last appointments. Jack came almost 3 weeks early when my water broke, and that’s when the chaos ensued! We had our challenges with low bilirubin levels, slow weight gain and exclusively pumping so we could measure how much he was getting at each feeding. Even after we packed away the pump and returned to nursing at 8 weeks, we still had weight gain issues and, for other various reasons, switched to formula at 6 months. Jack also has some mild hearing loss in his left ear (which is why you’ll see him wearing a headband - there’s a hearing aid attached), so that’s been a unique experience for us, as well. Despite these setback, I’m thankful to say that he is now a healthy, happy, 21lb 1 year old!

     To say that this first year of parenthood was challenging is an understatement. From trying to learn how to teach my baby to sleep, eat, play, learn, and grow, to trying to keep my own sanity through lack of sleep and constantly questioning every little thing I’m doing for my baby, I know I couldn’t have done it without my mommy community. And at the same time, to say that this first year was amazing would also be an understatement. From seeing my baby’s first smile, hearing his first belly laugh, watching him discover new skills and start zooming across the room, to realizing that my baby is only a baby for such a brief moment, this year has been full of more joy than I could have ever imagined!

     I sat at lunch back in November with Gretchen and a hand full of ladies that I had never met, or didn’t know very well. I was an insecure mother of a 6 week old boy, desperate for community with other moms. Over the course of almost the past year, God has truly done a work with the ladies in this group -  answering questions, providing encouragement, an opportunity to just get out of the house - and above all, great friendships.

     I am so thankful for the women I get to share parenthood with, I’m glad you have joined us!

Getting to Know the LWB Leadership Team: Morgan Stephanian

     I am Morgan Stephanian. I have lived in Austin my entire life and love this great city! Stephen, my husband of five years, and I went to the same high school (Anderson) and both graduated from the University of Texas. I got an education degree and went on to teach kindergarten for the next five years. I loved teaching and miss being a teacher but I am so thankful for the blessing of getting to have a classroom of one right now! Outside of motherhood my passions are hosting, cooking, wine, and hair and makeup artistry. 

     My son Ethan is fourteen months old and is such a joy in my life. Each stage has brought new challenges but gets more and more fun. I have noticed that as his personality becomes more complex so do his tantrums! 

     My pregnancy was smooth sailing and labor was a blast. It hurt but it was fun... my epidural gets all thanks for that! Ethan had a very severe case of Jaundice after birth because he was three weeks early and I was terrified. That was only the first of what I anticipate being a lifetime of instances when he'll have me a ball of nerves or in tears. 

     What gets me through the daily grind and emotional roller coaster of motherhood? These sisters I am doing this alongside. All of you! I am abundantly blessed to have a community of mammas around me to encourage and keep me grounded. I am a realist and an optimist. If you ever want blunt honest advice or encouragement I'll do my best.

Getting to Know the LWB Leadership Team: Amanda Hays

     Hello! My name is Amanda Hays. I’ve been married to my husband, Bryce, for almost 7 years. Our spunky baby girl, Mae, is 8 months old. She makes everyday exciting and loves so beautifully. I’m originally from Midland, TX and I went to undergraduate and graduate school at Texas Tech University… Wreck ‘em!  We’ve lived in the Austin area for three years and, like most people who live here, we absolutely love it. I work full-time as a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist at a dialysis center. I love my job and find it incredibly rewarding. 

     Mae was born in January and turned our world upside down, then rolled it around some more. Despite every effort imaginable, breastfeeding ended within a month of her birth. She also had colic, and then I got hit with some pretty serious postpartum depression at about 6 weeks. The first three months of her life were the worst of mine. God never left my side and redeemed an incredibly difficult time. I’ll dive deeply into this journey through the blog at a later date ;)

     I have a passion to support and love other mothers, especially during those hard times.  Mothering is hard, yo! I also want to make sure working moms have a place where they can connect and be encouraged. 

     I’m an open book so please contact me if you ever want to talk. I’m so very glad you found this group and I hope to meet you some day!

                                                                                                                     -Amanda

Getting to Know the LWB Leadership Team: Jessica Britnell

     My name is Jessica Britnell and I’m excited to tell you a little bit about me! I am very in love with Jonathan, my husband of 9 years. We are both from Pensacola, FL and moved to Austin 5 years ago. We LOVE music and almost always have something fun playing in the house (and classical- or Civil Wars in the car!) I turned 30 this year but that was slightly overshadowed by caring for my high maintenance daughter Laina Vogue - now 14 months old. She is so fun and so challenging all at the same time! I’m a nurse and previously worked in ICU and as a Transplant Coordinator, but currently work 1 day a week and spend the rest of my time with sweet Laina. 

     Our first year as parents was full of adventure but definitely wasn’t easy. My water broke early at 35.5 weeks and this breech baby was coming. I had minor complications from delivery, but Laina wasn’t quite ready for unmonitored life and spent a few weeks in the NICU (one of the hardest times in my life). After we finally brought her home she became colicky and screamed what seemed like 25 hrs a day. On top of that, she wasn’t effectively nursing and we started our uphill breastfeeding journey. After months of hard work, weight checks, lots of pumping, and trusting God we finally had a somewhat “normal” nursing rhythm. And I’m thankful for all of it - I still love nursing her now! 

     I learned a lot about parenthood this past year, but I feel like I’ve learned even more about myself. I am excited to share how God showed me that I couldn’t change Laina, so I had to change my own perspective and through that realization I was able to have one of the best years of my life! I truly love and enjoy being her mom and love supporting other moms as we go through this journey together! 

History, Mission and Vision of Ladies with Babies!

Hi, my name is Gretchen Smith and some of you may know me as the gal who started "Ladies With Babies". Even as I write that, I smile. Irony is written all over my face. But it's true, the "anti" mom groupie started a mom's group:) It's not that I have anything against these groups (clearly), it's just that I had this preconceived notion that "mom groups" were primarily about child obsession, development comparison and identity confusion... and if I were to be totally honest with you, I didn't want anything to do with that. I mean my twenties were hard enough! 

But what do you do when you find out you're going to be a mom? Who will help answer your endless amount of questions? Like where do babies come from? Kidding! Who will be straight up with you when you're getting a little cray-cray over schedules? Who will speak truth, encouragement and grace over you when you say you're "running to the store" but secretly you go scream in your car and maybe for a split second think about heading to Mexico? You know who will... other moms! And if you're lucky enough you might get the ones who are honest with you too! 

So there I was, two months away from being a first time mom, to a baby girl I hardly knew anything about, so what did I do? I ate lunch. Yes, lunch! I emailed the handful of first time moms I knew in my circle of friends and said, "I'd love to hear your story and pick your brain over lunch one day." And that's what we did. A handful of women one November afternoon met for lunch and that's when "I'm Pregnant Now What"… wait… I mean "Ladies With Babies" was created. Ha! 

During that initial meeting there was joy, laughter, and solidarity in sharing stories and commonalities, but there also was a need. A need for moms to connect. To get out of their homes. To have adult conversations (and beverages insert Wine and Tummy Time). And then I thought what if we as a group could meet needs and foster a group of moms that could serve and to be served? What if we could be a group that was safe and full of grace and love for one another? I thought to myself, “this can happen, it needs to happen,” and I trusted that God could do that through me and many others who shared this vision and mission. 

So lunch that November turned into lunch in December, and week-by-week friends and friends-of-friends were being welcomed into this group - even strangers were coming up to us asking who we were and how they could be a part of what we were doing. As the weeks went by, more and more gathered that we started seeing women and their children get invited into our community from all over Austin, and then tell others about it. It's been unbelievably humbling and incredible to see. Not only was this an answer to prayer for me, but I'd like to believe for so many others as well.

You remember earlier how I talked about my preconceived notions? Well the funny thing about preconceived notions is that they are formed without adequate evidence. I guess getting it wrong never felt so right and now I can take my foot out of my mouth

LWB: Vision and Mission

“LWB started in 2013 as a small group of women and first time moms who were in need of community, resources and support. As you can see, this group has grown into so much more and we welcome anyone who is in need of the same, no matter how long you’ve been a mom or how many kids you’ve got.

LWB still provides community, resources and support, but the heart behind LWB is to meet need in and outside of this group. In addition to meet-ups, exchanging goods, and NONJUDGMENTAL sharing, LWB will provide specific ways for you to serve each other and our great city.”