Mom Meetup | Coleen

As a kid she always wanted to be a mom, and this mama's family is growing! Get ready for a laugh and some virtual hugs as Coleen shares her nurturing and kind-hearted voice.

Coleen

• 28 years, married her sweetheart at 23
• Mom of 1 under 1 + baby girl on the way
• Hometown: St. Petersburg, FL (originally from upstate NY)
• Mom theme song: Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift 🥺

What's one of your earliest memories?

One of my earliest memories is meeting my younger twin sisters for the first time! Me and my older sister and younger brother were anxiously waiting with our Grammy for our parents to bring them home, and I remember getting to hold them!

What was the most trouble you ever got in as a kid?

I cut one of the twins hair with scissors under the kitchen table. She had fine, curly, almost white blonde hair that my mom was in love with. At first my mom thought it was doll hair, then she saw my sister. It wasn’t pretty.

Was there something your parents did when you were a kid that you swore you'd never do yourself?

Make us go to bed when it was still light out and other kids were playing over the summer 😂

What's the hardest thing about being a mom?

Mom guilt. Always wondering if I’m doing the right/best thing, feeling guilty for working while James is awake, comparing my baby’s milestones to others.

What's your favorite thing about being a mom?

The love!! It’s the strongest love I have ever felt and I feel like every cliche I have ever heard about a mother’s love came true when I finally got to hold our baby!

What has been the best milestone so far?

James finally crawling. He tried so hard for so long and was growing visibly frustrated that he couldn’t move. Shayne and I were both home when he crawled for the first time, and it made us happy cry.

What's the secret weapon hiding in your purse or diaper bag?

Wipes of all kinds. Hand wipes, sanitizer wipes, pacifier wipes, baby wipes. So. Many. Wipes.

Any 'oh sh**' moments as a mom?

The first week we had James home and I hadn’t yet learned the importance of bringing him to the bath with his diaper on. I’ll spare the details. But it was literally an “oh sh**” moment. All over.

What's one thing you wish you knew before having kids?

It’s as mentally exhausting sometimes as it is physically exhausting. The lack of sleep in the early days is one thing, but the constant stress over naps, food, bowel movements, milestones, etc can be just as bad.

What's the best piece of advice your mom (or another mom) gave you?

My mom told me to muster up every ounce of patience I have and channel it whenever I’m overwhelmed. She reminded me that sometimes babies just cry, that I can’t fix it all, etc. Remembering that and taking deep breaths have saved me from a few emotional crying breakdowns.

Any advice for a mom just starting out, or about to have a babe?

The biggest cliche of them all, but only because I now see how true it is: soak up every snuggle and every moment because it FLIES 😭 James is turning one in May and I already feel him becoming more independent. It makes me proud and breaks my heart at the same time.