We have loved interviewing mamas for our EMME MAMA blog segment over the past year and a half. We’ve learned so much from you and love getting to know all of you. We thought it would be fun for us to interview each other since we both had a baby this past year while managing this business. Doing this reminds us why we created EMME in the first place. Thanks for being here!
Hailey: I am so excited for this interview. Even though we talk all of the time I feel like we don’t usually talk about our motherhood experiences, so I am excited to learn more about your experience and to use your advice in my own life. To start us off, why don’t you tell us about your favorite part about being a mama of two?
Kat: Gosh, I couldn't agree more. Life just gets so busy, but I want to make more time to hear about how everything is going for you.
But to answer your question, I had so many fears about adding another baby into the mix. How will Emmeline (who is two years and four days apart from her younger brother) handle the transition? How will I take care of TWO children when taking care of one already feels like so much work? The list of fears went on and on while I was pregnant. But as soon as Isaiah was born, he just fit right into our little family. I’ve loved seeing Emmeline take on this new role as a “big sister.” I look over at my husband all the time and say “we have TWO kids!” It’s been a beautiful thing to watch my family grow. I can’t describe how much I adore them. What has been your favorite thing over these past few months about becoming a mama recently?
Hailey: First, I cannot believe I haven’t been able to meet little Isaiah yet, and I just know Emmeline is already the best big sister!
I just love watching Ford grow and learn things! I can’t help but be so proud of him every time he does or learns something new. It makes my mama heart so full of love and joy it could explode! My husband and I watch Ford all day and just smile and laugh at all of the adorable things he does. We are obsessed to say the least. Something I have also loved is noticing a change in myself over these past few months of becoming a mother. What is something you have loved seeing in yourself since you’ve become a mother?
Kat: That’s a great question. Becoming a mother has made me a much more compassionate person. I remember when I first held Emmeline, I thought a lot about how each human comes into the world as a tiny, precious little baby. When you’re holding a little newborn, you can feel just how powerful their inherent worth is. Not every newborn gets the life they deserve and that realization has influenced how I think about so many things. I strive to be a compassionate mama to my kids even with all of the challenges motherhood brings. What has been something that has been difficult for you since becoming a mother?
Hailey: Motherhood has truly been an amazing experience so far, but has also had many unexpected aspects. My biggest challenge so far has been dealing with the different ways I feel “mom guilt”. When Ford was about 3-4 months old he started struggling with breastfeeding and each feeding time became a crying and wrestling match that left us both exhausted and me super frustrated. Shortly after this started happening I noticed my milk supply was rapidly dropping and I tried doing things to help it come back. I started feeling guilty because some of these “techniques” were so time consuming and uncomfortable that I just didn’t want to do them anymore. I felt guilty, because I wanted to be done with breastfeeding all together because of the clear struggles Ford and I were experiencing with it, but at the same time it had been such a sweet bonding time for Ford and I in the beginning and I didn’t want to give that up plus the added pressures in general to breastfeed. In the end I had great support from family that let me know that however feeding Ford was going to be best for me and him was the best way and if that meant stopping breastfeeding then that was okay. It has been quite the journey but we have pretty much transitioned to formula now and we are both so much happier. What about you Kat?
Kat: Definitely trying to do *anything* beyond taking care of my kids feels like so much work. And then when I do have a break… I just want to relax. Figuring out when to push through and when to rest is something I’m always navigating.
Hailey: I totally get that! Speaking of trying to find times to have a break, what are things that have helped you with the busyness that comes along with being a mama?
Kat: I try not to do too many things at once. If I’m going out in the morning with the kids for a playdate, I focus completely on my kids and the friends I’m with. I don’t worry about responding to emails, texts, or anything else. I haven’t always done this, but it helps me live in the moment and enjoy motherhood so much more (it also feels like a break in some ways!). I also hold off on doing certain things until my husband is home. It’s about 1000x more effective for us that way. Why spend 40 minutes trying to unload the dishwasher when it’ll take 5 minutes once my husband is home? Stuff like that! What about you?
Hailey: For me, 1. I am a total “to do” list maker. I try to make a list the night before, so I can prepare for my day and know what I need to get done during nap times. It helps me to get things done more efficiently and usually helps me to have a little bit of downtime in the end! 2. The pre-cooked grilled chicken strips at Costco haha! In all seriousness they have helped me to be able to quickly throw together healthy lunches in the middle of the day. I just have little Ford, but even one baby is so demanding of time that it can be hard to make lunch in the middle of the day. Just having pre-cooked chicken on hand has seriously been a game changer for helping me to eat nutritiously.
Okay I want to shift gears to talk about EMME. What has been your favorite part about having started and running EMME?
Kat: I love that we’ve created pieces that provide solutions that directly impact my life. Maternity + postpartum clothes were such a frustration for me. It feels incredible to hear fellow mothers and women say that we’re helping them wear clothes they love during this special time of life. On the business side, It’s been fascinating to learn about all the little details of running a successful business. I have learned so much and have enormous respect for all small business owners. Before we end I want to hear about what has been your favorite part about having started and running EMME and what your favorite EMME piece to wear and why.
Hailey: I love that! I obviously believed in our business before I had been pregnant, but when I was pregnant this past year and was living the struggle of maternity clothes I really felt the purpose of EMME being fulfilled in myself. I felt excited to reach for my EMME pieces, I felt flattered AND comfortable. I became an even bigger fan of our Everyday Smocked Linen Pants and all of our dresses. All are made to be comfortable and last an entire pregnancy and they did just that. It was fun to act like a customer of the business we created together.
As for my favorite piece, it’s so hard to choose just one, but if I had to choose *one* it would have to be the Eliza Dress. I just love how beautiful and flattered I feel when I wear it. I wore it through my whole pregnancy and LOVED it and I am still reaching for it now, which says something, because sometimes you get a little tired of “maternity clothes” after those months of cycling through the same few pieces over and over. I also just love how functional it was for nursing while not giving up any of the style factors. Okay, what's yours?
Kat: My favorite piece? Overall I would say the Everyday Smocked Linen Pants. I have worn them almost once a week since I got them! Truly whenever we stay with my parents, my mom is wearing them too. It always puts a smile on my face because that’s been our whole goal! Make timeless, high quality clothes that any woman (especially pregnant women) would love to wear.
We love running EMME and especially love this beautiful community of women that we have created. We learn so much from y’all and we hope it was fun to learn a little bit about us.
xoxo,
Katarina and Hailey
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