Thrive after baby with Alex

Maybe I’m not angry.

Maybe I’m touched out, overstimulated, running on too little sleep, carrying the mental load of an entire household, remembering everyone’s appointments, snacks, forms, schedules, and emotional needs.

Maybe what looks like “anger” is actually a nervous system that’s been in overdrive for far too long.

The truth is, a lot of moms get labeled as angry when they’re actually overwhelmed.

And when we’re overwhelmed long enough, our patience gets shorter, our capacity gets smaller, and everything feels harder.

Not because we’re bad moms.

Because we’re human.

Anyone ever been told they’re “angry” when what they really needed was support? 🙋‍♀️

LAX ⏭️ Paris 🤩

The version of me deep in postpartum anxiety never would’ve believed this.

Back then, even going to Target felt overwhelming some days.

I worried about everything.
I struggled to sleep even when my kids were sleeping.
I wondered if I’d ever feel like myself again.

And while motherhood is still hard in different ways now, I wish I could go back and tell that version of me this:

You won’t always feel this exhausted.
You won’t always feel this anxious.
You won’t always feel this stuck.

One day you’ll sleep more.
One day you’ll laugh more.
One day you’ll book the trip.
One day you’ll stand in front of the Eiffel Tower with your family and realize how much healing has happened along the way.

If you’re in the thick of it right now, hold onto hope.

This season is not forever. ❤️

What is something you hope to do again when you’re out of survival mode?

If you’re a mom who loves to travel, I need you to borrow some hope from me.

There was a time when the thought of traveling with my kids felt completely overwhelming.

Every outing required military-level planning. Naps dictated our schedule. Sleep deprivation made everything feel harder. Packing for one night away felt like packing up an entire house.

And if I’m honest, there were moments when I wondered if that adventurous part of me was gone forever.

But motherhood isn’t static.

The way you travel with a baby is not the way you’ll travel with a toddler.

The way you travel with a toddler is not the way you’ll travel with a school-aged child.

The logistics change.
The challenges change.
And so does your freedom.

Right now, I’m about to head to the airport to travel through France with my 8 and 5-year-old, and while it’s definitely not the same as traveling before kids, it’s also so much more fun than I could have imagined during those early years.

Watching them experience new places, foods, cultures, and adventures has been worth every hard season that came before it.

So if you’re currently in the stage where leaving the house feels impossible, this is your reminder:

This season won’t last forever.

And the version of motherhood you’re living today is not the version you’ll be living a few years from now. ❤️

If you could take your kids anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would you go?

Or if you’re following along with our France adventures, what do you want to know? 👇🏻🫶