December 22, 2025 • 38 mins
This week’s episode is equal parts chaotic, honest, and deeply meaningful as Morgan is joined by her sister Taylor and her 11-week-old niece, Collyns for a special holiday week conversation.
Taylor opens up about becoming a first-time mom, what no one truly prepares you for after birth, and how motherhood reshapes everything. From marriage and identity to sleep, patience, and trust in your own instincts. They talk candidly about pregnancy plans going out the window, postpartum realities, breastfeeding struggles, Bell’s Palsy in the midst of recovery, and the emotional weight of those early weeks that don’t get talked about enough.
From choosing the right partner, navigating life with dogs and a newborn, and leaning on community, to trusting your “mom gut” and tuning out outside noise, this episode is an honest look at what it really means to bring a life into the world. It’s a sister conversation filled with love, laughter, tears, baby noises, and perspective for anyone who’s a mom, hopes to be one someday, or just wants a deeper understanding of this season of life.
🎧 Subscribe to the podcast for more episodes.
📲 Follow @takethispersonally on Instagram.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Personally old men.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Our next series is all about family, and there is
a double on Tandre there because it's Christmas Week, which
to me is all about family. I'm bringing out my
sister for her first ever podcast episode. She's a brand
new mama to my niece and she's a speech language pathologist.
We're talking all things baby, pregnancy, motherhood, and postpartum. Next
week I'll bring on Michelle Pool, who is a nurse
at the Maven Clinic, which specializes in family building, fertility
(00:39):
and all things parenthood. We're getting into some special talks
for the mamas especially, but also the father's out there,
so let's do this. This is gonna be a fun,
chaotic episode because my sister is Jordi Reeve, but not
just my sister, her very precious new baby, Miss Collins,
(01:02):
and my niece.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Hey Tay, thanks for coming on. I'm glad to be here.
And Collins is just staring.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
She's very confused about what's happening, but she's learning the
podcast life very early.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
I'm excited to talk to you about being a new
mom in Miss Collins. How old is Collins now?
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Collins is eleven weeks old now. She was born September tenth.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
So, and what's it like being a new mom, Because
it's been fun for me as your sister to watch
you enter this life that you've been waiting for what
seems like decades. You were a mom to me as
a kid, so this has been everything you've ever wanted.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
It has been.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
I always knew that I wanted to be a mom,
And as hard as that it's been some days, it's
truly just the best.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
And I don't think anything can.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Prepare you for what motherhood truly is, and I just
love it so much.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
You did you read all the books.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I didn't listen to every podcast, you watched all the
Instagram videos we did.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Did it all go out the window when she arrived
a little bit?
Speaker 1 (01:59):
I think you can only be prepared so much until
she's here, and then you realize, Okay, I have a
human life that now looks at me to provide everything
for her, to protect her, to give her the nutrition
she needs, and then it's okay. I read all of
that about what does reality actually look like? And I
think the biggest thing for me was people said, oh,
(02:22):
you're not gonna get sleep, blah blah blah.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Okay, Well, The biggest.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Thing is my baby does sleep, but when you are breastfeeding,
you have to wake them every two to three hours
when they're babies, and so even if your baby wants
to sleep, you're still waking them. And so I think
it is that is really challenging in the first few weeks,
but it's all worth it.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Is there anything that people were telling you where you
heard them and now it's happening and you feel, Okay,
this person was legit and other things where okay that
person was lying, that's not actually true.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Oh for sure.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
I think just you know how much you will love them,
Everyone's like it's a different kind.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Of love, like you can't explain it.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
And that is so true because until you've been through it,
there's just no love like that. And I can't even
explain it. I just I would lay my life down
for her. I would do anything to protect her and
give her the very best. So I think that's hard
to explain. So I think they're totally spot on with that.
As far as like things that people said that, I'm like,
(03:21):
I don't know. I think it's like everyone's situation is different.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Everyone baby Collins is chiming in.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Everyone's birth story is different, so everything just happens differently.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Was that true? Was your story different? Ms? Collins?
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Yes, it's just different and what works for one mom
doesn't work for the other mom, and there's nothing wrong
with that.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
And we're talking lots of morning.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
We learned that baby Collins really likes to talk in
the mornings.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
We're in the morning a little bit right now, A Hi, Yes,
just baby noises. It's really what the whole podcast is
going to be anywhere. So that's very much true.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
I feel like from the outside looking into you've had
a lot of realizations of that where oh, well, that
was not the same story that happened for us, So
it feels does that feel isolating.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
A little bit?
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Where there's moments you're like, nobody understands what I'm going through?
There might be some, but not really, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
For sure.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
And I think that's when you just lean in and
you're like, this is our story, and you take it
day by day. And that's the biggest thing I've learned
is like things change with babies so much when they're
little that if you try to look too far ahead,
it's overwhelming. And so it's just very much Okay, We're
gonna get through today and this week and then we'll.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Just take it by day.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
So when you see all those videos and stuff online,
if people are like one day, it's going to be
really important about who you marry.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
I feel like you're in that moment right now of
your life.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Yes, Yes, And the best thing I did for Collins
was choo Seth.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
That's her dad. That's truly just the best thing I
did for her.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
And it matters who you marry because at two am,
when you are getting hooped and peed on and spit up,
and the last thing you want is to be fighting
with your partner, you want somebody who's there and is
a teammate because those are hard times middle of the night,
when you've had no sleep. It's not good for anyone.
(05:15):
So it matters, so you marry for sure.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
And Seth loves being a dad. That's my brother in law,
my sister's husband, and Colin's dad. And he's very much
hands on. He loves to be with Collins all the time,
even when he's watching football. Collins is there ready to
also support the next Oregon fan here. And you also,
I imagine there's been moments where you guys have also
(05:38):
wanted to kill each other.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Oh, absolutely happy. Yeah, for sure. We're very normal too,
and I am.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
It's not perfect, Like there are moments where you're like,
oh my gosh, I haven't slept, I haven't showered, I
don't know in the last time I ate was But
I'm going to take it out on you because you're
the one who's right here versus thinking I'm probably just hungry,
probably just need a meal actually. But and so then
you come back to the table and you're like, hey,
I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
That wasn't weared at you.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
We have to remind ourselves often, like we're on the
same team. Sometimes she cludes against us a little.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Bit, not on purpose. I didn't do that.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I'm gonna make it hard on you guys sometimes.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
And yeah, she's learning how to be a human too.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
She's learning how to live, and we're learning how to
be parents for the first time. So we're all learning together,
and we just try to remind ourselves of that. And
for some reason, when I look at her, like little
hands and little feet, that is like the biggest reminder
for me. She's so tiny and she's learning with us too.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
So she's just a little human that's morphing into gonna
be one day a little toddler and then a little
kid and as they grow. Are you having that moment
with her where she's already starting to grow and it
feels like time's flying by?
Speaker 3 (06:52):
It really does.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Yeah, And everyone says that too. The days are so long,
but the years are so short, and even weeks right now,
the weeks seem like they are just flying by. She'll
be three, three months here soon, and it doesn't seem
possible that my maternity leave is already up and I'm
going to be a working mom and we're going to
navigate that together too. So it's just, yeah, I just
(07:15):
it truly flies by. I feel in a way I
just had her yesterday.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
So are you scared going into the change of working mom? Oh,
bless you, bless uses.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Yeah, I'm about to not want that, Okay, I would
like to turn this subject away from that.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Yeah, it's going to be another challenge that I'm just
going to again take it day by day because that's
really all I can do is just try to figure
it out. And I love my job and I love
working with kids, and so I hope to be able
to still do that and be a good mom for Collins.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
And you're a speech language pathologist for all the people
who don't know.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Yes, fit up. We gotta make sure we look our best.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Yes, I am a speech language pathologist out an elementary school.
So I've done that for gosh, I think nine or
ten years now.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
So yep. And it prepped you too in a lot
of ways.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
I feel like you've done different things with cons to
be sure, because of the things that you know and
things that you've learned to help her make sure she's
set up for success for.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Sure, and just how important these first two years are
for their development, speech language, brain development, all of it.
So much happens within their first three to five years
of life, and so it's just so important to just
be aware of that. And even now we talk to
her constantly and she's get bombarded with language and vocabulary,
and even though it might not look like she's truly
(08:36):
taking it all in.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
She is.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Yeah, okay, So speak to it from that perspective as
a speech language pathologist because you have these skills, and
what other things would you tell first time parents about
their kid from that perspective and also being a mom
now that you've had both experiences.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Right, Yeah, I think just truly talking to them constantly,
even if it's just about what we're doing, like talking
to her about changing her diaper, and oh, we're going
into the next room, and here are my dogs and
these are my dog's names, and okay, and now we're
going to go outside for a little bit, and oh
do you see the trees. And we are constantly telling
her about her surroundings, what's going on, interacting with her,
(09:14):
reading to her, because their vocabulary just flourishes when they
are talked to when they are read too. And I
think it's hard at this age because they're not always interacting.
She's just beginning to start to interact with us and
smile at us and stuff, but before there's really not
a lot of interactions. So you're like, I don't need
to talk to them. They're just sitting there. They're not
(09:36):
really interacting with me. But they really truly are. All
of those brain neurons are firing and connecting and they're
trying to make sense of everything, so it really does matter.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Yeah, that's so cool that you have that added layer.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
It's like when you think of somebody being a nurse
and they know you get that extra benefit of the skill,
whereas me, if I ever do choose to have kids,
I'm like, I don't really have anything to help you.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
If you want to speak into a microphone, this is
not gonna be good.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
So but I think to that point also, there's so
much that's innate that you don't realize until you're a mom.
I trust my gut more now than I have ever before.
And people are like, trust your mom gut, trust you
like I don't have one, Like I'm not a mom,
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
What that gut is.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
And people said that to me even during my pregnancy,
and I was like, I don't trust myself yet. But
like as soon as I had her, something in me click,
Something in me changed, So it's like, Okay, I trust
my mom gut. Now I have one, and I know.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
What that's like.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
So I think some of that truly is just innate
and you know what's best for your child and you
do that.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
So is that kind of the mom instinct as well
that all kind of correlates.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
So it didn't click until the moment she was born.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
It didn't for me, and I think probably sometimes people
maybe with pregnancy it does. It didn't for me until
like I had her and then it was like, okay,
I got it.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Now there it is. It clicked and we are here.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Do you ever have to use Google or now I
or anything to answer questions because things happen, I imagine,
and you don't have all the answers.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
All the time, I honestly, like I say it all
the time too, like I don't know how people survived
before Chat, GPT and Google because they're ah same girl,
same that.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
It's a big yon for a little girl that's been
saying this. Here's a lot of our Thanksgiving this week. Yes,
you've heard that a lot. You know.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
She's smiling me right now and it always just melts
my little heart when she smiled.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Yes, you know, we still have both.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Of your parents, sess parents and ours obviously, so they're
great to lean on.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
But again, different experiences.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Yeah, I remind them too, Like that was thirty years ago,
and a lot has changed since then too, even the
way we put babies to sleep, Like they used to
cover us up with blankets and all these things, and
that's a big no. Now you place your baby on
the back, you don't put any blankets in there because
of the risk of SIDS. And so that has changed
in thirty years because we know better, we do better
(12:01):
kind of thing, and so yeah, a lot has changed.
And so I'm so thankful for Google and Chat GPT
because I truly, like, at two am, I can't call
my doctor's office and be like, why.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Is her poop green?
Speaker 1 (12:13):
It just it helps me to be like, hey, that's
actually not a big deal. It's pretty common things like
that that you're like, I don't know who else to
ask this. I'm sure I read it in one of
those books, but I don't know what page it was on.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
Like, because you guys did read a few books before
all this happened.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
I do you feel like any of them really helped
or was it just more preparing you that it helped a.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Lot of it was preparation, and I think the books
I read were more for like pregnancy and what to
expect as like my pregnancy progress, which was really helpful
because it does change a lot and it was my
first time being pregnant, it's for my first time being
a mom.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
But yeah, I would for.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
Any moment, I would suggest reading as much as you can,
because I think that's another thing that I didn't I
wasn't as I don't know, just like prepared for is
that I have zero time to read or do any
of that now. She is all like time consuming in
the best way, and I wouldn't change that at all,
but I'd be like, oh, yeah, I'll wait until I
have her and I'll read. And I'm like, okay, yeah,
(13:12):
you got five minutes. You're not going to read all
of that. Yeah, you're like I have learned.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
You don't have time to shower. You don't even have
time sometimes to wear a clean shirt. Was we were
about to go do something this week for Thanksgiving weekend
and Taylor had just changed, got ready, she took Collins
and hall Its just threw up all on the back
and she's, okay, you gotta go.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Change, do a new shirt. Very mom life, codd it is.
I always wondered about that with the books. You see
everybody gift books to.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
New parents, and I was always just so curious that
they're truly helpful or you know where the boundaries lie there.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Because you can do and consume so much.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
But everything, to my knowledge that you've told me about
is that it all changes when they get here.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
It does, and every baby's different, so like even all
that good advice, like it might work for your baby,
but it might not also, and so I think that's
where it's nice to have search engines too. And it's okay,
this isn't working. Is there any other things I can try? So?
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Or guys, we're doing it with Tommy Time the other day.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Yeah, because she starts she's learned to roll herself over
and they're like, okay, so is it?
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Are we just done? Tommy Time's done? What does that mean?
And I saw, so just get on his phone. It's okay, Google,
I gotta do some research. What's happening? How many time?
Speaker 1 (14:25):
It's not done just because they started rolling, Although that's
a great milestone, but we still have.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Work to do. So it's like, how do we get
her to.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Stay in Tonny Time? But it things like that, like
how else would you know that? Either there's no class,
they don't come with.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
A rule book. No, they do not.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
They don't come with an instruction manual, and so you're
just you're left to figure it out. So God bless
all of our parents that came before us that did
not have tragypt your Google, because they are saints. I
don't know how they did it. And then that just
goes back to that mom and seeing here in that
mom goud of you know what's best for them.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Yeah, and I wanted to talk to you too about
the You talked about the pregnancy a little bit.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
You had such a great pregnancy.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
In moments, but you're also very sick at the beginning,
and then your pregnancy plan went.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Out the window. It did, sadly.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Yeah, And I think some new moms need to hear that,
because I think I've heard a lot of them who
you plan to a tea what you want to happen,
And you had done that, but you also had the
knowledge of some other things, so I did.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Yeah, my first trimesters is pretty sick, just nausea and
stuff like that. I think for a lot of moms
that's typical.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
And then I.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Had a really great pregnancy. I was able to work
out throughout my pregnancy up until the day that we
went in for her induction. We were almost a forty
one weeks when I was induced, and while not ideal,
it was a god wink for me at that point
because as soon as I went in for my induction,
my blood pressure was in the severs, which can be
(15:54):
really bad. For me, the risk is stroke or seizures,
and so I was in me put on magnesium to
prevent that, which for any homes that have been on magnesium, Oh,
it's a wild ride. It was just a rush of it.
I truly thought I had the flu, and so at
forty plus weeks pregnant, the last thing he was being
(16:15):
there and being like, oh no, I feel like I
have the flu. This is great, and so I just
I blew up, like I look at pictures that I
have so much extra fluid and me and everything, And
I'm so thankful for modern medicine because I don't know
what would have happened if we didn't go in I
didn't get those meds. But it was also very scary
at that moment because my pregnancy had been so great
(16:35):
up until that time. So that really changed everything because
my goal was to go without an epidural for as
long as I could and to be able to labor
in different positions. And because I got the magnesium, I
was in bedrid and I couldn't do any of that.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Were there still some things we could do? Yes?
Speaker 1 (16:52):
And my biggest thing is I really truly didn't want
to have a C section. Unless it was medically necessary.
And that's something that I advocated for myself. And for
some moms they want that, and that's great, more power
to them. You can go in and you can have
a baby within an hour, and how amazing is that?
And for some moms they don't have a choice at all.
And so I don't want to ever say the ones
(17:14):
better than the other. Both of them are hard in
their own ways. So it was just what I wanted
and so I did. That was one thing that I
really did advocate for, and that was one thing that
worked out for me. I didn't have to have a
sea section. But did I was my labor in turn
twenty three hours in total?
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Yes? Did I push for almost three hours? Yes? Was
it hard? Absolutely?
Speaker 1 (17:35):
But I would do it all over again in a
heartbeat for the outcome of Collins, And.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
Yeah, you had.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Your pregnancy in general was just a It was a
wild ride. But there was so many moments, I think,
where you were exhausted and you didn't know it was
to come, especially then the baby comes.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
You haven't slept, you haven't really.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Ate, you haven't done anything, and then the baby's here
is oh, you still don't get to eat? Or sleep
or do anything, and it becomes this I feel like
wild tornado for the first however many weeks, and I
don't feel like people talk about that whole much. Yeah,
the labor's intents and you're about to push a baby
out of you, But also what you're not realizing is
you're not going to get to recover after that. No,
(18:13):
you don't just go to sleep for two weeks, make
up for it and bounce back. You now have the
baby right and hopefully you have a really great community
around you that helps you. But gosh, we just don't
talk about those really first few weeks when it's all
happening for the first time and you're still not fully recovered.
I still feel like, even now, you're not fully recovered.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
No, no, And I know that there's I've heard different
things about it takes six months to like up to
a year for your body to fully recover. And Miobi
doesn't even recommend having another baby for eighteen months because
your body takes that long to recover. And we're very
blessed with amazing parents and siblings that.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Help support us through all of that.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
But yeah, it's hard because there's only so much that
other people can do for you. When you're breastfeeding and
you're on a two hour time clock, there's no way
to get good sleep at that point. So those first
two weeks for me was even longer because we're trying
to get her back up to birthway because she did
lose a little bit, and just in general for a
lot of people too. And I was the same way
(19:18):
getting her to latch and learning how to breastfeed again,
that was our first time.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
How do we do this?
Speaker 1 (19:23):
It's hard, And so when you're on a two hour
three hour time clock and it takes thirty forty five
minutes to do.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
That, it's okay.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Now I have maybe an hour left, and so I
am supposed to do all the things I need to
do within that hour.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
So that's just it's difficult.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
And so yeah, I think that you get through it
and you see her cute little face and it makes
it all worth it, even when it's really hard.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Sometimes I was gonna ask you, what are the things
that Collins has done that'll make that moment worth it?
Oh my god, I want to know, like mom perspective,
because I see her and she's so singing cure. She
came out in her little leopard outfit that if you're
watching the video you will see her in, which just
made me smile. But I have to believe there's moments
that you two have gotten to have that have been
(20:07):
made truly that worth it because people say that for sure,
what are the actual.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Moments for sure?
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Like early on, it was like getting her to latch
and knowing that she was getting enough like breast milk wise,
we did a few feedings where my lactation consultant was
able to wait her before and then I fed her
and then weigh her after and like to know that,
like she's happy, content, she was getting enough. Early on,
that was amazing. Lately it's been laughs and giggles and smiles,
(20:36):
like her actually truly looking at us and knowing, oh
my god, she's actually smiling at us. Before they smile
in their sleep or whatever, they randomly smile and you're like,
that wasn't at me, but.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
I still love it.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
But now she will giggle and laugh at us, So
that's been the best so far. And just recognizing us too. Yeah,
like she actually can see a little bit better too.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
But just being around you guys for this past week,
she can very much tell when she is in mom
or dad's arms, like she's happy being in other people's arms,
but mom and dad it makes it all better. And
I think that's probably a cool feeling, yes, that you
are the connection to her that keeps that going. Absolutely
always weak girl, She's like trying really hard to get
(21:19):
fussy on us.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
She's doing so good though we are now Collins List.
She has gone to her father for a little bit.
If you're in the Little.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Crist took us a little break, But I wanted to
talk to you about one of the important conversations around
having kids, and it's really more about the mom because
the mom kind of gets lost and everything, and postpartum is.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
A huge deal. So what has that part of all
this been like for you? For sure?
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Yeah, for me, I've been blessed that it hasn't been extreme.
I would say the hormone rush is very real, and
there'll be points where I will just start crying for
no reason and I'm like, what's wrong with me? And
it's this rush of emotion that I don't remember ever
having before Collins. But other than that, I did get
(22:06):
Bell's palsy, so that was something that did happen postpartum.
To me, and that can contribute to even more depression
and anxiety and stuff. And when that hit, that was
pretty rough because I was four weeks postpartum and very
solid four weeks, half of my face didn't work. So
not only was I trying to still work on breastfeeding
(22:27):
and then eat to sustain breastfeeding, now I couldn't really
eat very well because my face was so droopy that
things were falling out, and I was having trouble just
swallowing and all of those things too. So thankful that
I have had a full recovery from that since then.
But I think when I was in that it was
like a very much Okay, I really hope this gets better,
(22:48):
because well, one my job, I rely on that my
face and my lips and my mouth to work correctly
for my job. And so I was questioning that and
then questioning my ever going to look the same? Already
questioned that when you have changed so much throughout nine
months of pregnancy.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
So now is my face ever gonna look the same?
And so I will say that was.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Maybe a little dip of ooh, are we gonna get
the We're gonna get the baby blues? Here?
Speaker 3 (23:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (23:14):
But I think just like I said, I just I
keep going back to it. I was just day by
day like okay, and I would take videos with my
face to be like, is it getting any better or
is it getting any better? And for a couple of
weeks it really done him. Now we're here and it
did fully recover. So I would say, all in all,
I don't think mine was very extreme, but the doctors
were great about asking and making sure two which I
(23:35):
think I'm thankful because I think before I don't know
that doctor's checked in as much as they do.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Now, they're very aware.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Of it, and they give you and my husband they
gave him things to look for because I think sometimes
like as a mom, you don't see those signs. You're
just like, no, I'm just exhausted, tired, I don't feel
like myself versus somebody from the outside of your husband
or your spouse or whatever, can see those signs and
then say I think these are maybe signs of postpartum
(24:04):
blues or post partum depression.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Well, and it's scary because I think as a mom,
I would assume that you're really just focused on Collins
or your baby and doing the best you can for her.
So you're laser focused. It's not on the self care
you need to do, not that you have time for it, right,
and not that you really have time to eat and
do the things you need to do to keep your
(24:26):
body in a better state.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Right.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Your body's already completely diplenished of all of these things
and you need a lot of different moments, but you
don't have the time. You don't have the patience at
that right, and so it's almost like it's hard and
you at least want to talk about it, so it's
well known and the husbands can step up. And I'm
going to assume that Seth played a significant role to
(24:49):
make sure that you didn't have really deep dips.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
He was there every step of the way and took
over when he did see me getting frustrated or getting
to the point where I was like, Okay, this is
too much. I'm getting overwhelmed, and he would always step
in and was there for me one hundred percent of
the time. I think the other thing that we were
really great about is getting outside every day. That saved us,
and I think it's hard to when I look at people,
(25:15):
it always depends on what time of the year your
pregnancy is and where you live and if that's even
an option. But we were really lucky that we had
her in a fall season where it was beautiful outside
and we were able to get outside every day, even
if it was just for a fifteen minute walk. Sometimes
I could go longer, and some at the very beginning
it was just a little lap around the block. But
just thought fresh air really helped us. And it helped
(25:36):
us to reconnect too, because you don't realize how you're
stuck inside and doing the same thing over and over again,
and just getting outside. And it was great for Collins too,
like she already loves being outside, and I attribute that
to just us getting outside every day when she was little,
and we still do that now. There's some days where
we can't do it, but the majority of the days
(25:57):
we still do well.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
It became a great thing all around for everything, absolutely,
and that's always a cool part of that experience. But
also you mentioned you and Sef being able to connect again,
because that also is a factor in all of this.
A lot of marriages change after having a baby, and
so besides the walks, is there anything else that you
guys have learned to make sure to do to check
in with each other and just make sure you're still
(26:21):
on the same page together.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Yeah, I think the biggest thing for us has been
one just checking in constantly.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Where are you at? Do you need me to take over?
Are you good? Is there anything I can get you?
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Especially when you're nap trapped and you have a baby
on you if you're sitting there for two hours, hey
let me get you something to snack on or drink whatever.
But also reconnecting once we put her down to for bed.
Is that's the time we have a little bit more
time than we do in the day, but just you
know how the day went and how we're feeling. So
that's what we've tried to do so far, and some
(26:53):
days are better than others.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
So well.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
And you guys also have four big dogs, two dobies,
two doodles.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
What has that been experienced?
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Like? There are people that tell me that the relationship
with your dogs changes, And I'm so curious from my
sister who we are massive animal lovers in the same right,
what is the hot take?
Speaker 3 (27:12):
I need the opinion we.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Love them just as much as we did before Collins.
I will say the biggest thing is our patience just
isn't as high with them. That's the biggest thing is
when you have a sleeping baby that you've been working
to get to sleep for a long time and they're
sleeping and they're swinging. And our dogs are great and
they've been exposed to collins and we were always around
(27:35):
them when she's around. But they will sometimes come over
and usually they just sniff, but when they get a
good licking and that wakes her up and startles her.
There is nothing more than irritates you as a parent
when you work so hard to get her to sleep
and now she's wailing and you're like, okay, now we
have to start all the way over yep.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Whereas people without dogs probably don't have that same experience exactly.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
So, yeah, we love them so much.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
And at first it was a transition for them the
first twenty four to forty eight hours, and you were there,
you saw it. It was hard on the dogs. They
were very anxious and just confuse, what is this screaming.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Thing you brought in?
Speaker 1 (28:12):
And we did expose them to baby crying sounds early
just to try to hopefully transition them a little bit easier.
And we had our parents take home a blanket from
the hospital that had her sent on it. So we
did some of those things to help we thought transition,
but those first twenty four to forty hours are still
tricky for them, and it was just navigating a new
normal for them and a new baby. And two of
(28:34):
them are rescued, so I don't know that any of
them have if they've been around babies before. S's dogs
had not been around babies before, so it was just
all new for them. But then I would say after that,
they just have done so great with her, and.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
One of them, one of the Adobies, has turned into
Adobe nanny.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Yes it's Penny. Yeah, we always joke that it's Penny's baby.
It's not my baby, it's one hundred or sent Bennie's baby.
So she will protect Collins at all costs, and yeah,
she loves her like Collins is her own. So it's
great and I'm I'm happy for Collins that she gets
to grow up in a house with dogs because I
(29:13):
think there's so many benefits to that. It'll be a
challenge when she starts walking and crawling and all the
other things, but they've been great so far, so I
don't anticipate that it'll get be any different.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Well, I've been waiting for that answer because everybody.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Does say they call it like the dogic, I think,
or something like that.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Yeah, you haven't.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Gotten that, so okay, Well maybe people are getting the
dog at aren't as big as dog lovers.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
That's the thing.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
I don't know what else this whole pregnancy and having
from pregnancy to now having collins. Are there things you've
learned about yourself that maybe you didn't ever anticipate coming
to fruition.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
In your life? Just how much sleep I need?
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Yeah, like you are already a really sleepy girl. Yeah,
my sister loves her naps. I would get yelled by
if I called her and oh and disrupted a nap
mind you.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
And I was on the allowed to call through.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Things list and I think you removed me from that
at one point because I kept calling during her nap time. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
I just I require a lot of sleep. And I
didn't used to be like that. Like in high school
I could and I'm sure everyone's like, yeah, well, in
high school you can do anything whatever. But as I've
gotten older, I realized, Okay, I'm a seven to eight
hour like night. I need that every night for sleep,
and then I call and said I was like, Okay,
now I don't get that anymore and.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
I need three hours at least hopefully.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Yeah yeah, I think, yeah, that's one thing. And then
I think, just like how much patience I truly have
because a baby takes a lot of patience, that's the thing.
And so with my job, I think that's something I
just have learned.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
I can't leave you on this podcast and people not
answer or want to have answers about our childhood and
stuff like this. So what was it like growing up
as having to take care of your younger sister all
the time.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Do you think that prepared you for having a child?
I think maybe a little bit.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
But what's funny to me is like people that know
of us but don't really know us think that you're older.
And I don't know if it's because like you are
more well known or like why, but I'm like, no,
that's my little sister, and They're like, oh, I thought
you were younger, and I'm like, what made you think that.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
It's also a funny change that has happened is when
I was growing up in high school, I was always
known as Taylor's sister, that was just my name. I
didn't have a name to all of your friends. And
then now in adulthood, she is Morgan's sister.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
Yep, that's been a.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
Funny rose they truly have have.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
But also one of the most special things is sisterhood.
Taylor and I have been so close through majority of
our lives. Once we got through our phase of a
lot of nails and clawing at each other in fights
that we used to have, I would.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
Say, like elementary school, probably. I don't think we were
in elementary school when you push me in the shower. Yeah,
that was a low point. We don't need to talk
about that. No, that's a funny story.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
So this tells me anything about sisters, is that Taylor
and I were in a fight, probably about the fact
that I still were close because I did that.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Often, probably, and then lining about it.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Yeah, and then I'd be like, I don't have that,
and it'd be in my closet somewhere. But we were
in a fight, and we were in the bathroom, and
it wasn't like a WD we push, but she did
push me enough that I fell into the shower and
the whole curtain came down with me, and you just
hear our dad, yell Or, Helene, Nicole, Taylor, Lee, Elizabeth
and government names.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
We knew we were in trouble.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
So Taylor offers her hand, pulls me out of the thing,
and we collectively put the curtain back up.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
And our dad walks in. He goes what just happened?
Speaker 2 (32:45):
But within two minutes before my dad came in, Taylor
looks at me and says, that did not happen. Do
not tell Dad anything. And I, after just being pushed,
I was like, yeah, Taylor, that's fine. I won't say anything.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
So Dad box in, He's like, what just happened? Nothing?
Nothing at all? And I listened to my older sister
after that, we just bumped into it. Nothing happened. Is
that how you remember that story? It was something like that,
something like that.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
But one thing like with you, you would grow your
nails out, like as long as they could be, like
to the point where I'm like, somebody please cut those.
She You would think she did it to make them
look pretty. You didn't make You didn't do that. You
did them so you could claw me.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
There were defense mechanisms if you wanted to, But now
like who has claws?
Speaker 3 (33:34):
And luck? Who does. It always has pretty claus I
have none. I don't use them as clause though I
don't either, not anymore. That was just a tactic. You
had to get what you could get when you were
the youngest in the family. Yeah, pulling hair.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Yeah, I think back on that and it's crazy because
you I look back and I'm like, there were periods
where we did not like each other, but we loved
each other. It is one of those things where I
love you, but I do not like you right now.
And we definitely went through that phase.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
Just says.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
We're twenty two months apart, so we're pretty close in
age two years and a great age gap honestly, because
we weren't super close to where we had all the
same friends, but close enough.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
Were crossover.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
Yeah, not quiet enough, but like close enough where we
still went to school together and we're still on same teams,
we got to be in college together. Things like that
I'm so thankful for. But yeah, we definitely went through
a period of not the best of friends. But then
I feel like once high school hit, it.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Was really about when you went to college was I
think the realization for both of us that was like, oh,
that's my sister, and I want her here now that
she's gone. I don't want her to be gone, right,
for sure, so much just because we were again, you
go through all the same things, and you're two teenage girls.
There's a lot happening there in general. But then it
was like when my sister was gone, I was just
(34:50):
sad because that was my best friend, even still through
the fighting, Like we were still best friends, right, but
you just that's kind of the relationship of siblings.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Yeah, but yeah, when you went to college, everything changed.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
I feel like that's when our relationship exponentially came closer
because I'd go out and visit her when she was
at college. And then when I went out to college
joining the same sorority that she did.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
Most people would be like, wouldn't you want to do
something different?
Speaker 2 (35:13):
Nope, right where Taylor was, we were in the same
sorority together. And then yeah, even moving to Nashville was
really hard. I took that pretty hard, so to Taylor.
So for sure, and still do.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
There's still moments where she's going to move back yet
or yeah, I have a baby waiting for me to
be the living take care of them. Let's go. So
thank goodness, her FaceTime, but it's still not the same.
It's still hard, no, and I'm still trying to get
everybody to move here.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
I've been working on that for a while. I think
I've at least convinced her husband.
Speaker 3 (35:44):
You would do it hard, you would move party. We
have him.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
But yeah, it's such a special thing. Sisterhood is something
that I'm very lucky to have. It's something I know
that you also.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
Sisterhood or sibling hood. I guess you hope for Collins
one day. It was part of your guys's plan.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
So it's I feel really lucky and very just honored
that you're the person that gets to be a part
of my life. We don't get to choose him, but
like this is going to ask for anything more than this. Yeah,
and getting to be collinsant is the new fun thing.
We get to share a middle name. Why did you
guys choose to do that middle name?
Speaker 3 (36:19):
We just loved it, truly, Like it was first we
had looked at doing my name Lee and it just
didn't go as well.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
And it was like, well, Morgan's middle name is Lane,
and we both like we really like Lane, and like,
how cool is it that she gets to share a
middle name with her aunt, like a family name, so
because her first name is not a family name, so
it was like, how do we bring a family name
into this, and it just it worked out.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
So it is funny how that's become kind of the
family name. Yea or Dad.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
He has all girls, he has not become the family name.
So that's because most of the girls are continuing.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
So we're working on that. But Lane has turned into it.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
And I love that I get to share a name
with her, and she's so special and I'm excited to
keep watching you and Seth as parents because it's fun.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
You guys were meant to do this, clearly. Thanks.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
It's cool to be a part of something when two
people really wanted this life so much and now you
guys have it, and that's a cool thing to witness.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
It is.
Speaker 1 (37:19):
Yeah, it's so fun to look back on how much
has changed in a year and something that you pray for.
We are here at this time last year and it
was something we were praying about and now we're here
with her, and how cool is that?
Speaker 3 (37:32):
So a lot can change in a year. A lot.
Speaker 2 (37:36):
Any advice is what we always in the podcast on
is either a piece of advice or inspiration or motivation
or just anything that's on your heart to share it.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
I would say, once you become mom, you just trust
your mom. Gut, you trust your mom.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
And steeks sand you let those take over and do
what's best for you and your baby and blur out
all the rest because everyone has an opinion, everyone has advice,
and take it with a grain of salt and just
do what's best for you. Because if you get bogged
down by all of that, it's overwhelming and it can
be hard to navigate through all of that, and you
(38:10):
wonder you know what's right and what's wrong, and the
truth is like it's probably somewhere in the middle, so.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
That gray areas where everything tends to be for sure.
So we'll tay.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Thanks for sharing everything, Thanks for coming on our first
Sister episode.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
I love you. I have a feeling there'll be more.
I love you too.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
We love all the new mamas and dads out there
just doing their best to be the best parents they
can be for their kiddos. Shout out to all of
you guys. There will be a new episode next week
before we find our way into the new year. It's
another one for the New Moms and Dads with Nurse
Michelle Pool, so don't miss it. Subscribe to the podcast
if you're listening, that's a huge help, and follow the
podcast on Instagram at take this personally, those are the.
Speaker 3 (38:46):
Best Christmas gifts so you could give me. I love
you all so much. Have a merry Christmas and happy Holidays.
Thanks for spending your year with me.
Personally old men.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Our next series is all about family, and there is
a double on Tandre there because it's Christmas Week, which
to me is all about family. I'm bringing out my
sister for her first ever podcast episode. She's a brand
new mama to my niece and she's a speech language pathologist.
We're talking all things baby, pregnancy, motherhood, and postpartum. Next
week I'll bring on Michelle Pool, who is a nurse
at the Maven Clinic, which specializes in family building, fertility
(00:39):
and all things parenthood. We're getting into some special talks
for the mamas especially, but also the father's out there,
so let's do this. This is gonna be a fun,
chaotic episode because my sister is Jordi Reeve, but not
just my sister, her very precious new baby, Miss Collins,
(01:02):
and my niece.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Hey Tay, thanks for coming on. I'm glad to be here.
And Collins is just staring.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
She's very confused about what's happening, but she's learning the
podcast life very early.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
I'm excited to talk to you about being a new
mom in Miss Collins. How old is Collins now?
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Collins is eleven weeks old now. She was born September tenth.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
So, and what's it like being a new mom, Because
it's been fun for me as your sister to watch
you enter this life that you've been waiting for what
seems like decades. You were a mom to me as
a kid, so this has been everything you've ever wanted.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
It has been.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
I always knew that I wanted to be a mom,
And as hard as that it's been some days, it's
truly just the best.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
And I don't think anything can.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Prepare you for what motherhood truly is, and I just
love it so much.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
You did you read all the books.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I didn't listen to every podcast, you watched all the
Instagram videos we did.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Did it all go out the window when she arrived
a little bit?
Speaker 1 (01:59):
I think you can only be prepared so much until
she's here, and then you realize, Okay, I have a
human life that now looks at me to provide everything
for her, to protect her, to give her the nutrition
she needs, and then it's okay. I read all of
that about what does reality actually look like? And I
think the biggest thing for me was people said, oh,
(02:22):
you're not gonna get sleep, blah blah blah.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Okay, Well, The biggest.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Thing is my baby does sleep, but when you are breastfeeding,
you have to wake them every two to three hours
when they're babies, and so even if your baby wants
to sleep, you're still waking them. And so I think
it is that is really challenging in the first few weeks,
but it's all worth it.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Is there anything that people were telling you where you
heard them and now it's happening and you feel, Okay,
this person was legit and other things where okay that
person was lying, that's not actually true.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Oh for sure.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
I think just you know how much you will love them,
Everyone's like it's a different kind.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Of love, like you can't explain it.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
And that is so true because until you've been through it,
there's just no love like that. And I can't even
explain it. I just I would lay my life down
for her. I would do anything to protect her and
give her the very best. So I think that's hard
to explain. So I think they're totally spot on with that.
As far as like things that people said that, I'm like,
(03:21):
I don't know. I think it's like everyone's situation is different.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Everyone baby Collins is chiming in.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Everyone's birth story is different, so everything just happens differently.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Was that true? Was your story different? Ms? Collins?
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Yes, it's just different and what works for one mom
doesn't work for the other mom, and there's nothing wrong
with that.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
And we're talking lots of morning.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
We learned that baby Collins really likes to talk in
the mornings.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
We're in the morning a little bit right now, A Hi, Yes,
just baby noises. It's really what the whole podcast is
going to be anywhere. So that's very much true.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
I feel like from the outside looking into you've had
a lot of realizations of that where oh, well, that
was not the same story that happened for us, So
it feels does that feel isolating.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
A little bit?
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Where there's moments you're like, nobody understands what I'm going through?
There might be some, but not really, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
For sure.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
And I think that's when you just lean in and
you're like, this is our story, and you take it
day by day. And that's the biggest thing I've learned
is like things change with babies so much when they're
little that if you try to look too far ahead,
it's overwhelming. And so it's just very much Okay, We're
gonna get through today and this week and then we'll.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Just take it by day.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
So when you see all those videos and stuff online,
if people are like one day, it's going to be
really important about who you marry.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
I feel like you're in that moment right now of
your life.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Yes, Yes, And the best thing I did for Collins
was choo Seth.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
That's her dad. That's truly just the best thing I
did for her.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
And it matters who you marry because at two am,
when you are getting hooped and peed on and spit up,
and the last thing you want is to be fighting
with your partner, you want somebody who's there and is
a teammate because those are hard times middle of the night,
when you've had no sleep. It's not good for anyone.
(05:15):
So it matters, so you marry for sure.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
And Seth loves being a dad. That's my brother in law,
my sister's husband, and Colin's dad. And he's very much
hands on. He loves to be with Collins all the time,
even when he's watching football. Collins is there ready to
also support the next Oregon fan here. And you also,
I imagine there's been moments where you guys have also
(05:38):
wanted to kill each other.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Oh, absolutely happy. Yeah, for sure. We're very normal too,
and I am.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
It's not perfect, Like there are moments where you're like,
oh my gosh, I haven't slept, I haven't showered, I
don't know in the last time I ate was But
I'm going to take it out on you because you're
the one who's right here versus thinking I'm probably just hungry,
probably just need a meal actually. But and so then
you come back to the table and you're like, hey,
I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
That wasn't weared at you.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
We have to remind ourselves often, like we're on the
same team. Sometimes she cludes against us a little.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Bit, not on purpose. I didn't do that.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I'm gonna make it hard on you guys sometimes.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
And yeah, she's learning how to be a human too.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
She's learning how to live, and we're learning how to
be parents for the first time. So we're all learning together,
and we just try to remind ourselves of that. And
for some reason, when I look at her, like little
hands and little feet, that is like the biggest reminder
for me. She's so tiny and she's learning with us too.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
So she's just a little human that's morphing into gonna
be one day a little toddler and then a little
kid and as they grow. Are you having that moment
with her where she's already starting to grow and it
feels like time's flying by?
Speaker 3 (06:52):
It really does.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Yeah, And everyone says that too. The days are so long,
but the years are so short, and even weeks right now,
the weeks seem like they are just flying by. She'll
be three, three months here soon, and it doesn't seem
possible that my maternity leave is already up and I'm
going to be a working mom and we're going to
navigate that together too. So it's just, yeah, I just
(07:15):
it truly flies by. I feel in a way I
just had her yesterday.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
So are you scared going into the change of working mom? Oh,
bless you, bless uses.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Yeah, I'm about to not want that, Okay, I would
like to turn this subject away from that.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Yeah, it's going to be another challenge that I'm just
going to again take it day by day because that's
really all I can do is just try to figure
it out. And I love my job and I love
working with kids, and so I hope to be able
to still do that and be a good mom for Collins.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
And you're a speech language pathologist for all the people
who don't know.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Yes, fit up. We gotta make sure we look our best.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Yes, I am a speech language pathologist out an elementary school.
So I've done that for gosh, I think nine or
ten years now.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
So yep. And it prepped you too in a lot
of ways.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
I feel like you've done different things with cons to
be sure, because of the things that you know and
things that you've learned to help her make sure she's
set up for success for.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Sure, and just how important these first two years are
for their development, speech language, brain development, all of it.
So much happens within their first three to five years
of life, and so it's just so important to just
be aware of that. And even now we talk to
her constantly and she's get bombarded with language and vocabulary,
and even though it might not look like she's truly
(08:36):
taking it all in.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
She is.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Yeah, okay, So speak to it from that perspective as
a speech language pathologist because you have these skills, and
what other things would you tell first time parents about
their kid from that perspective and also being a mom
now that you've had both experiences.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Right, Yeah, I think just truly talking to them constantly,
even if it's just about what we're doing, like talking
to her about changing her diaper, and oh, we're going
into the next room, and here are my dogs and
these are my dog's names, and okay, and now we're
going to go outside for a little bit, and oh
do you see the trees. And we are constantly telling
her about her surroundings, what's going on, interacting with her,
(09:14):
reading to her, because their vocabulary just flourishes when they
are talked to when they are read too. And I
think it's hard at this age because they're not always interacting.
She's just beginning to start to interact with us and
smile at us and stuff, but before there's really not
a lot of interactions. So you're like, I don't need
to talk to them. They're just sitting there. They're not
(09:36):
really interacting with me. But they really truly are. All
of those brain neurons are firing and connecting and they're
trying to make sense of everything, so it really does matter.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Yeah, that's so cool that you have that added layer.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
It's like when you think of somebody being a nurse
and they know you get that extra benefit of the skill,
whereas me, if I ever do choose to have kids,
I'm like, I don't really have anything to help you.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
If you want to speak into a microphone, this is
not gonna be good.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
So but I think to that point also, there's so
much that's innate that you don't realize until you're a mom.
I trust my gut more now than I have ever before.
And people are like, trust your mom gut, trust you
like I don't have one, Like I'm not a mom,
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
What that gut is.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
And people said that to me even during my pregnancy,
and I was like, I don't trust myself yet. But
like as soon as I had her, something in me click,
Something in me changed, So it's like, Okay, I trust
my mom gut. Now I have one, and I know.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
What that's like.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
So I think some of that truly is just innate
and you know what's best for your child and you
do that.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
So is that kind of the mom instinct as well
that all kind of correlates.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
So it didn't click until the moment she was born.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
It didn't for me, and I think probably sometimes people
maybe with pregnancy it does. It didn't for me until
like I had her and then it was like, okay,
I got it.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Now there it is. It clicked and we are here.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Do you ever have to use Google or now I
or anything to answer questions because things happen, I imagine,
and you don't have all the answers.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
All the time, I honestly, like I say it all
the time too, like I don't know how people survived
before Chat, GPT and Google because they're ah same girl,
same that.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
It's a big yon for a little girl that's been
saying this. Here's a lot of our Thanksgiving this week. Yes,
you've heard that a lot. You know.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
She's smiling me right now and it always just melts
my little heart when she smiled.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Yes, you know, we still have both.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Of your parents, sess parents and ours obviously, so they're
great to lean on.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
But again, different experiences.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Yeah, I remind them too, Like that was thirty years ago,
and a lot has changed since then too, even the
way we put babies to sleep, Like they used to
cover us up with blankets and all these things, and
that's a big no. Now you place your baby on
the back, you don't put any blankets in there because
of the risk of SIDS. And so that has changed
in thirty years because we know better, we do better
(12:01):
kind of thing, and so yeah, a lot has changed.
And so I'm so thankful for Google and Chat GPT
because I truly, like, at two am, I can't call
my doctor's office and be like, why.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Is her poop green?
Speaker 1 (12:13):
It just it helps me to be like, hey, that's
actually not a big deal. It's pretty common things like
that that you're like, I don't know who else to
ask this. I'm sure I read it in one of
those books, but I don't know what page it was on.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
Like, because you guys did read a few books before
all this happened.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
I do you feel like any of them really helped
or was it just more preparing you that it helped a.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Lot of it was preparation, and I think the books
I read were more for like pregnancy and what to
expect as like my pregnancy progress, which was really helpful
because it does change a lot and it was my
first time being pregnant, it's for my first time being
a mom.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
But yeah, I would for.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
Any moment, I would suggest reading as much as you can,
because I think that's another thing that I didn't I
wasn't as I don't know, just like prepared for is
that I have zero time to read or do any
of that now. She is all like time consuming in
the best way, and I wouldn't change that at all,
but I'd be like, oh, yeah, I'll wait until I
have her and I'll read. And I'm like, okay, yeah,
(13:12):
you got five minutes. You're not going to read all
of that. Yeah, you're like I have learned.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
You don't have time to shower. You don't even have
time sometimes to wear a clean shirt. Was we were
about to go do something this week for Thanksgiving weekend
and Taylor had just changed, got ready, she took Collins
and hall Its just threw up all on the back
and she's, okay, you gotta go.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Change, do a new shirt. Very mom life, codd it is.
I always wondered about that with the books. You see
everybody gift books to.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
New parents, and I was always just so curious that
they're truly helpful or you know where the boundaries lie there.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Because you can do and consume so much.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
But everything, to my knowledge that you've told me about
is that it all changes when they get here.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
It does, and every baby's different, so like even all
that good advice, like it might work for your baby,
but it might not also, and so I think that's
where it's nice to have search engines too. And it's okay,
this isn't working. Is there any other things I can try? So?
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Or guys, we're doing it with Tommy Time the other day.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Yeah, because she starts she's learned to roll herself over
and they're like, okay, so is it?
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Are we just done? Tommy Time's done? What does that mean?
And I saw, so just get on his phone. It's okay, Google,
I gotta do some research. What's happening? How many time?
Speaker 1 (14:25):
It's not done just because they started rolling, Although that's
a great milestone, but we still have.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Work to do. So it's like, how do we get
her to.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Stay in Tonny Time? But it things like that, like
how else would you know that? Either there's no class,
they don't come with.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
A rule book. No, they do not.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
They don't come with an instruction manual, and so you're
just you're left to figure it out. So God bless
all of our parents that came before us that did
not have tragypt your Google, because they are saints. I
don't know how they did it. And then that just
goes back to that mom and seeing here in that
mom goud of you know what's best for them.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Yeah, and I wanted to talk to you too about
the You talked about the pregnancy a little bit.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
You had such a great pregnancy.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
In moments, but you're also very sick at the beginning,
and then your pregnancy plan went.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Out the window. It did, sadly.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Yeah, And I think some new moms need to hear that,
because I think I've heard a lot of them who
you plan to a tea what you want to happen,
And you had done that, but you also had the
knowledge of some other things, so I did.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Yeah, my first trimesters is pretty sick, just nausea and
stuff like that. I think for a lot of moms
that's typical.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
And then I.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Had a really great pregnancy. I was able to work
out throughout my pregnancy up until the day that we
went in for her induction. We were almost a forty
one weeks when I was induced, and while not ideal,
it was a god wink for me at that point
because as soon as I went in for my induction,
my blood pressure was in the severs, which can be
(15:54):
really bad. For me, the risk is stroke or seizures,
and so I was in me put on magnesium to
prevent that, which for any homes that have been on magnesium, Oh,
it's a wild ride. It was just a rush of it.
I truly thought I had the flu, and so at
forty plus weeks pregnant, the last thing he was being
(16:15):
there and being like, oh no, I feel like I
have the flu. This is great, and so I just
I blew up, like I look at pictures that I
have so much extra fluid and me and everything, And
I'm so thankful for modern medicine because I don't know
what would have happened if we didn't go in I
didn't get those meds. But it was also very scary
at that moment because my pregnancy had been so great
(16:35):
up until that time. So that really changed everything because
my goal was to go without an epidural for as
long as I could and to be able to labor
in different positions. And because I got the magnesium, I
was in bedrid and I couldn't do any of that.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Were there still some things we could do? Yes?
Speaker 1 (16:52):
And my biggest thing is I really truly didn't want
to have a C section. Unless it was medically necessary.
And that's something that I advocated for myself. And for
some moms they want that, and that's great, more power
to them. You can go in and you can have
a baby within an hour, and how amazing is that?
And for some moms they don't have a choice at all.
And so I don't want to ever say the ones
(17:14):
better than the other. Both of them are hard in
their own ways. So it was just what I wanted
and so I did. That was one thing that I
really did advocate for, and that was one thing that
worked out for me. I didn't have to have a
sea section. But did I was my labor in turn
twenty three hours in total?
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Yes? Did I push for almost three hours? Yes? Was
it hard? Absolutely?
Speaker 1 (17:35):
But I would do it all over again in a
heartbeat for the outcome of Collins, And.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
Yeah, you had.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Your pregnancy in general was just a It was a
wild ride. But there was so many moments, I think,
where you were exhausted and you didn't know it was
to come, especially then the baby comes.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
You haven't slept, you haven't really.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Ate, you haven't done anything, and then the baby's here
is oh, you still don't get to eat? Or sleep
or do anything, and it becomes this I feel like
wild tornado for the first however many weeks, and I
don't feel like people talk about that whole much. Yeah,
the labor's intents and you're about to push a baby
out of you, But also what you're not realizing is
you're not going to get to recover after that. No,
(18:13):
you don't just go to sleep for two weeks, make
up for it and bounce back. You now have the
baby right and hopefully you have a really great community
around you that helps you. But gosh, we just don't
talk about those really first few weeks when it's all
happening for the first time and you're still not fully recovered.
I still feel like, even now, you're not fully recovered.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
No, no, And I know that there's I've heard different
things about it takes six months to like up to
a year for your body to fully recover. And Miobi
doesn't even recommend having another baby for eighteen months because
your body takes that long to recover. And we're very
blessed with amazing parents and siblings that.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Help support us through all of that.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
But yeah, it's hard because there's only so much that
other people can do for you. When you're breastfeeding and
you're on a two hour time clock, there's no way
to get good sleep at that point. So those first
two weeks for me was even longer because we're trying
to get her back up to birthway because she did
lose a little bit, and just in general for a
lot of people too. And I was the same way
(19:18):
getting her to latch and learning how to breastfeed again,
that was our first time.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
How do we do this?
Speaker 1 (19:23):
It's hard, And so when you're on a two hour
three hour time clock and it takes thirty forty five
minutes to do.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
That, it's okay.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Now I have maybe an hour left, and so I
am supposed to do all the things I need to
do within that hour.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
So that's just it's difficult.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
And so yeah, I think that you get through it
and you see her cute little face and it makes
it all worth it, even when it's really hard.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Sometimes I was gonna ask you, what are the things
that Collins has done that'll make that moment worth it?
Oh my god, I want to know, like mom perspective,
because I see her and she's so singing cure. She
came out in her little leopard outfit that if you're
watching the video you will see her in, which just
made me smile. But I have to believe there's moments
that you two have gotten to have that have been
(20:07):
made truly that worth it because people say that for sure,
what are the actual.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Moments for sure?
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Like early on, it was like getting her to latch
and knowing that she was getting enough like breast milk wise,
we did a few feedings where my lactation consultant was
able to wait her before and then I fed her
and then weigh her after and like to know that,
like she's happy, content, she was getting enough. Early on,
that was amazing. Lately it's been laughs and giggles and smiles,
(20:36):
like her actually truly looking at us and knowing, oh
my god, she's actually smiling at us. Before they smile
in their sleep or whatever, they randomly smile and you're like,
that wasn't at me, but.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
I still love it.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
But now she will giggle and laugh at us, So
that's been the best so far. And just recognizing us too. Yeah,
like she actually can see a little bit better too.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
But just being around you guys for this past week,
she can very much tell when she is in mom
or dad's arms, like she's happy being in other people's arms,
but mom and dad it makes it all better. And
I think that's probably a cool feeling, yes, that you
are the connection to her that keeps that going. Absolutely
always weak girl, She's like trying really hard to get
(21:19):
fussy on us.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
She's doing so good though we are now Collins List.
She has gone to her father for a little bit.
If you're in the Little.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Crist took us a little break, But I wanted to
talk to you about one of the important conversations around
having kids, and it's really more about the mom because
the mom kind of gets lost and everything, and postpartum is.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
A huge deal. So what has that part of all
this been like for you? For sure?
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Yeah, for me, I've been blessed that it hasn't been extreme.
I would say the hormone rush is very real, and
there'll be points where I will just start crying for
no reason and I'm like, what's wrong with me? And
it's this rush of emotion that I don't remember ever
having before Collins. But other than that, I did get
(22:06):
Bell's palsy, so that was something that did happen postpartum.
To me, and that can contribute to even more depression
and anxiety and stuff. And when that hit, that was
pretty rough because I was four weeks postpartum and very
solid four weeks, half of my face didn't work. So
not only was I trying to still work on breastfeeding
(22:27):
and then eat to sustain breastfeeding, now I couldn't really
eat very well because my face was so droopy that
things were falling out, and I was having trouble just
swallowing and all of those things too. So thankful that
I have had a full recovery from that since then.
But I think when I was in that it was
like a very much Okay, I really hope this gets better,
(22:48):
because well, one my job, I rely on that my
face and my lips and my mouth to work correctly
for my job. And so I was questioning that and
then questioning my ever going to look the same? Already
questioned that when you have changed so much throughout nine
months of pregnancy.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
So now is my face ever gonna look the same?
And so I will say that was.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Maybe a little dip of ooh, are we gonna get
the We're gonna get the baby blues? Here?
Speaker 3 (23:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (23:14):
But I think just like I said, I just I
keep going back to it. I was just day by
day like okay, and I would take videos with my
face to be like, is it getting any better or
is it getting any better? And for a couple of
weeks it really done him. Now we're here and it
did fully recover. So I would say, all in all,
I don't think mine was very extreme, but the doctors
were great about asking and making sure two which I
(23:35):
think I'm thankful because I think before I don't know
that doctor's checked in as much as they do.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Now, they're very aware.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Of it, and they give you and my husband they
gave him things to look for because I think sometimes
like as a mom, you don't see those signs. You're
just like, no, I'm just exhausted, tired, I don't feel
like myself versus somebody from the outside of your husband
or your spouse or whatever, can see those signs and
then say I think these are maybe signs of postpartum
(24:04):
blues or post partum depression.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Well, and it's scary because I think as a mom,
I would assume that you're really just focused on Collins
or your baby and doing the best you can for her.
So you're laser focused. It's not on the self care
you need to do, not that you have time for it, right,
and not that you really have time to eat and
do the things you need to do to keep your
(24:26):
body in a better state.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Right.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Your body's already completely diplenished of all of these things
and you need a lot of different moments, but you
don't have the time. You don't have the patience at
that right, and so it's almost like it's hard and
you at least want to talk about it, so it's
well known and the husbands can step up. And I'm
going to assume that Seth played a significant role to
(24:49):
make sure that you didn't have really deep dips.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
He was there every step of the way and took
over when he did see me getting frustrated or getting
to the point where I was like, Okay, this is
too much. I'm getting overwhelmed, and he would always step
in and was there for me one hundred percent of
the time. I think the other thing that we were
really great about is getting outside every day. That saved us,
and I think it's hard to when I look at people,
(25:15):
it always depends on what time of the year your
pregnancy is and where you live and if that's even
an option. But we were really lucky that we had
her in a fall season where it was beautiful outside
and we were able to get outside every day, even
if it was just for a fifteen minute walk. Sometimes
I could go longer, and some at the very beginning
it was just a little lap around the block. But
just thought fresh air really helped us. And it helped
(25:36):
us to reconnect too, because you don't realize how you're
stuck inside and doing the same thing over and over again,
and just getting outside. And it was great for Collins too,
like she already loves being outside, and I attribute that
to just us getting outside every day when she was little,
and we still do that now. There's some days where
we can't do it, but the majority of the days
(25:57):
we still do well.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
It became a great thing all around for everything, absolutely,
and that's always a cool part of that experience. But
also you mentioned you and Sef being able to connect again,
because that also is a factor in all of this.
A lot of marriages change after having a baby, and
so besides the walks, is there anything else that you
guys have learned to make sure to do to check
in with each other and just make sure you're still
(26:21):
on the same page together.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Yeah, I think the biggest thing for us has been
one just checking in constantly.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Where are you at? Do you need me to take over?
Are you good? Is there anything I can get you?
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Especially when you're nap trapped and you have a baby
on you if you're sitting there for two hours, hey
let me get you something to snack on or drink whatever.
But also reconnecting once we put her down to for bed.
Is that's the time we have a little bit more
time than we do in the day, but just you
know how the day went and how we're feeling. So
that's what we've tried to do so far, and some
(26:53):
days are better than others.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
So well.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
And you guys also have four big dogs, two dobies,
two doodles.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
What has that been experienced?
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Like? There are people that tell me that the relationship
with your dogs changes, And I'm so curious from my
sister who we are massive animal lovers in the same right,
what is the hot take?
Speaker 3 (27:12):
I need the opinion we.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Love them just as much as we did before Collins.
I will say the biggest thing is our patience just
isn't as high with them. That's the biggest thing is
when you have a sleeping baby that you've been working
to get to sleep for a long time and they're
sleeping and they're swinging. And our dogs are great and
they've been exposed to collins and we were always around
(27:35):
them when she's around. But they will sometimes come over
and usually they just sniff, but when they get a
good licking and that wakes her up and startles her.
There is nothing more than irritates you as a parent
when you work so hard to get her to sleep
and now she's wailing and you're like, okay, now we
have to start all the way over yep.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Whereas people without dogs probably don't have that same experience exactly.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
So, yeah, we love them so much.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
And at first it was a transition for them the
first twenty four to forty eight hours, and you were there,
you saw it. It was hard on the dogs. They
were very anxious and just confuse, what is this screaming.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Thing you brought in?
Speaker 1 (28:12):
And we did expose them to baby crying sounds early
just to try to hopefully transition them a little bit easier.
And we had our parents take home a blanket from
the hospital that had her sent on it. So we
did some of those things to help we thought transition,
but those first twenty four to forty hours are still
tricky for them, and it was just navigating a new
normal for them and a new baby. And two of
(28:34):
them are rescued, so I don't know that any of
them have if they've been around babies before. S's dogs
had not been around babies before, so it was just
all new for them. But then I would say after that,
they just have done so great with her, and.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
One of them, one of the Adobies, has turned into
Adobe nanny.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Yes it's Penny. Yeah, we always joke that it's Penny's baby.
It's not my baby, it's one hundred or sent Bennie's baby.
So she will protect Collins at all costs, and yeah,
she loves her like Collins is her own. So it's
great and I'm I'm happy for Collins that she gets
to grow up in a house with dogs because I
(29:13):
think there's so many benefits to that. It'll be a
challenge when she starts walking and crawling and all the
other things, but they've been great so far, so I
don't anticipate that it'll get be any different.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Well, I've been waiting for that answer because everybody.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Does say they call it like the dogic, I think,
or something like that.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Yeah, you haven't.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Gotten that, so okay, Well maybe people are getting the
dog at aren't as big as dog lovers.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
That's the thing.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
I don't know what else this whole pregnancy and having
from pregnancy to now having collins. Are there things you've
learned about yourself that maybe you didn't ever anticipate coming
to fruition.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
In your life? Just how much sleep I need?
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Yeah, like you are already a really sleepy girl. Yeah,
my sister loves her naps. I would get yelled by
if I called her and oh and disrupted a nap
mind you.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
And I was on the allowed to call through.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Things list and I think you removed me from that
at one point because I kept calling during her nap time. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
I just I require a lot of sleep. And I
didn't used to be like that. Like in high school
I could and I'm sure everyone's like, yeah, well, in
high school you can do anything whatever. But as I've
gotten older, I realized, Okay, I'm a seven to eight
hour like night. I need that every night for sleep,
and then I call and said I was like, Okay,
now I don't get that anymore and.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
I need three hours at least hopefully.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Yeah yeah, I think, yeah, that's one thing. And then
I think, just like how much patience I truly have
because a baby takes a lot of patience, that's the thing.
And so with my job, I think that's something I
just have learned.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
I can't leave you on this podcast and people not
answer or want to have answers about our childhood and
stuff like this. So what was it like growing up
as having to take care of your younger sister all
the time.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Do you think that prepared you for having a child?
I think maybe a little bit.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
But what's funny to me is like people that know
of us but don't really know us think that you're older.
And I don't know if it's because like you are
more well known or like why, but I'm like, no,
that's my little sister, and They're like, oh, I thought
you were younger, and I'm like, what made you think that.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
It's also a funny change that has happened is when
I was growing up in high school, I was always
known as Taylor's sister, that was just my name. I
didn't have a name to all of your friends. And
then now in adulthood, she is Morgan's sister.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
Yep, that's been a.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
Funny rose they truly have have.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
But also one of the most special things is sisterhood.
Taylor and I have been so close through majority of
our lives. Once we got through our phase of a
lot of nails and clawing at each other in fights
that we used to have, I would.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
Say, like elementary school, probably. I don't think we were
in elementary school when you push me in the shower. Yeah,
that was a low point. We don't need to talk
about that. No, that's a funny story.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
So this tells me anything about sisters, is that Taylor
and I were in a fight, probably about the fact
that I still were close because I did that.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Often, probably, and then lining about it.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Yeah, and then I'd be like, I don't have that,
and it'd be in my closet somewhere. But we were
in a fight, and we were in the bathroom, and
it wasn't like a WD we push, but she did
push me enough that I fell into the shower and
the whole curtain came down with me, and you just
hear our dad, yell Or, Helene, Nicole, Taylor, Lee, Elizabeth
and government names.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
We knew we were in trouble.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
So Taylor offers her hand, pulls me out of the thing,
and we collectively put the curtain back up.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
And our dad walks in. He goes what just happened?
Speaker 2 (32:45):
But within two minutes before my dad came in, Taylor
looks at me and says, that did not happen. Do
not tell Dad anything. And I, after just being pushed,
I was like, yeah, Taylor, that's fine. I won't say anything.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
So Dad box in, He's like, what just happened? Nothing?
Nothing at all? And I listened to my older sister
after that, we just bumped into it. Nothing happened. Is
that how you remember that story? It was something like that,
something like that.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
But one thing like with you, you would grow your
nails out, like as long as they could be, like
to the point where I'm like, somebody please cut those.
She You would think she did it to make them
look pretty. You didn't make You didn't do that. You
did them so you could claw me.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
There were defense mechanisms if you wanted to, But now
like who has claws?
Speaker 3 (33:34):
And luck? Who does. It always has pretty claus I
have none. I don't use them as clause though I
don't either, not anymore. That was just a tactic. You
had to get what you could get when you were
the youngest in the family. Yeah, pulling hair.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Yeah, I think back on that and it's crazy because
you I look back and I'm like, there were periods
where we did not like each other, but we loved
each other. It is one of those things where I
love you, but I do not like you right now.
And we definitely went through that phase.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
Just says.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
We're twenty two months apart, so we're pretty close in
age two years and a great age gap honestly, because
we weren't super close to where we had all the
same friends, but close enough.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
Were crossover.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
Yeah, not quiet enough, but like close enough where we
still went to school together and we're still on same teams,
we got to be in college together. Things like that
I'm so thankful for. But yeah, we definitely went through
a period of not the best of friends. But then
I feel like once high school hit, it.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Was really about when you went to college was I
think the realization for both of us that was like, oh,
that's my sister, and I want her here now that
she's gone. I don't want her to be gone, right,
for sure, so much just because we were again, you
go through all the same things, and you're two teenage girls.
There's a lot happening there in general. But then it
was like when my sister was gone, I was just
(34:50):
sad because that was my best friend, even still through
the fighting, Like we were still best friends, right, but
you just that's kind of the relationship of siblings.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Yeah, but yeah, when you went to college, everything changed.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
I feel like that's when our relationship exponentially came closer
because I'd go out and visit her when she was
at college. And then when I went out to college
joining the same sorority that she did.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
Most people would be like, wouldn't you want to do
something different?
Speaker 2 (35:13):
Nope, right where Taylor was, we were in the same
sorority together. And then yeah, even moving to Nashville was
really hard. I took that pretty hard, so to Taylor.
So for sure, and still do.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
There's still moments where she's going to move back yet
or yeah, I have a baby waiting for me to
be the living take care of them. Let's go. So
thank goodness, her FaceTime, but it's still not the same.
It's still hard, no, and I'm still trying to get
everybody to move here.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
I've been working on that for a while. I think
I've at least convinced her husband.
Speaker 3 (35:44):
You would do it hard, you would move party. We
have him.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
But yeah, it's such a special thing. Sisterhood is something
that I'm very lucky to have. It's something I know
that you also.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
Sisterhood or sibling hood. I guess you hope for Collins
one day. It was part of your guys's plan.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
So it's I feel really lucky and very just honored
that you're the person that gets to be a part
of my life. We don't get to choose him, but
like this is going to ask for anything more than this. Yeah,
and getting to be collinsant is the new fun thing.
We get to share a middle name. Why did you
guys choose to do that middle name?
Speaker 3 (36:19):
We just loved it, truly, Like it was first we
had looked at doing my name Lee and it just
didn't go as well.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
And it was like, well, Morgan's middle name is Lane,
and we both like we really like Lane, and like,
how cool is it that she gets to share a
middle name with her aunt, like a family name, so
because her first name is not a family name, so
it was like, how do we bring a family name
into this, and it just it worked out.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
So it is funny how that's become kind of the
family name. Yea or Dad.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
He has all girls, he has not become the family name.
So that's because most of the girls are continuing.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
So we're working on that. But Lane has turned into it.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
And I love that I get to share a name
with her, and she's so special and I'm excited to
keep watching you and Seth as parents because it's fun.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
You guys were meant to do this, clearly. Thanks.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
It's cool to be a part of something when two
people really wanted this life so much and now you
guys have it, and that's a cool thing to witness.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
It is.
Speaker 1 (37:19):
Yeah, it's so fun to look back on how much
has changed in a year and something that you pray for.
We are here at this time last year and it
was something we were praying about and now we're here
with her, and how cool is that?
Speaker 3 (37:32):
So a lot can change in a year. A lot.
Speaker 2 (37:36):
Any advice is what we always in the podcast on
is either a piece of advice or inspiration or motivation
or just anything that's on your heart to share it.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
I would say, once you become mom, you just trust
your mom. Gut, you trust your mom.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
And steeks sand you let those take over and do
what's best for you and your baby and blur out
all the rest because everyone has an opinion, everyone has advice,
and take it with a grain of salt and just
do what's best for you. Because if you get bogged
down by all of that, it's overwhelming and it can
be hard to navigate through all of that, and you
(38:10):
wonder you know what's right and what's wrong, and the
truth is like it's probably somewhere in the middle, so.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
That gray areas where everything tends to be for sure.
So we'll tay.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Thanks for sharing everything, Thanks for coming on our first
Sister episode.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
I love you. I have a feeling there'll be more.
I love you too.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
We love all the new mamas and dads out there
just doing their best to be the best parents they
can be for their kiddos. Shout out to all of
you guys. There will be a new episode next week
before we find our way into the new year. It's
another one for the New Moms and Dads with Nurse
Michelle Pool, so don't miss it. Subscribe to the podcast
if you're listening, that's a huge help, and follow the
podcast on Instagram at take this personally, those are the.
Speaker 3 (38:46):
Best Christmas gifts so you could give me. I love
you all so much. Have a merry Christmas and happy Holidays.
Thanks for spending your year with me.
Host
Morgan Huelsman
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.