An Interview with “Real Indiana Housewife” Blogger Jacqueline D.
Tell me more about your family and your blog.
My name is Jacqueline D. I married my high school sweetheart after dating for 6 years. We got married on Halloween, and this year will be our first anniversary. We’re both in our twenties and now we have an amazing three month old baby boy who makes us both giggle and act like complete loonies every day. Recently he found his hands and enjoys eating them and spitting at his mommy.
My blog started as a way for me to find a sense of community in marriage and pregnancy. At the time, I had very few friends to turn to about questions or concerns I was having. I read a lot of mommy blogs, but they didn’t really have a lot of content addressing issues with pregnancy that I was looking for, so I thought, why not start my own blog to connect with other young moms going through the same things as I am.
Now the blog is mostly about me not having a clue what I’m doing, but trying to do this whole mommy thing the best I can.
What has been the most challenging part about being a new mom?
Definitely delivery day. That was brutal. I haven’t written about it yet, mostly because every time I try to, I start crying. Every bad day I have with the baby, I just think back to that day and how scary it all was, and just thank my lucky stars that everything is the way it is now.
What are some of the biggest lessons in motherhood that you have learned so far?
- Ask for help when you need it, and try not to beat yourself up too much for needing people.
- Don’t listen to other people’s stories about pregnancy/deliveries/baby milestones etc., and compare yourself to them. Babies are not a competition, and they all do whatever they want anyways, so just go along for the ride.
- And the biggest thing I’m struggling with now is that, no matter what you do, NO ONE else has to be okay with YOUR choices. It’s YOUR baby. YOU make the decisions. It’s not your parent’s baby, it’s not your doctor’s son, he’s yours. And if you mess up big, it will be YOUR problem. So do and say and teach what YOU want to.
What are some of your favorite baby products?
I love my diaper bag by Petunia Pickle Bottom. I get compliments on it all the time, and I’m not ashamed to say I have a love for that bag that goes deeper than all my purses combined. I like Pampers diapers because they have this awesome blue line when your baby pees, and you don’t have to second guess yourself. I also like any baby toys that can be stopped when you push the button again! And I love Carter’s baby boy clothes. Other than that, I’m a vintage/thrifting kind of baby stuff lover. I’m on the epic hunt to pick up some vintage Fisher Price toys like the old rotary phone and record player.
Do you have any money saving tips and tricks you could share with our readers?
Recently, we got a Costco Card. I’m not too sure how much it will help us in the long run, but it’s definitely a smart idea just for diapers alone. And wipes! Goodness they give you a lot of baby wipes there! Other than that, I think the biggest way we save money on baby things is breastfeeding. Everyone tells you the amazing things it can do for you and your baby’s health, but they really don’t mention the economic advantage of not having to buy bottles and formula. I know that it’s not for everyone, but it’s definitely something to think about.
Are there any other bloggers that you would recommend for our readers looking for mommy advice and inspiration?
Sometimes Sweet is a really cool blog that I like a lot. Danielle has a very adorable little boy, and I definitely look to her blog specifically on boy issues.
Nat the Fat Rat is probably my favorite blog of all time. She’s really the reason I started blogging myself, so that one day she’d read my blog and be my best friend. Not really, but she’s awesome and has a very cute baby boy, whose cheeks look very pinchable.
Letters to Ames is another one that I end up reading a lot late at night. Mostly because she has three kids, all under three years old, two of which are twin girls. If she can get up every day, put clothes on, go to work, deal with babies galore, and blog all in one lifetime, then I can definitely put mascara on in the morning!
Lastly, So Fawned. Desiree Fawn helped me out a lot when I was first started blogging. I had a lot of dumb questions to start, and she answered them all for me. She is an awesome lady with a big heart. I would have quit blogging the day I started if it wasn’t for her, and she can never be thanked enough for helping me out that first week or so.
Contact me anytime I love meeting new people!
Blog: mothermopher.blogspot.com
Email: mothermopher@yahoo.com
Twitter: @mothermopher
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