Smarty Mom: Laura Gibbs

I’m proud to introduce you all to Laura Gibbs. She’s a long-time follower of Charlotte Smarty Pants and I’m excited to feature her. She is one heck of a working mama, as you’ll see below. She is juggling a family full of boys and work and does it all with a smile. As an outsider, she makes it look so easy. She’s going to share her tips with us and how she manages to tackle it all!

Laura’s Smarty Mom Stats:

• Married to: Rusty Gibbs
• Mom of: Mason (4), and twins Holland and Lane (3 months)
• Years in Charlotte: 13
• Hails from: Born in Miami, FL; grew up in Charlotte
• Occupation: Account Exec at local Marketing Communications firm

Share your pregnancy/delivery story.

With Mason I felt great the entire time and was very active up to the day before I had him. I felt great with the twins as well in the beginning but around 28 weeks there were preterm labor concerns so I was put on bedrest which is pretty common with multiples. I was still able to work from home which saved my sanity during the week – weekends were harder when there was beautiful spring weather outside and I couldn’t take Mason to do fun activities. Between working, housework and taking Mason out and about my husband, was very busy during those months! I guess the bedrest worked though because I ended up getting induced at 38 ½ weeks and the delivery went very well – no C section, no complications, and we were out of the hospital in the usual 48 hours. We do feel blessed with how it all turned out considering there were concerns so early on.

How was your transition back to work?

Well at times I think it may be easier to work than to manage two babies at once! It’s been good but it does take a village – we have a wonderful nanny taking care of the twins and my parents help out with Mason and he’ll be back at preschool soon. It’s pretty tough getting out in the mornings but I’m getting there.

How do you balance newborn twins and a 4-year old?

Um, I’m not sure I’m balancing as much as surviving right now but I really try to have mommy time with Mason every day – we have our sacred time in the evenings after the twins are asleep reading books before bed. And we try to get the twins to bed around 7 every night. We don’t do a lot of cooking these days, and take help from friends and family whenever they offer. I’ve gotten better about accepting help from others. Also if I can get out during my lunch hour, I run errands then – it’s amazing how much a mom can get done in an hour without any kids in tow! I’m sure most people reading this can relate to that.

Are there certain resources you utilize (i.e. Moms of Multiples, etc.)

The CMOMs (Charlotte Mothers of Multiples) site is a great resource. You can post any topic or question and get responses from local moms going through the exact same thing. I happen to work with other moms of twins so it’s great to be able to ask their advice. I also like the emails I get from Babycenter.com – they always have great age appropriate tips and information. And of course charlottesmartypants.com! I read this blog religiously and especially love the weekend activities suggestions.

How do you stay so organized?

I rely on my todo lists – if it’s not on the list, it’s not getting done, and my iphone helps keep me organized too. Trying to get a couple of things done every day helps me from getting totally backed up and overwhelmed with paperwork, pictures, errands or whatever it is I’m trying to get done.

Favorite place to eat with your family?

We really don’t go out with the family much right now but when we do it’s fun to be able to walk from our house in Elizabeth. The Showmars on 7th street is a good choice on Mondays because kids eat free and our oldest loves the balloon animals. Other places we like in our area are Hawthorne’s Pizza, Thomas St. Tavern, Loco Lime, and Kickstand.

Favorite activity to do with your family/kids?

I love to get out of town for a day trip. Some of my favorites are: Skytop Orchard in the fall, Chapel Hill for a football game, the NC Zoo and the Columbia Zoo. Also Greenville, SC has a cute, walkable downtown area with a great park and zoo. I love any beach trip, especially in the Charleston area or Wrightsville Beach. And with the kids being younger, we enjoy getting together with friends for a cookout and letting the kids run wild and play together. When they get older I will look forward to taking them to places like the Whitewater Center and Carowinds.

What’s your ideal date night?

Anywhere that I can have a good glass of wine or craft beer with a nice outdoor area, atmosphere, view, and then a delicious dinner. Vivace and Soul Gastrolounge are two places I enjoy with great views, atmosphere and food.

Something most people don’t know about you?

My first job out of college was at the State Department in DC.

Minivan or SUV?

Well I would love to say SUV but it’s minivan for now. When we found out we were going to have three children, we realized we might have to give in and get a minivan. My husband looked at three row SUVs but ultimately when he test drove the new Honda Odyssey he realized that was what we needed and I have to say it is SO convenient with two infant carseats, double strollers and such. And it’s very nice to drive. Sometimes I’m driving by myself with the music blasting and I feel cool for a minute before I remember I’m in a minivan.

Favorite Smarty phone app?

I probably use the Facebook app the most to see what’s going on with everyone. Sometimes I forget that I haven’t actually spoken to someone in a year! I also use Pandora all the time at home to listen to music.

I could not live without…

My parents who help us out ALL the time, I really don’t know what we would do without them in town. My husband who always has the ability to make me worry less, laugh more, and have fun. My sweet boys’ smiles and voices. Girlfriends, girl’s nights and girls weekends. Vacations. Coffee. Beer. Wine. More coffee.