Jennifer Voorhees

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

Sleep, snooze, slumber, shuteye, logging the zzzz’s. However you say it, I’m not getting it. I love talking with other women about new mommy things and when they tell me their child has been sleeping through the night for a few months, I enthusiastically say, “that’s so great” but secretly want to inflict a decent amount of pain. I really can’t be upset about it though. We’ve done it to ourselves.

Sleep training was something I heard about but never thought I really needed. Come to find out, we were the ones that were being sleep trained, not our daughter. Our “oh crap” moment was the night we put her down and walked out. We grabbed the monitor and watched her roll over, start crying and then looked at the door. She did this, repeatedly until we would go in, pop her pacifier back in for her and put her back in her original sleep position. It was a merry-go-round. Flip, cry, watch, paci, rinse and repeat. We talked to daycare and they assured us she wasn’t doing this at school. We were being bamboozled by a seven-month old.

I’m a planner by nature. That’s just who I am and what I do…for a living and otherwise. During my pregnancy, I loved knowing what to expect by reading and signing up for every single newsletter. I took all the pre-labor classes and gabbed with other expecting moms, comparing notes. Despite all the planning coursing through my milkshake-laden blood, I just could not bring myself to do a birth plan.

The thought of the birth plan just seemed ridiculous to me. Is it realistic for my husband stop the chaos of labor and say, “now – just hold on a second, let me reference your laminated birth plan. Section 4b clearly states you do NOT want an epidural.” I mean really.

I love what I do. I work at a local ad agency and get to work with some amazingly talented people, all while having a blast. It’s always changing and challenges me in different ways. That being said, as of January 12th this past year, I got a “promotion” to the best gig in the world – being a mommy.

I was fortunate to take nine weeks at home to bond with, care for and love her with all my attention focused solely on her. As my nine weeks neared its end, I came to grips with the new reality that the money tree I planted in the backyard wasn’t blooming and I needed to return to work. There were a few steps I took to help me get acclimated to coming back to work full time.

I’m excited to introduce everyone to Stephanie Glickman. She is one of the first mommies I met out and about during my maternity leave that helped initiate me into the NuMama Sorority. Recently, she volunteered to become President of our neighborhood HOA and to help shape the experiences in our ‘hood. Let’s get to know Stephanie and her family…and keep reading for a fun surprise!

Smarty Mom Stats:

Married to: Todd
Child(ren): 1 daughter, Taylor
Years in Charlotte: 2
Originally from: Syracuse NY
Occupation: Clinical Director/LCSW

We are coming up on the official start of summer and that means fun in the sun and time to sport our casual and cute apparel. That being said, when you’re expecting, it can be challenging to take advantage of the trends. Our friends, Natalie and Casey, at Buttoned Up Style, a style consultation firm in New York City are here to help us navigate the ins and outs of summer fashion. They have highlighted some of the hottest summer trends and how to translate them to preggo-approved wear. There are so many super-chic stores (physical and online) to help you look your best while you boost your belly.

The first trend that is all the rage is color blocking. Using bold pops of colors is a great way to draw the eye in to certain areas. This trend is also helpful for post-partum fashion, as you can use darker colors to help make certain areas appear smaller. You can mix bright tops, like this Gap Pure Body Tank with a pair of colored jeans or a colored maxi skirt. With the summer heat and humidity fast approaching, maxi skirts and dresses are a must!

I love breastfeeding. This is my time with my baby and nobody can have this time with her but me. In preparation for breastfeeding, there are endless classes and books on how to master this activity. The benefits of it, for both you and your baby, are numerous. All that being said, what you don’t learn from the classes and books are the follies of breastfeeding.

I’ve been breastfeeding for four months now and have had experiences that I’m sure some women can relate to, while others will probably not admit to even if they are true.

Welcome to NuMama sorority. My acceptance date was last Mother’s Day, when a little plus sign showed up on a white stick. Much like a college sorority, I find that I instantly have a network of new acquaintances and friends – all because I became pregnant and have a baby.

You may first notice the presence of NuMama when the lady scanning your items at the store gives you a smirk when you purchased the pregnancy test. That’s followed by you smiling at a very expectant mommy in the waiting room of your OB’s office, while you wait for the good news to be confirmed. Then as your belly grows, other women, many complete strangers, approach you and ask the questions that never seem to get old: When are you due? What are you having? Is this your first? It’s a mini-interview with those “sisters” that have been through the whole process before (or, those that are going through the initiation process with you.)