It’s Bump Day! I’m so excited to introduce your new Mama Captain today!! She is one of the sweetest, kindest people I know; she is a very talented stylist – both here at SMP, and in her Kentucky hometown – and is one incredible mom. I am so pleased to introduce you to our very own Alyssa Winkler! Alyssa is a young mom of soon-to-be two, and has already had quite a challenging journey into Mamahood…. Â -Carrie J
From Alyssa:
Every mom has a story. Every story looks a little different from one another. As much as you try to plan and prepare for your journey as a parent, you quickly realize that every child is a little different. Things don’t go as you planned, but you quickly adjust and learn.
My journey as “Mama” began on May 27, 2012 at 6:06 p.m. when I gave birth to beautiful, Lydia Anne. Her name means “beautiful grace,” which has been complete evidence of her little story. When Lydia was born, she was extremely cold, purple, and a tiny little thing. The next couple of days in the hospital, she was not nursing well and our final nurse, before being discharged, found a heart murmur. Twenty minutes before being discharged from the hospital, Lydia’s cardiologist discovered that she had a more severe congenital heart defect, called Tetralogy of Fallot. Not only were my husband and I challenged with the journey as new parents, but we were now planning for our new baby to undergo open heart surgery.
Through much prayer, support, and the grace of God, we have journeyed through 2 open heart surgeries, 1 heart catheterization, and many doctors’ appointments the past 17 months. Lydia truly has been such a blessing. Her two surgeries were at 5 months and 12 months. As extremely difficult as it was to see our child undergo such pain, I know that this was God’s plan for her sweet little life. I would have not chosen a different path for my journey through “Mamahood.” It has been difficult, to say the least, but the strength and peace that God continues to give our family has been remarkable.
Lydia’s first open heart surgery is complete.
Celebrating getting to go home from Lydia’s second open heart surgery.
Lydia has grown to be such a high-energy, vibrant, and joyful little girl. As of right now, Lydia is doing great, and will not need another surgery anytime soon. She could potentially need another surgery later down the road, but at this moment, we are enjoying life (if you like, you can read more about Lydia’s Story on my personal blog: Hearts of Delight). We also have another little blessing; Mr. Luke who is expected to arrive on January 15, 2014, but you just never know when those babies will decide to come! We found out we were pregnant with Luke right around the time of Lydia’s second surgery – perfect timing for morning sickness!
Thankfully, I have not been terribly sick, so that I can keep up with my little Energizer Bunny. My journey as a mom has been a little crazy and fast-paced so far, but I would not change it one bit!
So. Now you know a little about my story as a Mama, and I can’t wait for you to journey with me, and my ever-growing baby bump, on this adventurous road of Mamahood!
Lydia, Luke, and I enjoyed a fun little photo shoot to formally introduce ourselves; here’s my little growing family!
28 weeks Baby Luke is starting to poke out. Wearing a French Connection dress, Very Volatile Boots, and everything else is from Apricot Lane Boutique.
“Wild Woman, Lydia”
You have to work quick to capture a smile like that!
I love styling Moms in every season of life. It’s so fun, and keeps things interesting! Life is ever-changing, and so is fashion! We, as Moms, need to keep looking fresh, fabulous, and put together. Loving our children is a first priority, but we can’t lose sight of ourselves along the way! I’m excited to (hopefully) lend some fashion inspiration, and help along the way, as we navigate Mamahood together….
-Alyssa (soon-to-be Mama of 2)