Birmingham Moms Blog :: Introducing Haley

Birmingham

Birmingham has been home for me my entire life, except for my four years in Tuscaloosa bleeding my parents’ bank account dry on higher education, happy hour, and sorority snaps. Growing up, living in Birmingham as an adult would have been a fate worse than death. You are always more interested in wings than roots when you’re younger. However, being away from my family in college made my heart ache for the stability of being close to my support system, and I’m incredibly happy I followed my instincts to come home after school. Birmingham has been an incredible place to grow my career, my social circle, and most importantly, my family, in the last ten years. The sense of community in Birmingham is everywhere you look — from the unrivaled philanthropic giving to the endless list of community events, Birmingham is the proverbial arms-outstretched, give-me-a-hug, let-me-know-what-I-can-do-for-you friend everybody needs. That undercurrent of hospitality and eager willingness to help is what makes being a mom in Birmingham less intimidating than I think it is in most big cities. The revitalization of downtown has also been an opportunity to reconcile that longing to live in a hip, happening city while remaining close to my safe zone of Sunday school, college football, and momma ‘n ’em. 

Moms

Life clicked into focus September 2nd, 2014, as I stared into the silly plastic tub they put your baby in after delivery and my daughter, Presley, stared right back at me with a “What are you waiting on, lady? Pick me up!” look that I couldn’t resist. So I held her for a year. Solid. The first baby is a blur in every sense of the word because you’re clueless, scared, and so in love you can barely perform basic human function. My second baby, my smiley, easy-going son Knox, has been a much different experience. You’re just as in love as with the first, but you can enjoy their babyhood so much more when you know they aren’t going to spontaneously combust if you don’t pick them up the second they make eye contact. Watching my children fall in love with each other since Knox was born on August, 9th, 2016, is truly one of my greatest accomplishments. 

My daughter is a force of nature. If her body language and facial expressions are any indication of what’s going on in her little head, she’s a complex creature. Affectionate and outdoorsy, polite and determined, girly and athletic, she’s a beautiful mix that constantly amazes me. 

My son is much more straight forward. Content, giggly, ambitious, and easy to please, he is every parent’s dream child. Every day he makes his rounds to make sure we each feel special and loved. His affinity for his sister is swoon-worthy. He knows exactly what to do to make your day. 

The thing I love about being a mom is that no matter what kind of day you’re having, there will be a moment with each of your kids that redeems you. It may be small or may even look meaningless to the outside world, but every single day, I have an interaction with my children that brings me joy. It goes without saying that motherhood is hard, but it is also the only thing that is the cure for the problems it causes. Watching as they grow is a remarkable honor. To essentially be the conductor of their little lives is a privilege I approach reverently and delicately. I wasn’t around children much before I had my own, and it dumbfounds me daily when they do something they couldn’t do the day before. I guess I should give them more credit, but seriously, the first time my daughter, at two and a half years old, put together a sixty piece puzzle by herself, I called the pediatrician because I was so freaked out. 

In the grand scheme of motherhood, I’m clueless. But in our little world, I know more about those two tiny humans than anyone else. That makes me an expert. That makes me proud. 

Blog

I’ve always been a fan of words and stories. So much so, I fancied myself a pretty fantastic liar growing up … not with malicious intent, just because I could construct a more appealing alternative narrative. Once I learned to harness my powers for good, writing has been a passion of mine. It’s always come easy for me and the older I get, the more I enjoy the timekeeping aspect of documenting our lives. 

On December 27th, 2016, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. After further testing, I found out my cancer had spread to my bones, and I henceforth joined the elite club that is Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer warriors. Although I don’t recommend getting cancer, it has honestly been a blessing of perspective and urgency to love others and enjoy life to its fullest. People have encouraged me to blog about my cancer journey and I just can’t be that invested in cancer, so I think being a contributor for Birmingham Moms Blog will let me focus on the things I’m most proud of while still being able to talk about those things through the lens of my individual circumstances.