Birmingham Moms Blog :: Introducing Whitney

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Birmingham 

The summer before college, my aunt invited me to live with her while I worked in Homewood. It would be the first taste of city life for a small-town Southern girl. She pointed out several sandwich shops and boutiques within walking distance and encouraged me to explore during my lunch breaks. Enter SoHo, stage left. City life was such a departure from the small-town, nowhere-to-go life I had been living. 

I was hooked.  

Probably every penny earned at that job was spent on Mama G’s sandwiches (“Momma’s Love” erryday), O’Henry’s lattes, and gorgeous paper goods from Little Owl Bookshop. So much for college savings! 

That was the beginning of what now has been eight years living in the ‘Ham. After four years at UAB and three of work and travel, my status has recently changed from “young and married” to “family of five.” Birmingham has been such a gracious place to welcome three babies. It’s a sweet spot for me — smack-dab in the middle of where I was born and where I was raised (Montgomery, then Cullman). But it also has so many places and people that were crucial to my pregnancy and, now, my life as a mom.

There is a certain common grace about living in the Deep South — something that everyone, regardless of background or religion, benefits from. It’s the friendly smiles from passersby. It’s the door you walk through, held open by a stranger. It’s the unexpected conversation with another mom in the check-out line, who happens to be a member of the same gym as you. Those are things I don’t take for granted for a second. I’m so thankful to live in a city full of new life, new opportunities, and most importantly, plenty of grace for moms like myself! 

Moms

So many women struggle with infertility, and I was one of them. What I thought would be a couple months of trying turned into two long years of waiting and wondering. My infertility journey is a story for another time, but my husband and I were blessed with not one, not two, but three beautiful baby girls! Remi, Rylee, and Ruth Halbrooks were born in April of 2016, and I don’t know how we ever lived without them. 

My little baby ladies are the most snuggly, squishy, precious loves and I have so much fun figuring out life with them! I won’t pretend there aren’t challenges. It’s a challenge to even go on a walk. Changing diapers, dressing, and loading three babies takes so much time and forethought. And then those days when their napping is staggered and I can’t catch a break — whew, those days… 

But then it’s morning, and I slowly open their bedroom door. And those sleepy, smiley faces are all looking at me, saying, “Mama.” And I squeeze those chunky legs and kiss the soft cheeks. And I would never change a single thing. 

I think my most favorite thing about motherhood so far is experiencing the depth of love I have for my children. That love is like nothing else. A good friend once told me, “A mother’s love is gentle and sweet and fierce as a tiger.” She could not have been more spot-on. 

L to R: Rylee, Ruthie, and Remi

Blog

We moms are our own worst enemies.  We desperately need community, grace, encouragement, and love from each other, but we can be so quick to compare, judge, disregard, or discredit. If there’s anything I know from my 10.5 months of motherhood, it’s that mom guilt, isolation, and exhaustion are real, y’all. Momming is HARD.

But it is the most rewarding job of all.

I’m excited to be a part of something that champions that. I hope my words here on Birmingham Moms Blog always build you up in some way. Let’s figure out this motherhood thing together.