The Mama Sisterhood Heather Evans

Kaylee Hurt is BACK! To learn more about her journey with her daughter, Kaydee, check out Episodes 11 and 12, but today, she is here to talk about what it's like to raise her daughters on a farm! I learned so much about farm life (pros and cons), and Kaylee has SO much good advice that applies to motherhood, no matter where you live!

In this episode:

- What it's like living on her particular farm and all about calving

- What types of chores her daughters do on the farm

- The lessons her daughters have learned on the farm

- How her family makes memories in different ways than others

- How life on the farm can be incorporated into homeschool, including participation in 4H

Today, I had the opportunity to chat with Shannon Boggs, a mom of three kids 10 and under, one of whom was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes after a scary medical emergency that landed her in the ICU. Shannon also shares about her daughter's service dog, Spy!

This episode includes:

- The story of how her daughter, Raelynn, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes after landing in the ICU with severely high blood sugar

- How Raelynn and her family manage her diabetes, and how Raelynn and Shannon teach other kids not to let diabetes limit them

- How Raelynn came to have Spy, her service dog, and how Spy notices and alerts when her blood sugar is high or low

- How Shannon teaches her daughter to manage her diabetes and tips to avoid kids sneaking food/progressing to disordered eating



You can find Shannon, Raelynn, and their family here:

Tiktok, YouTube, and IG: @ouronederfulboggslife

FB: The Boggs Family

I can't think of a better motherhood story to begin Season 3 than Ina's story today. Ina shares with us what it was like having a daughter, Kirstin, who had a chronic kidney disease, including what it was like to donate her own kidney to her daughter when Kirstin was 5 years old. This episode includes:

- Mom to daughter kidney transplant

- Caring for a child with a chronic illness, attempting to make appointments fun, and including her other children in medical life

- The importance of family and taking care of each other

- Laughter, knitting, finding one's passions, and the importance of being kind and being a friend to those who need it most

It's the Season 2 Finale!



I can't think of a better way to end Season 2 than with the interview I did with Amanda Gurman. You might know Amanda from her podcast Honest as a Mother or from her Honest as a Mother books, where she is the lead author and each chapter is written by a different mom. Amanda shares with us about her struggles as a new mom, including her diagnosis of post-partum rage after the birth of her second child. When Amanda realized there wasn't really a safe place to discuss her real motherhood experience, she created that space with her books, podcast, and community. This interview will have you nodding along and will help you realize that you are not alone.

Amanda's Podcast: Honest as a Mother

Books:

- Honest as a Mother: Personal Essays That Will Make You Feel Like You're Not Alone in Motherhood

- Honest as a Mother - Book 2: Personal Essays That Will Make You Feel Like You're Not Alone in Motherhood Paperback

Today, I have the honor of talking with Heather Avis (author, podcaster, and speaker) about her unique and heart-warming family journey. Heather and her husband have adopted three children, two of which have Down Syndrome. Heather shares honestly about what it was like to have a plan and then to bravely say yes to a path that was definitely not part of this plan. She shares about open heart surgeries, birth family relationships, having a family with people of different races and cultures, and what makes each of her children unique and special.



Heather's books:

- The Lucky Few: Finding God's Best in the Most Unlikely Places

- Scoot Over and Make Some Room: Creating a Space Where Everyone Belongs

- Everyone Belongs (children's book)

- Different - A Great Thing to Be (children's book)



Heather's podcast: www.theluckyfewpodcast.com

Today, I am so excited to bring you my interview with Trina Shockey. Trina had her first son ten years ago, prematurely and through a dramatic delivery. Following her first birth and learning more about what brought on her pre-term delivery, Trina and her husband chose to grow their family further through adoption. Four years into her adoption journey, Trina was able to welcome baby Oscar into her family. She shares all about their adoption process - the good, the challenging, and the surprising. Trina's story demonstrates the uniqueness of each mother's journey and once again, that there are so many ways to make a family.

To learn more about the non-profit company Trina used for her adoption, check out:
www.ccnks.org



You can find my book, Learning to Breathe, at:

https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Breathe-story-micropreemies-defied-ebook/dp/B083S6R3CN/ref=sr_1_1?crid=RUDD8XIP3YUT&keywords=learning+to+breathe+heather+evans&qid=1675870004&sprefix=learning+to+breathe+heather+evans%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-1

You can find my book, The NICU Mama Survival Guide, at:

https://www.amazon.com/NICU-Mama-Survival-Guide-Post-Partum/dp/B09MGJ7RSX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=24Q2C9CKTALJ2&keywords=the+nicu+mama+survival+guide&qid=1675870037&sprefix=the+nicu+mama+survival+guide%2Caps%2C113&sr=8-1

Have a great week!

Heather