The first week of April has come and gone… it was full of wonder, fresh air, birdsong, flowers in full bloom, creativity, restful moments, spaciousness and tender, loving, care. Spring was never a season I was in love with. For me, it always meant inconsistency. The weather during my birthday could never be guaranteed. It felt as though was always robbed. At least that was my perspective, then. Instead of leaning into what was present, I resisted it.

Now, it signals that nature inevitably ebbs and flows. Spring is an invitation for change your pace daily. Spring is an opportunity to appreciate transitions. An invitation for us to take pause, go inward and take inventory. The question that inevitably comes up is, “what wants to be brought to life?” Perhaps it is something that comes with a straightforward answer. Perhaps it’s something that you let marinade and watch what inevitably emerges. Slowly emerges. Because what is meant to be brought to life will be brought to life through a series of circumstances that invite you into slow action.

Your life force is being brought back to life in the spring as its energy was in a state of holding, keeping, in the cold and dry winter months. This month asks us to permission ourselves to the possibilities that life and God have to offer. April asks for gentle noticing. This is the month where you say yes to yourself, without pressure or productivity.

This month feels like a garden that is getting adequate sunlight in my body. Spring has absolutely grown on me. I’ve become quite fond of it. Could it possibly be my favorite season?

Trusting Emergence

This month’s theme is trusting emergence. Let things come without forcing them open. Let your energy arrive in small waves. Let clarity take its time. Not everything needs to be decided in the same season it begins.

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Before anything else, let this be a pause…

A moment to arrive exactly as you are, without catching up or making sense of it all. The month has carried its own weight, its own tenderness, and now we’re at the edge of it together. Consider this a soft place to land. A chance to notice what your body is holding, what wants to be acknowledged, and what you’re ready to set down as we gently turn the page.

If you’re reading this with a mug nearby, a candle flickering, or a blanket pulled just a little higher around your shoulders, then you’re exactly where you’re meant to be. Ideally with a hint of sunlight.

This is our little pause.

A soft exhale at the end of the month.

A place to gather the pieces before we step into whatever comes next!

What This Month Felt Like

March felt like a handwritten letter instead of a text. A turning of a page, without rushing. Starting anew. It felt like a breath of fresh air (quite literally). It felt like a moment to come back to myself as my first postpartum cycle returned. An invitation to be still despite the seasons changing. A quiet simmer instead of a rolling boil. Nap-time stillness wrapped in unfinished thoughts (story of my life!). Crumbs on the floor. Dishes in the sink. Choosing to be present with my baby despite the mess. A deep exhale I didn’t realize I was holding onto. A window cracked open during a gentle rain. March felt like a slow unfurling for all that is to come. I leave March warm, full, and complete.

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Thank you God for another year of life.

Thank you thank you thank you a million times over. Tears filled my eyes. Joy filled my heart. It is because of Him that I am here. Without Him, I am

nothing. An empty vessel.

It is because of Him I am the woman I am becoming. It is because of Him I am the mother I am.

It is because of Him I am the wife I am.

It is all because of Him.

Society has engrained this idea in us that the older we get, the less we matter. So I clung onto youth as much as possible. Until I realized I only became wiser, more radiant and learned to savor the stillness that came with aging. What a privilege. While I am by no means “old”, I am older. And I feel more alive at 33 than I did at 23.

At 23, I was in the depths of a health crisis. Uncertain of a way out. Searching for answers through trial and error. The pain was chronic and I was looking outwards, instead of within.

I was so young and was never taught how to pause and notice. To be with the silence that is God. Something I hope to teach my daughter. God has a plan, always, so all of this was a part of my journey. But my health was broken and I never prayed to God for help. God eventually led me down a spiritual path and asked me to let go of the toxicity that was weighing me down.

Psalm 38:3–4

“Because of your anger, my whole body is sick;

my health is broken because of my sins.

My guilt overwhelms me,

it is a burden too heavy to bear.”

Psalm 38:8

“I am exhausted and completely crushed.

My groans come from an anguished heart.”

Psalm 38:18

“But I confess my sins;

I am deeply sorry for what I have done.”

When I rid myself of the toxicity, breath returned to my organs. Vitality came effortlessly. I didn’t have to “try” so hard to be healthy. God designed our bodies to heal themselves through Him. I could stop striving and begin softening. I felt closer to Him than ever before. The Holy Spirit was as close as my breath.

This time last year I was holding my newborn baby, healing, while my mom & husband sang happy birthday to me.

Here I am today. 33. Healthy. Tired. Alive. Radiant. Whole. More creative and connected than ever before. Because that’s what motherhood does — it reminds you of your inner artist if you pause and listen.

Our morning was filled with messages and calls from loved ones remembering the day I entered this world 33 years ago. Then a romantic breakfast for my baby and I as she babbles “bababa”. Scrambled eggs with peppers, onions, mushrooms with a sprinkle of dill with homemade ancestral chicken sausage and lemon poppyseed cottage cheese pancakes with homemade strawberry jam and a dollop of vanilla Skyr yogurt. Always adding whimsy wherever we can. 🪄

Afterwards, I indulged in a hot cup of this herbal coffee (code KIARARAMADAN) with a frothy maple cinnamon milk layer on top. I sipped slowly while my baby played next to me. I look out across the rainy streets, feel my breath, and continue to find Him in the small mundane moments.

Like on our stroll this afternoon. Where we noticed the trees slowly coming to life despite the slight chill that is still here. We’re eager for consistent warm weather but nature has its own pace. Its own rhythm. Just like the greying dog we passed by, moving at his own pace. Seasons are not linear. The days are not linear. A reminder that we too are not linear.

I felt nothing but joy in my heart all weekend. It feels easier to be present to life these days because life is so rich. I can safely say this has been the year yet… and it is just the beginning. 💛

I write this as my baby lays next to me. Asleep. Nursing. When I became a mom, I didn’t think I would still be here, beside her, at this age.

I can both love it and also wish I could use this time to do something for myself. I’ve accepted it and even leaned into it. I’ve learned to honor this time to do something that satisfies my hunger to create as mothers are artists too. So I write. Or rest. One cannot exist without the other. I try to consume very little as this leaves me deflated by the end of her nap and my cup is drained. Writing leaves me with a sense of fulfillment.

I didn’t think a lot of things would happen as they unfolded. I, like other moms, had a different vision in mind. A vision we would have hoped for. A vision that was picture perfect in our minds.

And that’s why God gifts us different circumstances. For our growth. To stretch us. To build our capacity. It isn’t what I asked for, but it was what I needed.

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While I’ve let go in so many ways, and I don’t recognize the woman I once was, I still find her creeping in from time to time.

“Must get the laundry done now or it will linger in the back of my head”

“I need to cook because if I don’t now I will have to order food and I don’t want to do that”

“I need to clean because I can’t relax until I do”

While it may not be that extreme, it usually has a similar flavor. The sense of urgency. Feeling the tension building and building. Feeling like I could explode at any moments notice.

Until I pause, and look at her.

Instant relief swarms my entire being. If only I could carry this feeling with me all day.

Lately, I’ve been pondering how the heck I am supposed to be a mother, a homemaker, a wife, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. How am I supposed to give these my 100% undivided attention at all times?

I’ve learned it is impossible and I am not meant to. Each day brings something new (especially in early motherhood) and I’m being asked to surrender multiple times throughout the day.

My husband tells me to sit back and relax all day (God bless him) — his inner masculine simply wants my inner feminine to receive his leadership. Unfortunately that is not the reality of our days while he is away at work (especially with a 1-year-old now). Nor do I want it to be our reality. It truly does bring me joy knowing I’m providing for my family by nourishing our bellies, caring for home and raising our beautiful daughter.

I’m learning. I’m learning my job is to first love, then manage.

That means, pausing the task at hand and dropping down to my knees and looking deep into my daughter’s light brown eyes and giving her my undivided presence.

I remembered how I feel and how the home feels are far more superior than anything else. So if that means the laundry hasn’t been touched since yesterday, the kitchen needs cleaning, the toys are scattered everywhere, then I’m fulfilling my role as mama well.

That is what this season is about. And throughout the day I hear God whisper “lean in”. So I do. Sometimes I resist initially but eventually I do.

Because I remember how fleeting this season is. I picture myself wrinkly and grey and how I much I will yearn for this season over and over again.

If you’re in a similar season and often find yourself thinking of all the tasks you have yet to complete and are wondering how you will… you’re not alone.

Matthew 6:34

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

As I’ve been creating a more intimate relationship with God, I find myself praying 1, 2, 3+ times a day. I’ve always wondered how prayer works. Growing up it seemed like another task. When I became a mom, it is something I felt led to do. The more I pray, the closer I become to Him, the more I realize I am nothing without Him.

When I feel overwhelmed, I gently whisper:

“Lord, this feels like too much for me right now.

Help me carry only what belongs to today.

Give me Your peace and Your strength for this moment.”

Amen.

Let Him be your rock, your anchor, your friend, your savior, your Father.

Big hugs from afar.

Kiara 🤎

It came about through a curry craving I had and kept ordering from the same spot but wondered if I could make it at home.

I began experimenting and to my surprise, found it even yummier than takeout.

I love enjoying this meal on a cozy, rainy afternoon with plans of absolutely nothing afterwards aside from resting and digesting.

I hope you do too.

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“Not yet” I wish I could say. But my body pulls together the little energy it has and somehow says okay, let’s do this. I open my eyes to see my baby grinning at me.

Everything else melts away. She is everything.

I kiss her a million times before unzipping her and taking her diaper off to sit on her potty. I sing 5 songs for her while she goes:

Twinkle twinkle

Itsy bitsy

Somewhere over the rainbow

Happy birthday

ABCs

Then we finish getting her ready before tending to myself. I need to keep her occupied so I can use the restroom. After 1 minute of playing with her toys she’s off to find me with success!

I surrender and finish my morning routine with her. This is our new rhythm after all. As badly as I would love some alone time, I remember these are the moments I’ll deeply ache for when I’m wrinkly and grey. I admire her as I finish brushing my teeth. I feel her getting bigger. I see her growing right before my eyes.

It’s 40 minutes later. “How did that take so long?” I think to myself. It’s time to begin the kitchen chaos. I have her on my side because God forbid I set her down. I get stuff out of the fridge. Mise en place. Then I set a kitchen utensil on the floor with her to play with. Aha - it works! For 5 minutes. Halfway through cooking, I pick her up again. Doing as much as I can with her on my side. Until I need to set her down again. I would put her in the carrier but all she wants to do is pull my hair.

Then I somehow find myself dreaming. Wishing for someone to come help me. Should we hire help again? I go back and forth until I finish cooking and think to myself, that wasn’t so bad was it? I can do this.

We sit down together. She’s learning so much. She shakes her head when she doesn’t like something. She signals “more” and “all done”. Everything she does leaves me warm and fuzzy. The love I have for this tiny creature is immeasurable.

After trying to eat as slowly as possible, it’s time to clean up. We’re both fed and satisfied. She’s content in her chair while mommy cleans up and even dances for her baby. Baby smiles. She loves it.

Now what do we do I wonder? We need to go outside. So we do just that. We stroll for as long as she’ll let us. This is when I dream and long for the days when we will one day have land so we can bask in the sunshine barefoot. I know those days are coming, God willing.

I see her yawn and begin to rub her eyes. That’s my cue. Time to sleep. I go back and forth whether I should sleep too. Part of me really wants to. The other part feels a sense of urgency to create. To work on something. Sometimes I nap, sometimes I create. I do my best to listen to what my body is asking of me.

I take pleasure in whatever those two hour naps let me do.

My husband and I are living with my mother. Gosh, it has been such a gift for my husband, myself and my daughter. Read more in this post. We moved in with her to avoid resigning a lease in order to buy our first home together. So this is temporary, however — we now want to bring my mother with us because we love having her around that much. And culturally, taking care of our parents as they grow older is a must.

So my husband & I have been on the hunt for homes. Casually looking since we are in no rush. We’ve always been exploring the idea of buying land and building our own home. As my husband is a general contractor, we’d have the manpower to do it. However, that doesn’t mean it would be a piece of cake. It would add a lot to our plates and it would be at least a 2 year process.

The other day he asked me if I was set on building. I said yes… and in that very same moment a house in our desired neighborhood popped up.

Could it be…?

A traditional colonial house from the 80s sitting on an acre with no HOA & 1 minute away from our friends.

This is it.

Maybe we don’t need to build after all and we are meant to renovate. This is my husband’s wheelhouse!

The next day he drove to the open house. Fell in love and even got butterflies. We knew we had to move quickly. And so we put in an offer that very same day.

& now we wait.

And wait. And wait. And wait. And pray, heavily.

Oh and… we had just learned there were 3 other offers on the table.

Oh, the anticipation. Meanwhile, I was already envisioning my baby crawling all over the living room, all the meals made in that kitchen, watching my chickens through the kitchen sink window, tending to my garden, all the family gatherings we would host there, & all the updates my husband was already planning for our family.

This was more than just a house. It was years of dreaming coming to life.

It was absolute perfection.

And there it was —

“The seller chose a higher offer with no inspection”.

We couldn’t beat that.

So here I am, writing, heartbroken. Allowing these feelings to be. To not make them wrong. To not force gratitude for what I already have right away. I’m letting myself mourn what I thought would be.

Because I already know:

What is for us will not miss us.

We are moving closer to what is for us.

Someone else’s dream is coming true.

It’s on someone else’s timeline. Not ours. And that’s okay.

It’s in these moments when our faith can be easily shaken. When we can lose our trust in God. When we can begin to wrestle with Him. Questioning Him. Doubting Him. Because we think we know what is best for us. When His plans will always work out better than we could have ever imagined. And just like every other circumstance in my life where I initially felt disappointed or heartbroken, it’s always turned out better than I could have imagined.

I mean look at my life now —

Married to the most incredible man I only met 2 years ago (on a blind date)… about to celebrate a year of marriage!

Living life with our most perfect baby girl who is almost 1! 😭

Creating core memories that will last a lifetime.

I only have God to thank for all of it. We are beyond blessed.

Farewell to Merle Dr. May you hold a lifetime of memories for another family.

Cheers to the unknown & living for the here and now.

There are mornings now when I wake up and hear my baby laughing in another room.

Not crying.

Not calling for me.

Laughing.

And for a split second, my body does something I didn’t know it could do in early motherhood.

It softens.

Because I know she’s with my mom.

Someone else is holding her. Someone else is…

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A gentle guide for the in-between season

February arrives quietly.

No fireworks. No clean edges. Just the slow loosening of winter’s grip and the body asking for patience.

This month often lives in the nervous system as holding. Holding warmth. Holding emotions that haven’t found language yet. Holding the baby. Holding yourself together while something ins…

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Hi, my friend 🤎

Before anything else, let this be a pause…

A moment to arrive exactly as you are, without catching up or making sense of it all. The month has carried its own weight, its own tenderness, and now we’re at the edge of it together. Consider this a soft place to land. A chance to notice what your body is holding, what wants to be acknowledged…

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I want to speak to your body first.

The one that may startle at every sound.

The one that hasn’t fully unclenched since birth.

The one that learned a new definition of alertness overnight.

Early motherhood lives in the nervous system long before it reaches the mind.

You can love your baby with a depth that surprises you and still feel rattled, hollowed out, or unfamiliar to yourself. You can feel profound tenderness while your body hums with vigilance, scanning, listening, bracing in the background. This is not a personal failing. It is biology meeting responsibility.

Your system has reorganized itself around keeping someone alive.

No one prepares us for how physical this is. How the days are shaped by cortisol and oxytocin, by fractured sleep and constant touch, by the way your shoulders never quite drop. How your body becomes a listening device. How rest feels shallow even when you lie down.

If you feel overstimulated, it makes sense.

If you feel tearful without a clear reason, it makes sense.

If joy comes in brief flashes rather than steady waves, it makes sense.

You are not doing motherhood wrong. Your nervous system is working overtime.

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There is a quiet grief that can surface in these early months.

Grief for the body you inhabited before.

For the ease of moving through a day without being needed every few minutes.

For the self who could follow a thought all the way to the end.

Missing her does not mean you regret this life. It means you remember yourself.

Your body remembers too.

Sometimes the love is instant and consuming. Sometimes it grows slowly, alongside exhaustion and doubt. Both are normal. Attachment is not a feeling you perform. It is a process that unfolds as your system learns safety again.

If you feel numb some days, it may be protection.

If you feel irritable, it may be depletion.

If you feel like you are disappearing, it may be because so much of you is being used.

You are allowed to name that.

Early motherhood asks you to live in a state of near-constant giving, often without enough recovery. But you are not meant to survive this by overriding your own signals. Hunger, tension, resentment, longing. These are not inconveniences. They are information.

Tending to yourself is not something you earn after the baby sleeps better. It is part of how your system learns it is safe again.

A few minutes of quiet.

Warm food eaten slowly.

Being held without needing to speak.

Letting someone else take over while your body settles.

These are not luxuries. They are regulation.

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You are not failing your baby by honoring your limits. You are teaching their nervous system what steadiness feels like. Babies learn safety not from perfection, but from repair. From a mother who can come back to herself, again and again.

You are not meant to be endlessly grateful, endlessly calm, endlessly available. You are meant to be human inside a demanding season.

To the mothers in the early days.

The ones counting weeks instead of years.

The ones awake when the world is quiet.

The ones wondering if they will ever feel like themselves again.

You will not always live in this level of intensity. Your body will find more ground. Your breath will deepen. Your sense of self will return, altered but intact.

You are allowed to be changed without being consumed.

You are allowed to ask for help without explanation.

You are allowed to rest in the middle of becoming.

May your nervous system feel supported, not judged.

May your body be treated as something sacred, not expendable.

May you remember that you are still here, even now.

Right there with you 🤎

Kiara

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But what if that’s not true?

What if your baby has been communicating all along and we just haven’t been taught how to listen? Although this wisdom is ancient.

What Is Elimination Communication (EC…

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And when I say zero time — I mean it. I am choosing to do things this way; sleeping with her, exclusively breastfeeding, SAHM, etc. and I wouldn’t have it any other way. And I am also allowed to feel a little touched out sometimes. But I have trained my nervous system to savor the tiny moments I do get to take care of myself even with my baby right next to me. And when I do actually have moments to myself because my mom or husband are home (or if I somehow magically slip away before she’s up), I drink it upppp — guilt free.

With this year being all about simplifying my life, I knew I couldn’t bring all the things I once did in my maiden years to motherhood. So I narrowed it down to the Big 3. And it always comes back down to the big question I ask myself throughout the day: “what would support us most in this very moment?”

I get to choose 3 things. That’s it.

That is so I do those things with intention, and without hurry trying to fit it all in because that is missing the point. My daughter isn’t only picking up on what I am doing — she’s also picking up on how I am doing said thing.

My big 3 are:

• Sunlight

• Movement

• Nourishment

Anything else is a bonus. And that makes me feel like a million bucks.

So this is what my rhythm looked like today, because every day is different and being flexible is key.

Before the sun rises

If I’m up before my daughter (and well-rested, by some miracle), I will slip into the bathroom, light a candle and drift away into my morning rhythm.

But if she wakes up while I’m doing it (that’s okay! I remind myself it’s biologically normal for her to wake up if I’m no longer close), I bring her in with me! I stand on my vibration plate, brush teeth, tongue scrape & do my skin care.

And again, it’s not what I’m doing necessarily, it’s how I’m doing it.

I’m present.

I’m soft. (I’ve learned to soften into this even though it’s so different than what it was before baby)

I’m taking in the scene through my senses. Freeze framing if you will for later remembering. I think to myself “oh how lucky am I to be at home with my daughter doing this.”

These are the memories I’ll look back on & smile with gladness.

After skincare — Gua sha. I love this stone so much I’ve been using it for years. Gua sha has been a staple in my morning rhythm for a decade now and I can say with certainty it DOES make a difference when you don’t rush through it.

See?! Face feels lifted and eyes feel brighter. The Gua sha + vibration plate combo is chefs kiss.

Morning Sun

This is a non-negotiable for both of us. After I put her on the potty we both get the morning light in our eyes by opening our balcony door and gazing for a minute or so. I leave the door open for a little bit to let in the fresh air. I’ve been doing this since she was a baby (and before, solo) and I really do believe it’s why her circadian rhythm has been rock solid this whole time. In the warmer months, we will expose more of our skin to the sun. I’m eager for those days!

Movement & Bonus Items

After being on the vibration plate for 15 minutes while my daughter takes every little thing off my vanity to put into her mouth (she’s safe, don’t worry), I choose ONE thing to do while she’s next to me or playing with something else in the vicinity.

Here’s why I don’t feel guilty about doing so:

She’s watching me. She’s learning. I’m doing things I want her to do with me one day.

• Like reading.

• Journaling.

• Stretching in front of the red light.

• Praying and reading the Bible

I don’t take forever to do this and I only choose ONE of the above because let’s be real! I do only have so much time before she’s climbing on top of me (which is fine too!).

Nourishment

Once my time is up, we head to the kitchen to energize. I pour myself a glass of OJ with some salt as I prepare breakfast.

Today was sourdough avo toast with chili flakes, salt and honey, cottage cheese eggs and chicken sausage.

It ain’t glamorous but it crosses off all my wants and needs in a meal:

✔️ 30+ g of protein

✔️ healthy fats from ghee, tallow or butter

✔️ fiber (from avocado)

✔️ minerals

✔️ simple

✔️satisfying

& that’s all I’m about these days.

I usually have her on the floor crawling around taking things out of cabinets while I cook but on this day, she wanted to nurse in the carrier (an art I’ve mastered).

When breakfast is over, I’ll make myself a fun bevvie. I’m using my new favorite Pique Nandaka (affiliate link for 20% off!). I don’t know if any new moms experienced this — but I stopped liking coffee during pregnancy. I know crazy, right. I think I realized I love the ritual of making a cozy drink more so. And it makes me feel even better when the drink contains beneficial nutrients and adaptogens! I stir with collagen, honey, salt and frothed milk with cinnamon to top. Mmmmm, it’s just so divine. It tastes like a chocolate chai.

Once breakfast is over I put baby on me or in the stroller and head for a brisk walk in the sun, no matter how cold it is (so long as it isn’t super windy). This is essential for both of us!!!

And just like that, it’s time for sleep again! I usually try to rest my eyes during this time if i’m not working on something and my energy feels okay. I always take an afternoon siesta with her (her 2nd nap). I’ve found this is necessary for myself and everyone else around me! 😅

There you have it! A glimpse into our mornings. My prayer is that this maybe inspired to you to indulge in something small to care for yourself. Take pleasure in whatever it is and let your baby see you too. You don’t have to be away from there to savor the sweetness of life. In fact, having them there makes it sweeter.

Let me know in the comments if you did and what you’re incorporating into your morning rhythms! I would love to know. 🥰

The week loosens its grip, the noise recedes just enough, and what we’ve been carrying rises to the surface. For mothers, that surface is often layered with longing.

Who was I before? Who am I becoming now? When will I feel like myself again?

Jesus’ words return to me often in these quiet spaces:

“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”

For a long time, I thought this verse belonged to the extraordinary moments of faith: big risks, bold obedience, dramatic surrender. But motherhood has taught me that most surrender is small and repetitive. It happens in the ordinary. It happens daily.

Motherhood dismantles the illusion that life can be preserved.

You can try to hold onto your routines, your pace, your former identity, but the effort itself becomes a kind of suffering. The clinging exhausts you. The self you’re trying to save feels farther away the harder you reach for her.

This is not a failure of motherhood. It is its invitation.

There is a grief in letting go of who you were. Scripture does not deny that grief. Even Jesus wept at what would be lost. But grief, when honored, becomes a doorway rather than a dead end.

When we stop insisting that this season look like the last one, when we allow ourselves to be changed instead of preserved… something begins to settle. The nervous system softens. The days feel less like something to survive and more like something to inhabit.

This is the quiet death motherhood asks of us:

not the death of self,

but the death of control.

The death of rushing.

The death of proving.

The death of needing life to feel a certain way in order to be good.

And in that surrender, life returns — not as it was, but as it is now.

Slower. Heavier. Holier.

Jesus’ promise is not that losing your life will be painless. It is that it will be fruitful.

On Sundays especially, I notice how life reveals itself when I stop gripping it. In the weight of a child asleep on my chest. In the sink full of dishes that means we were fed. In the quiet realization that love has rearranged my priorities without asking permission.

This is not the life I would have designed.

But it is the one I am being given.

And perhaps this is what Jesus meant all along: that the life worth keeping cannot be clutched. It must be received with open hands.

Today, may we loosen our grip just enough to feel it again. ♥️

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Welcome to Week 2 of the Nourished Mama Challenge 🥳

If Week 1 was about creating safety and opening the pathways of digestion, Week 2 is about restoring what was lost — quietly, slowly, and intentionally.

After birth and during breastfeeding,…

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Sunday arrived quietly in a house that has already given much.

The pink and orange hues of the 7am sun kissing the living room.

Tiny breaths that lie next to me.

I wonder what time it is. Yet, I pause and rest in the stillness of the morning.

I’m up.

I take a look around…

A stack of tiny clothes waiting to be folded.

A cup of tea reheated more than once.

The soft weight of a baby who does not care what day it is — only that I am here.

Even on Sundays, I notice the instinct to reach — especially as a mom.

To reach for a plan.

To reach for productivity disguised as “resetting.”

To reach for reassurance that I am doing motherhood “right” (whatever that means)

Today, I choose to practice not reaching.

Not reaching to make the day meaningful.

Not reaching to capture it.

Not reaching to tidy away the evidence of love before it has settled.

Instead, I let motherhood move at its natural pace. I settle into my body and breath.

There is milk on my sweater. A quiet ache in my shoulders. The rhythm of feeding, rocking, soothing — ancient and unhurried. My body remembers what my mind forgets: that presence is enough.

Sunday stillness, in this season, does not look like rest as escape.

It looks like rest within the work.

It is folding laundry slowly while my baby watches.

It is eating food with one hand while holding a sleeping body with the other.

It is choosing not to rush the moment that will never return.

Motherhood teaches a different kind of stillness — one that happens while you are needed.

Stillness is the pause before responding to a cry.

The breath you take before picking them up.

The softening when you realize there is nowhere else you need to be.

If you feel the pull today to catch up,

consider instead letting yourself stay.

Stay on the floor a little longer.

Stay in the rocking chair even after they’ve settled.

Stay with the version of you that is becoming a mother again and again.

Nothing is behind.

Nothing needs fixing.

The sacred hides here — in the quiet hum of the house, in the warmth of a small body, in the quiet yes you keep offering with your whole self.

May today mother you as you mother another.

May stillness find you exactly where you are.

My love and admiration for cooking began when I was just a toddler in my play kitchen as I watched my own mother cook. As I grew older I remember watching hours of Food Network together. She and I would jot down the recipes we saw on a dingy notepad with a grocery list so …

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Picture this: you just gave birth — either last month or 1 year ago. Blood and nutrient loss. Emotional and physical overwhelm. Lack of support. You start to notice your mind and body deteriorating and are not quite sure how to “get back on track” in the midst of all the chaos and complete love and adoration for the new life in your arms.

Your heart is full and you have a desire to nourish yourself through motherhood so you don’t just “get through this season” — rather so you can thrive through this season.

Hey mama, welcome to week 1 of the 4 week Nourished Mama challenge. 🎉

Let’s get you nourished. 🤎

I am 9 months postpartum and I experienced all of the above and then some. You can read about my postpartum experience here. While it wasn’t perfect, I’m grateful for the knowledge and wisdom I’ve acquired throughout the years to support my body so I can nourish my baby and family.

I’m in a much better place emotionally, spiritually and physically. Dare I even say I am on the verge of thriving? Sleep, mood, and energy are steady and I am even delving into more creative projects of my own, aside from raising my daughter.

My intention for creating this challenge is so you can feel at home in your body again, while it is also your baby’s home 🤎

This week we are going to cover:

• Why safety is the foundation of digestion

• How stress and sleep deprivation affect gut health

• Why the postpartum gut needs extra warmth

• Rhythm > perfection

• The Art of the Micro-Pause

Before your body can heal, energize, or “optimize,” it needs one thing first: safety.

Safety at the cellular level in the nervous system means deeper breaths which leads to better digestion which means more nutrients absorbed and lastly, more energy for mothering.

This week is about rooting down: anchoring the body so the gut can do its job.

Your gut is the soil. This week we enrich that soil with warmth, rhythm, and nourishment.

At the end of each article for each week you will walk away with a list of daily practices for you to integrate over the next 4 weeks, recipes, a journal prompt and a little mantra if you will to carry with you.

Let’s get into it! 🥰

Why Safety is the Foundation of Digestion

Ever notice how you can tolerate more diversity of foods while you’re on vacation? Let’s travel there for a sec — notice how your body feels. Notice the tension (or lack thereof), notice your mood and your breath. This is exactly what we are trying to create — but at home! After all, we spend the majority of our lives at home. And what a tragedy it would be if we didn’t TRULY feel safe in our own homes.

Safety returns blood flow, enzymes and motility. If you’re stuck in a survival state, fight, flight or freeze, blood diverts away from the gut creating digestive distress. It’s merely protective. When you’re in survival mode, your body prioritizes other mechanisms truly needed to survive — digestion isn’t one of them.

Chewing your food is a mechanism that naturally occurs when we’re truly in a state of rest and digest. However, getting into a daily practice of chewing your food down into a paste can help kick things off. The more you chew, the more enzymes you create to break down your food leading to better nutrient absorption.

Plus, your regulated eating style impacts your baby, no matter how old they are. So the more regulated you are around meal time, the more they will be too.

So the next time you sit down to eat, pause and notice. Notice your feet on the ground, your bum on your seat (or floor!), the plate in front of you. Notice your breath. Notice the aromas and the colors. As you take your first bite, notice all the flavors. Practice chewing as much as you can. I can totally empathize here because I’m not only tending to my nervous system here, but also my baby’s! It’s not about perfection, it’s about being in connection with your food and your baby — as messy as it may be! See if you can settle to it and even embrace it!

How stress and sleep deprivation affect gut health

Stress and low sleep put your body into survival mode, slowing digestion and making the gut more sensitive.

What happens in the gut:

• Digestion slows which creates bloating, gas, indigestion

• Microbiome becomes imbalanced

• Gut lining weakens (“leaky gut”)

• Inflammation rises

• Blood sugar becomes unstable

• Hunger hormones shift which leads to more cravings

• Vagus nerve becomes reactive which can lead to nausea, cramping, stress poops

Why postpartum hits harder:

Hormone shifts + interrupted sleep + healing + feeding your baby = a more sensitive gut and higher nutrient needs.

Simple things that help:

• Deep breaths before meals

• Warm foods/drinks

• Ginger, broth, stewed apples

• Short walks after eating

• Magnesium at night

• Earlier bedtime when possible (go to sleep with the baby!)

The Postpartum Gut: Why It Needs Extra Warmth

Postpartum hormonal shifts naturally slow digestion, which is why warm, easy-to-digest meals can make such a big difference in reducing cramping, bloating, and gas. Think of warmth as a way of “waking up” and preparing the gut-supporting circulation, relaxing the digestive muscles, and helping enzymes do their job. Warm foods tend to be gentler on a sensitive system than cold smoothies or salads, especially in the early months. Broths, herbal teas, and soft, well-cooked proteins are ideal, while a touch of bitterness can further nudge digestion to turn on. Chamomile, fennel, and ginger all act like gentle digestive stimulators, helping the gut reset and move comfortably again.

Rhythm Over Perfection

Predictability signals safety to both your brain and your gut — even if the rest of your day feels like pure chaos. Creating small pockets of rhythm helps your nervous system relax, which in turn supports smoother digestion and steadier energy. Something as simple as eating meals at roughly consistent times can cue your gut to “expect” nourishment, making digestion more efficient. Anchoring breakfast within the first 60 minutes of waking is especially powerful, giving your body an early signal of stability and fuel. The gut truly loves rhythm, and these predictable touchpoints can create a sense of calm that carries through the rest of your day.

The Art of the Micro-Pause

Motherhood is beautiful & FULL. It doesn’t stop. There is usually a time limit for “resting” and life isn’t as lax as it may have been before kiddos. But that’s the whole point! We chose to have children and they are meant to rearrange our lives. Just because we can’t stop doesn’t mean we can’t create moments for pause. I’m so grateful I went through my somatic training to learn the true art of noticing the micro-moments that we can easily glaze over.

The sound of the water as luxuriously wash my hands

The sounds of baby music, baby toys and baby babbles in the background as I stare at my baby

The sound of lighting a new candle

The sound of the record player in the background

The sun drenching the living room

The first bite of food in the morning

My husbands arms around me after a long day

It’s like the whole world stops, even if it’s just for a moment. These are the moments we can lean on and savor. It’s in these moments where I find my breath, naturally. These are the little breaks our nervous system needs as mothers throughout the day.

Daily Practices 🤎

You can print out this section of this article to keep up on your fridge, take a screenshot and keep it on your phone, write it out in your journal — whichever will keep you most accountable!

• Eat within an hour of rising ensuring 30-40 g of protein and sufficient carbohydrates. I prefer at least a 1:1 ratio.

• Eat every 3-4 hours, even if it’s something small.

• Prioritize warmth! Socks, slippers, robes, teas, stews, broths, warm baths.

• Deep breathing before meals

• Ensure adequate hydration, at least 100oz and preferably warm beverages!

• Morning sun — go for a walk and catch UVA rays. I use the circadian app to check.

• Keep mornings, evenings and meal times sacred by keeping your phone out of sight.

• Mid-day reset — this is an opportune time for tea time. Indulge in the sounds of making tea, sip in the quiet as you gaze out of a window or light a candle and cozy up with your babe. Adjust accordingly to your current circumstances.

• Limit blue light and bright overhead lights. Opt for candles and healthy circadian lighting. Affiliate discount code KMW!

• Create anchors: God, your breath, your husband, your baby, a friend, a family member, your space.

A quick side note — when it felt like I had no one to lean on, I found myself getting closer and closer to God. This devotional changed everything for me and would highly recommend it!!

Recipe Ideas for Week 1 🍲

I enjoyed all of these early postpartum and still do today! I hope they bring you joy, warmth and comfort.

Ginger Cinnamon Congee Bowl

Ingredients

• 1 cup jasmine rice

• 8 cups water or broth

• 1 inch fresh ginger, grated

• 1 cinnamon stick

• Pinch sea salt

• Optional: maple, coconut milk, berries, soft-boiled egg

Instructions

1. Rinse rice until the water blushes clear.

2. Combine rice, water, ginger, cinnamon stick, and salt in a pot.

3. Simmer low and slow 60–75 minutes, stirring occasionally, until silky.

4. Remove cinnamon. Top as you wish.

Healing Postpartum Broth with Garlic and Lemon

Ingredients

• 8 cups chicken bone broth (preferably homemade)

• 6–8 garlic cloves, smashed

• 1 lemon (zest + juice)

• 1–2 inch knob ginger, sliced

• 1 tbsp olive oil or ghee

• Sea salt

• Optional: parsley, cooked rice, shredded chicken

Instructions

1. Warm oil, gently sauté garlic and ginger until fragrant.

2. Add broth; simmer 20 minutes to infuse.

3. Add lemon zest and juice. Salt to taste.

4. Serve as is, or pour over rice/chicken.

Ground Beef Rice Bowl with Bone Broth and Herbs

Ingredients

• 1 lb ancestral blend ground beef

• 2 cups cooked rice

• 1 cup bone broth

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tsp paprika

• Herbs: parsley, cilantro, or scallions

• Salt, pepper

• Optional: sautéed greens, fried egg

Instructions

1. Brown beef with garlic, paprika, salt and pepper.

2. Add bone broth; simmer until reduced and glossy.

3. Spoon over rice. Finish with herbs and extras.

Butternut Squash & Ginger Soup with Leeks

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

• 2 leeks, sliced (white/light green)

• 1 inch ginger, grated

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 4–5 cups broth

• Salt

• Optional: coconut milk, pumpkin seeds, lemon

Instructions

1. Sauté leeks in oil until soft. Add ginger.

2. Add squash and broth; simmer until tender.

3. Blend until smooth. Salt to taste.

4. Swirl in coconut milk or brighten with lemon if you like.

Journal Prompt 📝

How does my body signal “I’m overwhelmed”? And what can I do to support myself in this moment?

When you pin down how your nervous system responds to overwhelm you can simply notice it and respond differently. Instead of your default response, you can shift the pattern by gently bringing awareness to it, pausing, being with yourself in those moments and support yourself with one of your anchors. I like to have them in a list on my phone and reach for whichever feels right in that moment.

Carry this with you 💫

As my body softens, my digestion opens.

Slowly but surely, you will start to notice little shifts.

Until next week my friend! Don’t forget to drop your questions and comments in the group thread! 🤎

✨ Gift-Giving in a Culture of “More”

The holidays can pull us into the current of more — more buying, more noise, more rushing. Not realizing this strips away the spirit of the season. We have unintentionally become insatiable as a species due to our inability to truly satiate our souls. The heart is never satisfied when we stay on this road of constantly reaching.

But motherhood teaches us something softer: we don’t actually need more, we need meaningful.

This past year, I’ve been leaning into a slower rhythm — choosing gifts that support well-being, regulate the nervous system, nurture the home, and bring peace and joy to the everyday. Gifts that last past January. Gifts that feel like “I see you.” When I approach gift giving this way, the response from the recipient is a gift in return.

Below are my favorite intentional picks (some include affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission — it never costs you more and it helps me continue creating free resources for this community). I only share things I use and love, or would genuinely gift to my closest friends.

THE INTENTIONAL GIFT GUIDE — MOM EDITION

You can choose 1 or 2 from each category to craft your own little gift basket!

For Rest + Rituals

✨ Gifts that help her return to herself.

• Soft Robe something she can breastfeed in, lounge in, or begin her slow mornings in. This is my favorite cotton robe and it’s 25% off right now!

• Vagus Nerve Oil and Pillow Mist— increases parasympathetic tone and melts tension. You can use code KMW10 for a discount.

• A Beautiful Candle with Clean Ingredients — choose one that smells like quiet winter mornings.

• Evening Tea Blend (chamomile, nettle, ginger, fennel) — my go-to postpartum cozy ritual.

• Red Light / Infrared Lamp — pro-metabolic, soothing for postpartum healing. This is the one I personally use. Everything is 25% off site wide!

• Clean beauty — seed oil free make up that actually works. It fits seamlessly into a morning rhythm as it takes no time to put on. 20% off right now! You can use discount code ARAZABF.

• Nursing bras — my favorite nursing bras. They feel luxurious and like a warm hug. You can use discount code KIARAWELLNESS15.

• Bath filter — you could include this with the magnesium soak and robe. This is probably the item I get most asked about. It’s the best! They’re having 15% off site wide.

For Nourishment

✨ Because moms deserve food that supports mood, hormones, and energy

• Ceramic Mug Set — warm, grounding, joyful for slow mornings.

• Beef Gelatin or Collagen — supports gut healing & hair postpartum. This is my favorite brand — so clean & actually dissolves. You can use discount code KIARA10.

• Mineral Drops or Adrenal Support — tiny things that make a big difference for a new mama. Body Bio Elyte code KMW15 and Mitigate Stress Magnesium Bicarbonate code kiaramarie10!

• Nourishing Cookbook — pro-metabolic, simple, comforting.

• Supplement stack — These are my favorite for a new mama as they supply her with all the nutrients she needs postpartum (and remember postpartum is 3 years, not 40 days). Frtil Supplements code KMW and Lifeblud bioenergetic supplements code KMW

• New Mama Bundle: I got this set for myself and continue to use it today! They’re having 30% off site wide!

For Her Nervous System

✨ Regulation > perfection in motherhood

• Floor Cushion or Meditation Pillow — for breathwork, journaling, or playing with baby.

• Gua sha stone — releases jaw, TMJ, shoulders. I have this one! They’re having 20% off right now.

• Magnesium Soak — truly transforms evenings. I’ve been using this one for years and works wonders.

• Healthy Lighting — my favorite lightbulbs that support your circadian rhythm! Code KMW for 25% off on 11/28!

  https://thehealthyhome.shop/?_kx=NOlyi-BVJXP9AhdJwHV0xEwwgtE6AsPleAcBh1GxGFQlvsDURiOVm6ffyX5PIsDR.Rgjwhm

For Her Home (and sanity)

✨ Little upgrades that make the home feel held

• Beautiful Basket for Toy Rotation — reduces overwhelm & supports Montessori rhythms.

• Soft Throw Blanket — nurturing, cozy, grounding. lack Friday deal!

• Wooden Diffuser — simple, minimal, calming.

• Our Place Pressure Cooker — To make meal time more simple. It makes rice in 4 minutes! Here is the one I use every day and it’s 15% off!

For Her Healing + Growth

✨ Gifts that widen compassion and deepen her mothering journey

• A Reflection Journal — especially for postpartum identity shifts.

• Mindful Parenting Book

• Open Membership — for Breathwork, meditations and short workouts. Use this link to get 30 days free!

Homemade Gifts for a Mom

My personal favorite. When you take the time to pause and craft a gift from scratch, it not only is extra special and intentio for the recipient, it is is also therapeutic for you, too! Beautiful, meaningful, and budget-friendly.

A “Mother’s Comfort Basket”

Fill a small basket or box with:

• Homemade magnesium bath soak (Epsom salt + magnesium flakes + lavender)

• A handwritten affirmation card

• A mini tea blend

• A soft cloth or muslin

• A candle (even a thrifted jar with beeswax)

Personalized Memory Jar

Write 20–30 small notes:

• Reasons she’s a great mom

• Memories

• Encouragement for hard days

• Things her kids do that remind you of her love

Put them in a pretty jar tied with ribbon or twine.

Nourishing Food Gift

Homemade, mom-friendly, and grounding:

• Sourdough bread or something alike

• A jar of Ayurvedic spiced oatmeal mix

• Pro-metabolic hot chocolate mix (collagen optional)

• Homemade granola clusters

• Lactation-supportive chai blend (even if she’s not breastfeeding, it’s a cozy treat)

Package in jars with handwritten recipe cards.

A Mother’s Devotional” Bookmark

Make a handcrafted bookmark using cardstock or pressed flowers, and add a verse or quote such as:

“She is held. She is guided. She is growing.”

Handwritten Recipe Cards

Write down:

• Her favorite recipes

• Heritage recipes

• Your best easy weeknight ones

• Package them in a ribbon-tied bundle or a thrifted recipe box.

DIY Coffee Lover Kit

For the mom who loves slow mornings:

• Homemade coffee syrup (vanilla, cinnamon, or maple brown sugar)

• Homemade gelatin marshmallows for coffee!

• A jar of your own “morning latte spice blend”

• Chocolate-dipped spoons

• A cute handwritten “Mom’s Coffee Ritual” card

Photo Gifts (Actually Cute Ones)

• Print a candid photo on thick matte paper & write a note on the back

• Create a mini flip book with photos + tiny captions

• Make a bookmark with a photo strip of mom + kids

Handmade Body Care

Simple, safe, toxin-free options:

• Whipped body butter (shea, coconut oil, jojoba)

• Lavender pillow mist

• Calendula-infused oil (good for moms & babies!)

• Sugar scrub

A Personalized “Motherhood Ritual” Booklet

Write a short, sweet guide tailored to her:

• 3 grounding practices

• A tea recipe

• A simple prayer or verse

• One nourishing recipe

• One journal prompt

Print it on simple cardstock, tie with twine.

A Coupon Book (but elevated)

Not childish — truly supportive:

• One home-cooked meal

• Two hours of childcare

• A clean kitchen

• A long shower with no interruptions

• A homemade coffee delivered to her

Gift-giving doesn’t have to be about buying the “right” thing.

It can be an act of presence — of slowing down long enough to ask:

What would make her feel held?

What would nourish her nervous system?

What would support the season she’s in?

If you choose to shop through my links, thank you — it truly supports my work here, and I’m grateful to create a space centered on nourishment, rhythms, and the healed mother.