With baby number two’s arrival right around the corner, it’s time to press pause on The Anastasiya Podcast so I can soak in these last few weeks of our little family of three (technically four 🐾), finish up some last-minute projects, and make room for our newest family member’s arrival.

There’s so much sadness in stepping away from something I love so much, but I know it’s necessary to shift the tiny amount of capacity I have available each day entirely toward my growing family.

As I step into this next chapter, I’m looking forward to trusting God with what’s ahead and taking some time to reflect on the past two seasons of The Anastasiya Podcast: what has worked, what I’ve loved, what I’ve learned, and what I’d like to shift and improve moving forward.

See you all in 4 months, as a mom of 2!

There are certain memories that become part of your family story, and sometimes they don't start out the way you expected.

Last year, we took our first camping trip with an 8-month-old and came home convinced that our desire for adventure and traveling was on hold... temporarily. (But truthfully, it felt like permanently.) It was draining and overwhelming, and as a result we decided to sell our truck-bed camper. If camping wasn't ever going to look the same again, what was the point?

Fast forward one year, and we just got home from camping with a toddler, our dog, and another baby on the way. Was it perfect? No. Redemption-filled? Absolutely.

In this episode, we share the special moments (and the chaos in between) that turned this trip into our camping redemption story. We talk about how we shifted our expectations before we even left home, what parenting has taught us about creating family traditions, and why some of life's best memories are made right smack dab in the middle of the messy seasons.

If you've ever wondered whether the hard season you're in right now is forever, or questioned whether something is still worth doing because it's difficult, I hope this conversation reminds you that sometimes all you need is another chance. It's okay to change your mind. It's okay to adjust as you brave the storm. The sun will shine again, mamas!

One of the biggest lies modern motherhood silently tells us (by constantly showing us) is that we're supposed to do it all ourselves. In this episode, I'm sharing my most recent deep dive: personal capacity and the help you don't see.

It's always the perfect storm: my husband's schedule gets crazy, solo parenting becomes the norm, and my lifeline (GMA) goes away on vacation - the trifecta that reminds me I've reached my personal capacity, and this mama needs a village.

Every family's village looks different because everyone's circumstances are different. Some spouses work Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, and have consistency in their availability at home, while other families navigate rotating schedules, second and third shifts, or months-long deployments.

Sometimes it's spouses, grandparents, or siblings. Other times it's babysitters, daycare, nannies, or au pairs. The problem is, we usually only see the finished picture - not the helping hands behind it. And when we forget that, it's easy to become our own toughest critics.

To my fellow moms out there in need of a village, raising their little ones while trying not to lose themselves in the shuffle: you owe it to yourself to build your village if one doesn't live close by. Even if it's just a few precious hours a week.

A common theme I am noticing amongst friends is feeling like you don't have it "all together" right at this exact moment..

Which made me think long and hard about: are we actually falling behind? Or are we simply living in the midst of a season that's meant for planting instead of harvesting?

This week, I'm sharing a perspective that continues to shift my perception of motherhood, ambition, and the pressure to constantly "keep up." Sometimes the season you're in isn't meant to produce immediate, visible results, it's meant to go deeper and be nurtured so it can grow roots.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why you're not depressed... you're just living through a season of sowing instead of harvesting.
• How your casual scrolling is contributing to your stress more than you realize.
• Learning to embrace broken progress instead of waiting for perfect conditions.
• Navigating pregnancy, motherhood, and giving yourself permission to slow down.
• The biblical reminder from Ecclesiastes that every season has a purpose!!
• My thoughts on Cancel Me If You Can by Dave Portnoy and Open Book by Jessica Simpson.
• Baby name updates, my favorite motherhood journal, and my latest watch... an oldie but goodie: Real Housewives of New Jersey. Seasons 1 & 2!

If you've been feeling discouraged lately, I hope this episode reminds you that growth isn't always visible. Some of the most important work God is doing in your life happens beneath the surface.

It's been 4 weeks since I last sat down to record a podcast and that's thanks to our whirlwind of a past month. Pre-recording a few episodes and then disassembling the podcast room to set up a guest room for out-of-state relatives = the catalyst for so many good things, but the podcast took an (unintentional) backseat!

Two weddings, a Jack Johnson bucket-list concert, hosting family & friends, great-grandma's birthday, and somehow we ended the month with a mini excavator in our backyard! At 23 weeks pregnant I am reminded once again that you can't pour from an empty cup. If you have a kick-ass day where you crush your to-do list AND THEN some, that's just called borrowing tomorrow's energy, today, and you'll pay for it the next day.

There's good news and bad news: the good news is my toddler sleeps in till 9am. The bad news is she goes to bed between 10-11pm and at 1 year old I'm pretty sure that's illegal.Lastly, we dive into a bunch of books I am currently listening to, just finished & are cued up on my Audible. Dave Portnoy, Jessica Simpson, Spencer Pratt, and many more. This season of life has me reaching for stories instead of business books.

P.s. If any listeners have any girl name suggestions that pair well with Magnolia, send them our way!

Matt's back for this week's episode and we're talking about the SAHM transition from his side! He shares how he saw this coming way before I did, how we (he) thought through the finances, and what the past month has actually looked like for our family with Mom home and fully present. If this is a season your family is navigating too: we've saved a seat for you!

Matt's back and together we're revealing the gender of baby #2! We take you through our headspace leading up to our 20-week anatomy scan, what changed in having us (me mostly, lol) decide to find out the gender, and how our ultrasound tech intentionally or unintentionally dropped the news at the end of our appointment. We're so grateful for a perfectly healthy baby despite being SO sick this pregnancy and are excited to see Magnolia blossom and bond with her future sibling!

Week one as an official stay at home mom, and let's just say God knew Mom needed to be home. First day: waking up to not one, but TWO ticks stuck to Magnolia's head. (And we do tick checks like it's our job around here!!) Then a bottle regression out of left field, right when we were SO close to kicking the habit, and then realizing we've been spending $500/month on just our dog's food. Time to audit our life!

No time like the present to step into the season I was resisting, but that God was gently nudging me into all along. We get into why our twenties are kind of designed for the chaos we put ourselves through, the flooding of peace that comes when you stop clawing at your old identity and let yourself become who you're meant to be, and why being present for even the hardest moments is starting to feel more like a gift than anything else.

This week I'm getting into something that has been on my mind for a while: the idea that not all motherhood is created equal, and why that matters. I talk about officially stepping away from my job and what it's taken to fully accept that this is my season to be home, especially with a toddler, a second pregnancy, and some pretty intense solo parenting while Matt was working over 100 hours for multiple weeks in a row. We talk mental load, the notorious laundry pile, the nightly dishes ritual, and giving myself continued grace through all of it.

We dive into the social media side of MOM culture… how it starts as a point of connection and relatability, then morphs into quiet, under-the-radar comparison. I found that keeping yourself in a sober mind when it comes to yours & your family unique circumstances is the key to making it out unscathed. I wrap up with a passage in The Magnolia Story by Joana Gains that cracked me wide open - reminding me its my season to trust Gods timing, especially when He’s calling me away from something I really love, but promising me something even better in return. If you’re an empathic cryer- get your tissues ready!

In this episode, I'm getting real about the season of life Matt and I are in right now: pregnancy, sacrifice, and the kind of teamwork that most people don't show on social media.

I want to talk about what it actually means to marry a provider because it's not the "never work a day in your life" fantasy you see online. It's choosing a partner who doesn't take no for an answer, who gets up, & gets after it, day after day after day. And the role of the wife? Showing up just as hard at home. Keeping the house running, the kids/pets covered, and the foundation solid- because a provider needs a partner, not a passenger.

I also get into gender disappointment, why I changed my mind about finding out the baby's gender, and the conviction I felt about it after scrolling through my feed one afternoon. Oh yeah, and laundry? It’s still Mt Everest over here!