Mom Interview with Stephanie, artistic designer
Name Stephanie Eventov
Occupation Artist + Designer* / Founder of Society of Wonderland
Babies Aria 7yo; Isella, 5yo
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A few questions about the first year with your baby!
What was your feeling the moment you just came back home with your newborn?
For Aria, my first child, I was in a haze of a multitude of emotions! Being tired, overwhelmed, happy and in love, my mind was all over the place. I was very focused on myself and my baby.
For Isella, my second child, I was more focused on my children and not as much on myself. Making sure Aria was doing well and adjusting nicely, as well as, tending to Isella, I was just taking all of it in. What a whirlwind!
What & when was the first time you did something just for yourself again?
I remember going to get a haircut after I had Aria. It was a salon right up the street.
Putting on my booties and some makeup, then taking a walk to the salon by myself felt oddly surreal. It was a beautiful day out so even the little time outside was refreshing.
Name the thing your partner is the best at doing with your child.
Simon is fantastic at so many things. I’d say he is the best at playing with them, keeping them active and making them laugh. Keeping them on “adventure time” all the time, while still ensuring they have what they need is his specialty.
Did you nurse your baby? How did that go for you in the first weeks & months?
Yes, I nursed both of them for 14 months. The first few weeks with Aria was so tough and painful. With Isella, that pain lasted about a week. I couldn’t believe what a commitment it was to nurse a baby in the beginning when I had Aria, but I knew I wanted to stick with it. I’m so happy I did. What a gratifying and treasurable experience it is to be able to have with your baby. I know it is not for everyone and not easy, so I feel very lucky in my lactation experience with my girls.
Or how did (or do) you deal with sleep in the first few months? Did you sleep train?
Sleeping was crazy. Simon and I had a routine. He would wake up with me every time the baby would wake up. The girls would sleep in a bassinet next to the bed. Once they would cry, he would pick them up, hand them to me, I would feed, then he would change them, swaddle them up and put them back to sleep. Each girl didn’t really need to be sleep trained, they found their way pretty early. Luckily.
We kept Aria in our room until she was 3 months. Isella went to sleep with Aria in their room around 2 months. She outgrew the bassinet earlier and both girls were ready for the “big move”.
How did you deal with the first time you left her for the day? one tip for new moms?
Well, I was a stay at home parent for both the girls for a long time, so I don’t remember leaving them for a full day, especially because I was breastfeeding and didn't need to go anywhere without them, so I basically brought them everywhere! I was very mobile with both girls. They have always been amazing travel companions. I actually started my company with Aria coming with me to all of my appointments!
How/when did you start on solids? Do you have a fun story about first meals
We moved to London for a couple of months when Aria was 7 months. Before that she wasn’t interested in eating solids at all. When we were there though, she started her first solids with mushy peas at the British pubs. Me with a wine, some fish + chips, and her with her peas. We were perfect pub mates!
What makes her/him laugh the most?
My girls are older now, so they think the word “poop” is the funniest thing ever. I mean, what kid doesn’t? Also, each of them are ticklish so that always gets a good giggle session...out of me too! Is being tickled hereditary?
What's your favorite game to play currently?
I have gotten the girls into MadLibs. Of course the noun “poop”, verb “pooping” and adjective “poopy” have found their way into every MadLib multiple times.
What was her/his first word? How did it make you feel?
Good question…. I am a little stumped. I can’t remember! Mama brain :)
Name one thing that you did as a parent, you thought you would never do!
No shame, we all did something crazy :)
Well, we have traveled a lot with our daughters and lived in a few different countries as well. So, with that said, sometimes you get into situations of desperation, especially when you have no idea where you are, how to speak the language and what the “rules” might be. At one point, when she was 3 months old, Aria had one of her most epic diapers while we were on a city bus in Buenos Aires, Argentina. So we hopped off the bus at a random stop and changed her diaper on a bus stop bench!
When we were living in Kobe, Japan, the girls and I were out for the afternoon. Isella made it (vocally) clear she needed to eat. In Japan, breastfeeding in public is a trickier thing than it is just about anywhere else, so out of respect I had to “take cover”. I ended up breastfeeding Isella in a public bathroom stall, while Aria was sitting in one of the child seats on the wall of the stall and I was charging my phone in the outlet from the electric toilet - fortunately the public bathrooms are so clean in Japan ( even the subway public bathrooms! ).