Who are you? What should we know about you? (Pre-Covid and/or presently)

I'm originally from Argentina. I moved to the US 10 years ago for grad school, got a job, got a visa sponsored, then met a man, fell in love, got married, had three kids and here we are now.

We moved from Brooklyn, NY to Falmouth, ME thanks to COVID, and it has immensely changed our lives for the better. We spend so much more time outdoors--very distant from other human beings--enjoying nature and all the seasons.  

So many changes and accomplishments in your life, Conz. One of which: a huge congratulations on publishing your book! While pregnant, too, right?!

Thank you! Yes!!! I actually started writing it before I knew I was pregnant, and then morning sickness hit as I was finishing the book and it was a STRUGGLE. I used the journal portion of it with my own pregnancy with the twins and I joked to my husband that I must be a really good writer because it was so so so so useful, even having written it myself.  

What inspired you to write it?

When I was pregnant with my first, I really struggled to find references that aligned to my experience, whether it was books, IG handles, friends, etc. I felt very much isolated because I didn't think my pregnancy was magical and wonderful 24/7. It can be, but there are also really hard moments, and that only intensifies after baby is born. I wanted an honest and friendly depiction of pregnancy. I also wanted a safe place for moms-to-be to be able to share how and what they are feeling with no filters.

That absolutely resonates with us. Thank you for taking the time and effort to put that resource out into the world! We are absolutely gifting it to the mamas-to-be in our lives.

On the topic of babies, tell us about your 3 little ones.

Ozzy just turned 3 and Ruby and Luna just turned one this month, and I have no idea where time went because I feel like they were all born yesterday. Ozzy is hilarious, I bet money that he will be a comedian when he grows up because his sense of humor is impeccable, and not just toddler level humor. Ruby and Luna are identical twins and it is magical to be part of their lives. They are so different even when they look exactly the same. Having first row seats to the twin experience is something I never imagined having and enjoying so much. It's also incredibly hard to have 3 under 3, especially during a pandemic, even more so without any outside help. 

How has parenthood changed the game for you?

It's made me more real, less self aware, more relaxed and at the same time more stressed. Definitely more tired, I'm tired all the time. It's allowed me to continue being a child myself, I love playing pretend with Ozzy and goofing around. We took Ozzy to Disney in 2019 and my husband joked that he didn't know who was having more fun, baby Ozzy or myself (it was 100% me).  

After having your son, you had twins! There are so many things that people say to twin mamas and parents. What's the biggest myth or thing that came most unexpectedly to you as you added two new humans to your family?

It's hard, really hard, and so many people told me it was so so hard that I feared we were not going to be able to do it without outside help. So we hired a night doula, a postpartum doula and had our nanny for Ozzy as preparation for when the twins arrived. Then the pandemic broke loose, and we had to tell everyone thank you but please don't come over. We were forced to do what I feared the most, which was take care of all these kids (and my recovering body) by ourselves. I feel so badass for having done it, even when it came with a lot of crying from everyone. Still today, handling everyone without outside help feels like we are superhuman.

Umm..you are. 100%. I hope you do truly recognize that.    

We have to ask, with 3 little ones, why Kibou for you?

With my first I got all the baby things, we had so much stuff and so much clutter. The second time around, even with twins, we decided to go a bit more minimal. We do not need a gigantic bag wherever we go, we do not need two of the same toy, we do not need everything everywhere. We are also spending time outside in short amounts of time. With Ozzy, when he was a baby, we could be out bar hopping all day long (NYC life), now we go on hikes and come back home for nap time. Or go pick up dinner and come back home. So our needs have changed. My husband and I are also older and honestly do not want to be dragging a huge backpack on top of three children. 

And what's in that Kibou of yours? 

- Diapers for the twins (5ish)

- Wipes

- Emergency pacifier

- Phone, wallet, keys 

What's the most unexpected thing you've ever packed in your Kibou?

Does a mask count at this point? I never imagined it while I was pregnant with the girls

Best/favorite place to wear your Kibou?

It's so practical, every time we go to the pediatrician the nurses celebrate us for keeping it simple. We've taken it hiking while babywearing, to the beach, to the zoo, it lives in our car 99% of the time so we have it in case of emergency/quick trip.  

Does your partner also Kibou?

Yes!!! He loves it.  We wear it different ways. I usually have it around my waist, he does a crossbody move, and we both sometimes just carry it in our arm. 

One last question before you get back to all those little people who need you: ten years removed from Argentina and now hundreds of miles farther away, what do you miss most about life there? What would be different if you were raising your family there?

I miss my friends and family the most. Having them miss out on seeing my kids regularly doesn’t get easier with time. I send videos and photos regularly in WhatsApp groups and it’s just not the same.

If we were in Argentina, I think the biggest difference would be that my parents would be much more involved. And that we’d probably have a pool, ha!