Today I'm introducing you to a friend of mine, Lindsey! I met Lindsey while my husband played for the New Orleans Saints with her husband. I'll say, moving as much as we have has not been the most ideal, but it's connected with incredible women like Lindsey and for that, I'm so grateful!
Lindsey is a new Mom who recently moved to a new team with her husband. Thank you Lindsey for sharing your experience with us!
How many kids do you have and age?
My husband and I have one baby boy named Cooper who is 10 months old.
Favorite part of motherhood?
One of my favorite parts or “moments" of motherhood so far would be the feeling of when our baby gives me what we like to call a “neck hug”. That feeling when he reaches up for you and just rests his head on your shoulder with his little arms wrapped around my neck. There is nothing better. It is like the world stops completely and I try and soak in every last second of it. It makes all of the hustle and bustle of motherhood so beyond worth it.
Something you've learned about yourself through motherhood?
Something that I have learned so far through motherhood about myself is that I have to work smarter, not necessarily harder. I learned quickly that I need to be more efficient with my time and energy. For example, I just started having groceries delivered to the house rather than going through the effort of making that trip/errand in person. Another example, I hired a house keeper to help every two weeks with doing some of the deep cleaning around the house. This is something that I highly recommend doing if you are able to. These things were tough for me to bring myself to do for multiple reasons. One, I felt like it was my job to do since I am a stay at home mom and I did not want to have to pay someone else to do "my job” and the guilt surrounding that. These are just a couple of examples of what working smarter for me in my life has looked like so far. I am still on the hunt though for more!
How has your "game day" experience changed since having your son?
Wow, my game day experience has changed completely this year since having our son compared to the last four years. This has been something that I have really been struggling with actually.
My husband plays for the Detroit Lions and up until week 12, I didn’t attend one game which I would normally never miss in years past.
Leading up to that game we haven’t been in person for multiple reasons. The two main reasons being our pediatricians recommendations against attending games because of the pandemic and also the challenging process of taking an infant to a NFL game.
I am doing my best as a mother, as we all are, to navigate life right now and I know that looks different for every family. I have to remind myself of that and to take everything day by day and week by week. Giving myself grace in this area has been tough but the support from friends, family, this network and most importantly my husband has been very comforting.
What was the transition of moving across the country with a little for you? Were there resources you found that helped, did you connect with women on the team, etc?
The transition of having a baby and moving our lives to another state has been full of its challenges to say the least. When I was two weeks postpartum we moved out of our house in New Orleans, put all of our belongings into a POD and went home for the off season. That was truly the most stressful time of my life so far. Having a baby and moving are two of the biggest life events that a person can experience and it was a lot going through both of those at the same time especially in a pandemic.
Since then we have moved our POD and belongings and settled into a new team here in Detroit for the Lions. It is tough moving somewhere with your new baby where you do not know a soul. You are trying to meet people and still learning the ropes of this new life of motherhood. I am grateful that the Lions women have a weekly bible study group that is very welcoming for my son and I. This is something that I look forward to weekly for the fellowship and community.
Something you wish someone had told you about motherhood?
It is not something that I wish someone would have told me about motherhood but rather something that I wish that they hadn’t. I don’t know about you but while I was pregnant I was met with constant negative comments made to look like “advice.” Comments like, “you better sleep now while you can!” or having to listen to horror story after horror story of people’s birth experiences. Which these to me as a first time mom were terrifying. To new moms out there I would say to try and let all of that go in one ear and out the other. I know it is so tough, as it was for me also.
Your favorite moment in the NFL?
My favorite moment in the NFL so far is when my husband got drafted. To see all of his hard work come to fruition was so beyond heart warming for me. I saw him go through so much heartache and to see God by his side through it all was beautiful. I still experience this feeling every time that I see my husband out on the field having fun doing what he loves so much and asking God to help him do His will through that.
Teams you've been on in the NFL?
As I mentioned previously, we were on the New Orleans Saints for four years and are now on the Detroit Lions.
Anything you've struggled with while in the NFL?
Something that I am struggling with through my first season in the NFL as a mother has been, well, being a mother! During the season these guys work long hours and are away every weekend so a lot rests on your shoulders which can be very overwhelming. You want to be there for your husband as he is in the toughest part of his year but it is also the toughest part of your year as well. The juggling of it all has been humbling.
Any resources the NFL offers that you've been able to use?
Resources through the NFL that I have used so far have been through our insurance, Cigna. The Healthy Babies Program has been a great resource for me. Throughout our pregnancy and after I have been in contact with one of their professional lactation consultants. We have meetings via Zoom which are super helpful for all things baby, not just nursing!
