Written by Katlyn Babyak
My son Koda just turned 2, and so did the global pandemic. He was born at the end of February 2020 right before things started shutting down and the waiting game began to learn more about this new virus. We had no idea that the new parent saying “your lives will never be the same” would take on a whole new meaning for us and everyone around us. Like most new parents we were cautious about taking Koda out of the house after he was born, but after hearing about the seriousness of COVID and the growing concern for vulnerable populations like infants, we decided to stop seeing our families and friends for a little while. Our families ached to hold Koda and spend time with us, and mourned the time they were losing with our rapidly growing newborn. As friends dropped off meals at the door instead of coming in and visiting, the distance felt painful.
Enter a tiny dream-thought-idea that started to grow in my mind and take shape over many iPhone notes and notebook scribbles. I longed to catalogue the loads of baby research I had collected during my pregnancy and share it with other young mamas or mamas-to-be through a blog. I knew they, like me, probably felt overwhelmed by long lists of unanswered questions and didn’t know where to start finding answers. I was also experiencing firsthand the isolation and loneliness that often accompanies new moms. I was watching as the pandemic seemed to be extinguishing any hopes of connection with friends in this new and difficult season of life. Even our church stopped meeting in person for a time. By the grace of God, I was able to connect with two groups of women through a weekly Zoom bible study and a Marco Polo group chat where I could share how I was doing and how my precious little baby boy was growing.
As I saw the power of video calls to help preserve friendship and connection, my mommy blog dream grew to include a podcast that would chronicle everyday life stories, special topics, and experiences of #COVIDMoms. I wanted the courageous, hardworking, and often unseen mama heroes around me to feel valued and heard. I wanted to hand them a mic and give them a platform where they could share their victories, griefs, strategies, and laughs with other mamas looking for honest stories of the ups and downs of motherhood. My hope was to remind them that they are not alone on this journey and to encourage them to look out for the good, the praiseworthy, the gifts God gives us, the reasons we have to celebrate right where we are. January 2021 marked the birth of my dream, the Find the Good Mamahood podcast.
Through many monthly podcast episodes, I have been honored to hear my friends’ real-life stories of pregnancy, post-partum, and parenting sprinkled with happy and sad tears and practical advice. As I parent my energetic, adventurous, sweet and silly toddler, I have found so much joy in learning from them and dusting off my creative gifts. I enjoy thoughtfully preparing for my interviews, recording them, and piecing them together bit by bit. I love how each interview is different and each mama is unique in her experiences and perspectives. We all have so much to learn from one another, so much to offer if we can seize opportunities for connection and mutual encouragement. I guess that’s my “word to the wise” (but really mostly to myself): open yourself up to share how you’re really doing with trusted friends, allow yourself to lean on others and be leaned on in the heavy painful times, and don’t forget to find and celebrate the good in your life and the lives around you. We are so busy and distracted that connection and celebration can seem like luxuries we can’t afford, but in reality it’s what we were made for. It reminds me of the Sunday school song I sing to my Koda every morning when the sun comes up: “This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made… I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad in it…”
About Katlyn: Katlyn Babyak is a work-from-home mom who lives in Bristow, VA with her husband and busy goofy toddler. She enjoys baking (especially gluten/dairy-free treats), bike riding and having soul-refreshing conversations with friends over brunch. When she finds nooks and crannies of free time, she runs a mama blog along with the Find the Good Mamahood podcast.
