Meet the Board: Sionainn M.

The day before I got my positive pregnancy result, I picked up a Willamette Week and my Free Will horoscope read:

After studying your astrological omens, I closed my eyes and asked the spirits for a psychic vision that would symbolize your imminent future. The scenario that came up was a pair of toddlers dressed in fine purple satin garments and wearing golden hats. They looked like a prince and princess, and were wandering around inside a ritual circle about ten yards in diameter, drawn with white chalk in a green meadow. Vases of cut flowers and statues of gods and goddesses ringed the circle. So what does my vision mean? Maybe this: Two magnificent possibilities have recently been born or will soon be born. You should cast a protective spell around them, letting them amble and dally within a proscribed area as their magic ripens.

Now Free Will has not always gotten things right (hello, love life?!?) but I do have a pair of toddlers…a prince and a princess. We don’t do much wandering in ritual circles and they have never donned purple satin garments, but I love watching their magic ripen.

Advice to New Moms:

Advice should be more helpful than stressful, so keep perspective as you consume others' advice (either voluntarily by reading a parenting book or involuntarily in the grocery store) and realize every family and child is different. As a single mother by choice, I freaked out when I started reading all the twins books. They all emphasized how much additional help you need, in addition to your partner. Having recently moved to Portland and not having any family in town, a 1:2 adult to baby ratio from the outset was looking very scary and these books were just stressing me out more. Make the most of the resources you have but don’t freak out if you don’t have the funds for overnight help or all the extra assistance you might like. The little things people can do to help you do add up and you will make it through this and be able to sleep sometime in the future.

Also, revel in each stage of your children’s development. Each stage comes with a challenge (or so) but also has something so special you wish you could bottle it up. So don’t wish for any stage to pass quickly…because they do that all on their own.


Favorite things about having multiples:
Too many things to list here…but one of those melt your heart moments was when the babes first smiled at each other. They looked at each other, locked eyes and each busted out the world’s biggest smiles. They had figured out what I had known since before they were born…we are so lucky to have each other in our lives.

Sionainn M.

2011 FHM Treasurer

Mommy to Siobhan & Quinn, 2 years old                                             photos by:  www.catchlightsnw.com