Meet Chelsea Smith

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chelsea smith familyHello! Let me start by saying, I am so honored to be joining this talented group of bloggers! As a new(-ish) Iowan and former contributor to Milwaukee Mom’s Blog, I am so very excited to be here and start connecting with the Des Moines Mom community.

I was born and raised in Idaho, but I now consider the Midwest my home. Back during the throes of the recession, my college-sweetheart-turned-husband was applying for medical school and just so happened to get into schools in Iowa. Although we knew nothing about the state or the city of Des Moines, we took a leap of faith, packed up our tiny U-Haul, and crossed our fingers it would all work out.

While nothing could have prepared us for the medical journey (or rollercoaster might be a better word) we were about to begin, we both found such comfort and connection with our new city. Over four wonderful years we invested ourselves in Des Moines, explored a part of the country we had never known, and made friends who became our family. At the end of it, we entered ourselves into the residency lottery and got matched to move to Milwaukee.

We became parents during our time in Milwaukee. In January of 2015, after a particularly challenging birth (you can read the full story here), we welcomed our beautiful son, Henry.

Alas, motherhood did not start off particularly easy for me. The baby blues surfaced almost immediately and quickly manifested into full blown postpartum anxiety and insomnia. Newborn days were a blur. Fortunately, I was aware of the severity of my situation, and I was able to reach out for help.

That first year of motherhood was a time of the highest of highs and lowest of lows, but the second year was probably my favorite year ever. As I came into my own as a mother and gained more confidence in what was right for our family, I realized that motherhood was actually pretty dang fun. Watching my son grow from baby to toddler has been the most incredible experience, and I cannot wait to see what this third year has in store.

I have been grateful to have a partner who is equally committed to his profession and our family. Still, being married to someone in the medical field is far from easy. Even after nearly eight years of long days, working weekends, and hours spent away from each other, I’m still not entirely used to it. Learning to parent in this capacity has been a totally new life lesson. There is no perfect answer, and we are continually refining the art of patience and communication. But I just love being on his team, and it has been a wonderful adventure to learn how to parent alongside him.

My true passions in life are – food, family and friends. As cliché and cheesy as it sounds, when it really comes down to it, it’s true. The kitchen has always been the place where I can be my most creative self. I love experimenting with new recipes or creating familiar classics.

I’m at my best when I am surrounded by my loved ones. Having small children at home while also trying to prioritize and nurture friendships has proved to be challenging at times. But I thrive on community and feel so lucky to have such amazing friends, so I make it a priority to have a least one friend date a week (FYI, play dates count).

I look forward to learning and sharing my story alongside this beautiful community.

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Chelsea
Chelsea is a northwest native, originally from Idaho, who now is proud to call the Midwest her home. She and her college-sweetheart husband first moved to Des Moines in 2009 so he could attend medical school. They took a three year sabbatical to Milwaukee for residency, where they welcomed their son Henry (January 2015) and Chelsea was a contributor to sister-site, MKE Mom’s Blog. They finally returned to their beloved Des Moines in mid-2016. Chelsea and her family currently reside just outside of the Beaverdale neighborhood. Chelsea splits her time between working in menswear fashion and staying home with her son. She and her family adore everything Des Moines and the surrounding area has and love exploring local shops, restaurants and events. When they aren’t out and about they love entertaining friends and family. Chelsea enjoys spending time outdoors, traveling, fly-fishing, cooking and giving back to the Des Moines community.

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