The Birth of Sand + Sleep – My Path to Becoming Your Newborn Sleep Consultant

It’s 2016, I am sitting at a round table with my guidance counselor, and he asks the dreaded question: the question I had NO answer to, which, to anyone who knows me, is highly unusual for me. “So, what do you see yourself doing? If you lived in a dream world, what would you want to ‘be’ when you graduate college?” I had nothing. The only answer I had was,  “my mom.”

My mom. My hero and inspiration.

The epitome of grace, kindness, and a true reflection of Jesus. My mom is an amazing wife of 33 years to my dad, who threw her a “curveball,” to say the least, when he successfully pursued a career in major league baseball. She and my dad have built an incredible life together and love to be around each other. It’s beautiful to witness. After struggling with infertility, they had three amazing kids (if I may say so myself). My mom is the glue that holds our family together in a rather unique situation, and while she may not always see herself through our eyes, she is the best mom.

She tried for multiple years to have us, and when we arrived, she was all in and did not disappoint. Throughout our lives, she has exhibited amazing patience with all three of her strong-willed children, and has encouraged and supported us to be the adults we have grown into today.

So when I sat with that question, all I could think to myself was, I want to be a mom. I have loved babies and children since before I can even remember. I wanted to be a mom like my mom. A mom with kids who adore and respect me as we do her, a mom with kids who are confident in who they are in Christ, a mom with kids who have their own passions that I will support. Lastly, I want to be a mom who shows her children how to love and be loved.

My guidance counselor kept his composure, but I can only imagine his thoughts. “Where do I direct her from here?” This makes me laugh when I think back to it. He pulled from my passion for children, and we agreed on nursing. Nursing would give me the window into working with moms and babies that I was longing for.

So I embarked on my nursing journey at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida.

I loved it…for the first two years. Then I got to my first day of clinical. I left in tears; the path that I had so confidently embarked upon toward my profession was not what I thought it would be. So, I pivoted. It was the first time in my life that my Type-A personality was truly tested, and I really had to step outside my comfort zone of always being in control (which would prove to serve me well in my future endeavors).

I graduated with a degree in public relations and began looking for my first job. As most young graduates do, I found a job doing NOTHING my public relations degree had prepared me for. As I was in the process of looking for PR-related jobs, I realized that my heart was calling me back to babies, back to what I initially set out to do at the beginning of my college career.

So, I started working with families as a Newborn Care Specialist.

I felt like myself again, like I was working in the field that was my calling. From there, my passion for moms and babies continued to grow (which I didn’t even know was possible). I realized I was in a unique position and had a rare opportunity to truly be an educator and support system for these families.

I read and researched all the baby books, courses, and guides I could in order to truly impart all the information possible to these families. I began creating my “own” role, and I later discovered this role DID exist: enter Pediatric Sleep & Routine Consulting.

I found some women who were trailblazers in the profession and decided to take this path by receiving my certification through The Cradle Coach Academy. Now I’m so happy I can spend my time helping families just like yours.

My mission for Sand + Sleep is to bridge the gap between resources and support.

I want to be BOTH for your family, whether it is your first baby or your fifth baby. Whether you are looking to start setting healthy sleep foundations from day one through my Newborn Foundations Video & PDF guide with support, or you are ready to make some changes to your sleep practices with your 8-month-old because they no longer work for your family.

Wherever you are in your journey of parenthood, my goal is to educate you and support YOUR decisions to help your family get the most out of this season of life.