ABC News' MaryAlice Parks is officially a mom!
“Now, if you had told me this time last year that I would be a new mom before our one-year wedding anniversary, I would have laughed out loud,” Parks tells PEOPLE. “I was 36 last year, I am 37 now, and I was really worried it might be hard to get pregnant.”
“When we first found out, right after the honeymoon, we were stunned, shocked, and anxious, but ultimately, we had to trust this was God’s plan. Sometimes God rips the band-aid off for you. And we thought, as long as we have a happy home, maybe this is the right time.”
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MaryAlice Parks' son, Patrick.MaryAlice and Family
“It’s definitely been a lot all at once — a total whirlwind — but it has also been the happiest time of my life and has felt really right,” the new mom continues. “My husband and I were together for years before we got married, and I wasn’t sure if our life would feel different, but it really has. I feel such a sense of joy every time I see his wedding ring and a new sense of peace as we go through life together.”
Life as a journalist has helped prep the new mom for the sleepless nights that come with a newborn.
“My whole life I have been an insomniac. I think there’s a lot of insomniacs among us journalists. We work weird hours, and we are used to being woken up in the middle of the night with breaking news. So, I do feel a little more confident in my ability to function on little to no sleep,” she tells PEOPLE.
“As journalists we have to trust our instincts — and know when to probe and when to question. And I am trying as a new mom to get comfortable and confident with trusting my own instincts with Patrick.”
So far, Parks has appreciated the support she’s gotten around breastfeeding, which has been one of the more surprising areas of motherhood so far.
“In all seriousness, I didn’t quite appreciate the toll breastfeeding would take on my body. I had friends and family who tried to prepare me, actually. They gifted me pads and creams and shared tips, but I told myself I would just figure it out when the time came,” the journalist shares. “I am still really glad that I am breastfeeding Patrick, but I wish I had taken more time while pregnant to prepare myself for the challenge. I was a little cavalier about it.”
The support of her mom and two sisters has meant the world to her as she starts this next chapter.
MICHAEL & ANNA COSTA PHOTOGRAPHY
While Parks and Kimmel are enjoying time at home with their newborn, the new mom is looking ahead to her return to work.
“It is daunting and scary to think about,” she admits. “It does help that both my husband and I have paid time off right now, and we feel we will be able to afford childcare down the road. Millions of Americans don’t have those luxuries. And every time I get anxious about going back to work, I think about how mothers have superpowers.”
Parks continues, “Moms always seem to figure it out — handle more, multi-task more, switch into a higher gear. I have watched other women manage it, and I hope I can too. Plus, I know that if I am doing what I love, working in a profession that I believe matters and that I find meaning in, that will fundamentally make me a better mom.”
source: people.com
