Meet the Contributor: Emily Barton

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Family:  Mother of twins, Lilith Amelia and Jack Avery, since February 2017;  married to my husband Mark since October 25, 2014.  
 
Job: Emergency Nurse with Indian Health Service
 
What brought you to Flagstaff:  I grew up in Massachusetts.  On a family trip to Arizona in 2001, my parents fell in love with Flagstaff and decided to retire here in 2003.  In 2009, I was living in Montana and doing Americorps; when I finished my assignment there, I decided to venture here for a warmer climate but equally beautiful mountainous scenery, and be closer to family.  I was lucky to meet my husband here and also lucky to have family close by during this big time in our lives.
 
Early Bird or Night Owl:  Is “neither” a choice?  I like to sleep in and go to bed early 😉 Of course, the sleeping in isn’t an option so much anymore, so I am mostly an early bird, but not by choice.
 
Hobbies: Watching my little ones grow and change each minute that goes by, photographing their amazing changes, learning and reading about child development/motherhood/pregnancy, day dreaming and thinking too much, trying to simplify my life, frequenting favorite Flagstaff restaurants with my husband, hiking and exploring.
 
Favorite thing to do with your Family: Enjoying a home-cooked meal and Netflix
 
Kids Age Difference: Approximately 15 minutes! Lily was born first.
 
Coffee or Tea: Coffee – the strongest variety.
 
Favorite/Least Favorite Household chore: Favorite – I love flipping through my phone of the photos I have taken and figuring out the best way to display them (not really a household chore); Least – do I have to pick just one? Never ending bottle cleaning gets first place!
 
Going back in time, one thing you would tell yourself right before you became a mother: Each moment is so fleeting and goes by so fast, so enjoy every minute of this new phase in your life.  Do not stress over trying to keep up with housework or to-do lists like you had been prior to becoming a mother, it is not worth it.
 
Something you are looking forward to: Feeding my babies real food like fruits and veggies.  Having them sit up for the first time.  Hearing their first words.  Watching their first steps.
 
Favorite Thing to do in Flagstaff with/without kids: With kids – going for walks with the stroller.  Without kids – getting a massage or going for a run.
 
Best Mom Hack: Using coconut oil as a moisturizer – less expensive than baby lotion and great for dry Flagstaff weather, gentle on the skin.
 
The greatest challenge you’ve faced: Being attentive to two crying babies at once and spending enough time with each of them.
 
Something you love about yourself: This is a great question actually, since I think moms and people in general do not think of this very often.  I love that I can make people laugh, as I believe laughter is the best medicine.
 
Favorite thing about being a Mom: How raising two babies has brought me and my husband closer together.
 

Want to know more about Emily – chat with her in the comments!

3 COMMENTS

  1. Hi Emily! I’m a twin momma too, my boys were born in January 2016. There seems to be quite a few of us here in Flagstaff, we should try to meet up sometime! At 1.5, my boys are at a really fun stage right now. I can totally relate to your feelings of excitement for the next stage and fear that it’s all moving too fast.

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