Hands up if you love 96.5 radio station?!! My kids are literally growing up listening to this station. We were absolutely thrilled when Kristen Flowers, the morning show host, reached out to us for an interview. Doesn’t her name just sound legendary?

Kristen works with her husband Nick on the show. Together, they have opened up about raising their daughter, Lily. Parents across the bay love it and their followers want to hear from more families! I also love what they are doing because I totally believe the ins and outs of motherhood should be shared and praised. We are all in this together! We had a super fun meeting with Kristen in the city at the KOIT studio. We discussed topics of the bay area like our favorite kid friendly restaurants, best FREE activities, date night ideas, recommended splash pads and more. You can view our interview here.

We want to share more about Kristen with you, and introduce you to her blog. You can see one Bay Area mother’s journey and understand more how she balances it all! Here is our interview with Kristen Flowers and here is the link to her blog. It’s good stuff. Kristen is tough and she inspires us mamas to be tough as well!

1) Tell us about your family.

My husband Nick and I have been together for ten years. We met at a radio station in Las Vegas when I was a morning news anchor on a station and he was the producer that would turn my mic on and off! We bonded over our love of Scrabble and afternoon movies. After being together for nine years, we started trying to have a family. I got pregnant, but we lost that baby after six weeks. We weren't sure if we wanted to keep going but I got pregnant the next month.

In December, our daughter Lilly was born at Alta Bates in Berkeley. It was a very difficult pregnancy. I started having contractions at 24 weeks and was told by the staff that Lilly's prognosis wouldn't be good. Luckily, the doctors were able to stop the labor process. but I was then placed on hospital bedrest for the remainder of my pregnancy. Thankfully, Lilly was born healthy and happy at 34 weeks. I credit not going crazy in the hospital to my work who set up a tiny studio into my hospital room, so I was able to do the morning show from my bed.

2) Tell us about your career with KOIT.

I was working at a radio station in Sacramento when I got the offer to work for KOIT. I thought I was dreaming, because it was my favorite station and exactly the kind of place I wanted to work. Nick and I do the morning show together and for the last three years, it's been an absolute blast! Most people wouldn't like working with their spouse, but I wouldn't want it any other way. When I poke fun at him, our audience knows it's coming from love and when he gets all nerdy, talking about Star Wars, people roll their eyes with me. We are often told that we sound like friends that you would invite over for game night, and that means so much to us.

Our audience is now so invested in Lilly! They were there through my hospitalization and her time in the NICU. They tell me all the time how much they love watching her grow, because like any proud mama, I have to share her pics on social media!

3) Can you think of 3 things that have helped you balance motherhood and your career?

-Asking for help: I'm not the kind of person who asks for help, because I want to be strong enough to do it all, but motherhood is a team effort. I'm really lucky that I have such a wonderful and supportive husband who always gave me a break when I needed it.

-My writing: I write my blog, AccordingtoKristen.com on the side and finding the time to do it improved my sanity and allowed me to remain creative. It's so important not to give up the things you love when you have a baby. But it's tough because you WANT to spend all your time with your child, but taking some time for myself was extremely important for my mental health.

- The baby Brezza: I'm not paid by them at all, but I will sing their praises as much as I can. Since Lilly was born early, breastfeeding was a struggle for both of us. Under the guidance of her doctor, I switched to formula and this little gadget saved my life. No more late night pouring and measuring. It's the Keurig of baby formula!

4) What does your family do for fun in the bay area? What is your favorite and least favorite thing about living here?

We live in Marina Bay in Richmond so there is a biking path outside of our house. Our favorite thing about the Bay is being so close to the ocean. We love to go out there and push Lilly around so she can see the water, flowers and all the birds. Since she is still young, our fun normally consists of Target runs where I always sneak something sweet into the cart. My least favorite thing about the Bay Area is the traffic. Having a little one in the back normally means I've got 20-30 minutes to get there so right now I can't take advantage of some awesome play groups in the East Bay.

5) What do you hope to accomplish with your blog?

I hope that I help some women realize that they're not alone. Pregnancy was so difficult from the very beginning, so I didn't really enjoy the process. I didn't get to have a tradition baby shower. In fact, I had to Skype in because I wasn't able to travel. I want to show women, like me, that no matter how tough, you can get through it.

I also wanted to tell the other side of becoming a mom. While I was pregnant, I was so worried that I would lose myself and the things I love would have to be pushed aside. I've learned that even though my life has different priorities now, you can still accomplish the things YOU want. You don't have to give up everything when you have a child. You have every right to dream big, and you're feelings are valid if you want to retain some independence.

6) How has your transition to motherhood been? What do you love most about being a mom? Has there been anything you didn't expect in this process?

I honestly thought I was going to hate being a mother. My husband and I are the babies of the family, and I've never been around children very much. Growing up I always said that I would never have children, and even into my adulthood I was fine with that choice. When Nick and I decided to try, I still wasn't sure. When I got pregnant, I was terrified and cried all the time, but as the complications started happening, I grew stronger and knew that I had a warrior for a baby.

What surprised me when Lilly was born was that I love being a mom. I especially love the newborn phase that we are in with Lilly. It's such a joy to watch her explore new things and develop her own little personality. Lilly loves the ukulele, green frogs, and sticking her tongue out at you. She starting to sit up on her own and attempting crawling and while I'm so proud of her, I'm a little sad she is growing up so fast. People always said that parenthood goes by so fast, and they're right.

Hearing from another mom increases our understanding, awareness, and sensitivity for the daily weight we face that is being a loving mom and doing it in the best way we know how. Here’s to all you unheard and heard voices of motherhood- we support you in your unique path. If you have any questions or comments please share them here!

Xo, Morgan and Lauren

KOIT Interview with Kristen Flowers