Photo courtesy of Erin Brown Hollis.
Hoover resident Erin Brown Hollis with her two daughters. The ideas explored in Hollis’ book, “Cheers to the Diaper Years,” include learning to accept that you may not be perfect, but you are enough for your child; how to find joy, even in the craziest moments of motherhood; and how to find your own “mommy tribe.”
Motherhood can undoubtedly be one of the most joyous parts of a woman’s life. However, it can also be one of the most stressful.
“When I first learned I was pregnant,” Erin Brown Hollis said, “I did what I think a lot of moms did, and I ran to the bookstore and got on Amazon and started searching for just the manual for being a mom.”
Hollis is a Hoover resident, lawyer, speaker and mom of two, but she’s also a flourishing blogger and writer. In her search for books about motherhood, she found that she was coming up short when it came to the emotional aspect of being a mother.
“I really needed a book that addressed the emotional changes I was experiencing as a mom and a lot of struggles and things like that are really just glossed over in most books,” she said.
Most books were about the child and not the mom in the parenting process, which she felt robbed mothers of the chance to be nurtured and mentored, as well. So, she set out to create a solution.
The original draft started as a diary of her own experiences as a mother, but it eventually became “Cheers to the Diaper Years: 10 Truths for Thriving While Barely Surviving.”
“I sat down and really wrote a nonfiction book for moms to really meet them in those times of need when they feel alone, scared, worried, fearful and they feel comparison with other moms,” Hollis said.
The ideas explored in “Cheers to the Diaper Years” include learning to accept that you may not be perfect, but you are enough for your child; how to find joy, even in the craziest moments of motherhood; and how to find your own “mommy tribe.” The book is also heavily rooted in faith and Christianity, with inspiring Bible passages sprinkled throughout.
Taking into account the social media driven day and age that we live in, Hollis even touches on how some moms compare themselves to other moms on platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest.
Stress from situations like planning and cooking meals, getting ready for the day and even mom guilt are also discussed.
As the mother of two young girls, there have been a number of moments where motherhood has proven to be Hollis’ most heartwarming gift, from the first time she felt their hands grip her finger at the hospital to the affirming feeling of hearing them say “I love you.”
Skin to skin contact with her oldest daughter was also a life-altering moment for Hollis.
“They put her directly on my chest, and it was time for them to measure her and weigh her,” she said. “And they took her off my chest, but she reached back out. I know that was probably a reflex, but that was the moment my entire life changed. I realized what selflessness was, I realized what unconditional love was all in that one moment with my daughter.”
“Cheers to the Diaper Years” is available on Amazon for $15.
