Juggling motherhood with passion and grace

Heather Brook, a pediatric nurse practitioner, shows us what it means to be a wonderful mom. With three kids to look after—twin boys ages 10 months, and a 3-year-old daughter, Heather’s journey as a mom is full of love and hard work.

Even at the young age of 3, Heather already knew she wanted to be a mother. When her mom brought her baby sister home from the hospital, Heather was so disappointed that her mom didn’t bring a baby home for her too.

For nearly eight years, Heather has been living on Saipan, where she works at the Children’s Clinic at the Commonwealth Health Center. Even with her busy job, being a mom is the most important thing to her. “Being a mother is being a teacher, caregiver, leader, and comforter all at once, and it’s a 24/7 forever job. It often means putting the needs of your children above your own,” according to Heather.

Being a mom brings Heather so much happiness, especially in the little moments. Like when her kids look up to her with big eyes and say they love her, when they laugh together, or by simply watching her child sleep in her arms. These simple things mean the world to her.

It isn’t always easy though, Heather had to raise her kids on her own, which was really tough, especially when her twins were born. But she never gave up. She worked hard every day to make sure her kids were happy and healthy. “My biggest challenge thus far has been raising my children as a solo parent by choice. Having twins was a huge surprise, and I never planned on having three children. Much less having three children under 3 years old, for the first seven months after the twins arrived. We have almost survived the first year, but it’s constant multitasking to keep everyone cared for and give each child individualized love and attention, and feeling like there’s never enough of me or enough time in the day. This is definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she mused.

When asked how she balances the demands of motherhood with her personal goals and aspirations, Heather tries to have a little “me time” every couple of weeks. “Motherhood requires a lot of sacrifice and compromise, but I try to pick a few of the things that make me feel like me or things I love to do, and keep them in my life as much as I can. I try to take a few hours every couple of weeks to do some self-care, get a massage if I can, or get out for a bike ride with friends,” according to her.

Heather believes that good communication and love are key to a strong family. Even though her kids are still young, she thinks it’s important to say sorry when she makes a mistake. That’s how they learn to be kind and understanding. For her, parents are not perfect and it’s OK for the children to know that.

She wants her kids to grow up knowing the importance of family and being kind to others. That’s why she spends so much time with them, reading stories, and teaching them new things. “I really hope to pass on a very strong value for family and facilitate all my children to not only be close with me as their mother but also with each other as siblings, both now and into adulthood. And an emphasis on the importance of showing kindness and having compassion for others, above smarts, beauty, or athletics.”

To new moms, Heather says, “In my daily work as a pediatric nurse practitioner, I get to work with a lot of new parents. First, I would say trust yourself and your instincts. It’s okay to make mistakes, you will be constantly learning as you go. You are made to do this, and there is no better mother for your child than you! Second, it goes so fast. Every stage can feel like an eternity when you are in it (the sleepless newborn nights, the toddler tantrums), but you will look back and it will feel like a blink of an eye. Savor those moments because they will never be as little as they are today.”