What are the names of your kids and how did you choose their names?

My son is named Declan. It’s an Irish name as his dad is from Ireland. I had never heard the name before, but my husband, Peter, was working with two young guys that had just come over from Ireland and one was named Declan. I heard it and just loved it. I didn’t even know if I was having a boy or a girl, but at that moment I knew it was a boy and he would be named Declan. The funny part of the story is that a few weeks after having Declan my husband found out that the young guy’s name was actually Damien and he had been calling him the wrong name all of those months!

My daughter’s name is Reagan. I was convinced she was going to be a boy so I didn’t really have a girl’s name picked out. Her name is actually an Irish last name and we all love Ronald Reagan in my family, so it just worked. I can’t imagine her with any other name.

The best piece of advice you have ever received:

I have gotten two pieces of good advice…one was from when my kids were little and that was that all of the horrible phases, i.e., waking up at night, not napping, etc, would only last a week and to hang in there…and it’s basically true. If you can keep it together for a week those things usually pass. The second piece of advice that works now is to be quiet and listen. I love to lay with my kids when they are going to bed for a few minutes to ask them what’s new and how school was that day and then I just listen to everything they have to tell me. The more you listen, the more they talk.

What is some good parenting advice or tips you would give to new moms?

I would give the advice that I mentioned above, but what I say to every new mom is to enjoy every single minute, even the not so fun ones, because they go by way too fast. I remember the first night I brought my son home from the hospital like it was last night and he is going to turn 9 this year…and I can't even comprehend that much time has passed. I would also say spend as much time as you can with your kids while they are little because the time they have available once school, sports and friends come into the picture is very scarce. And the one piece of advice that I give myself every day is to love them the most when they deserve it the least. You can’t love them too much.

If you had one free day all to yourself, what would you do?

If I really had a whole day to myself, I probably wouldn’t know what to do…but I would start by going on a long run, then I would do some baking and then I would probably go shopping. I have a spa gift certificate going on three years now…maybe I would try to use that too!

What is your favorite way to spend time with your kids and family?

Our favorite way to spend time together as a family is to go out on The Delta and Wakeboard. We do it all weekend, every weekend of the summer. We live in San Francisco and it’s very foggy here in the summer so we have to do it to stay sane and feel like we are having a summer….but it’s fun, family time together and is only getting better as the kids get older.

What are some of your interests?

Sadly, I don’t have a lot of extra time for hobbies, but I do like to run and I make sure I get in a run every day. Beyond that I am involved with my kids’ school and I also work so that pretty much fills my time!

Which Baby Be Hip product is your favorite to send as a gift?

My favorite products that I give every single time a friend has a baby are the personalized premium blanket and the personalized burp clothes, both the baby’s named embroidered on them. I have had mom’s tell me they want to frame them because they are so beautiful.

Thank you Mindy for being our Customer of the Week! Stay tuned for next week…