In this episode of The Anastasiya Podcast, Matt and I reflect on what we would keep the same and what we would change if we were becoming first-time parents all over again.

We talk about unrealistic expectations, nursing and pumping pressure, sleep deprivation, paternity leave, and the identity shift that comes with early parenthood. We also share how unmet expectations affected our mental health and what finally shifted when we gave ourselves permission to adjust instead of force.

Year one humbled us. It stretched us. It forced us to adjust our expectations of ourselves and of our baby.

The first baby is the teacher. And if we could do it again, we’d give ourselves more permission, more rest, and a little more grace.

In this week’s episode of The Anastasiya Podcast, I dive right back into peeling the layers of this new season of life: motherhood. Reaching for gratitude: daily, is once again at the top of the list. I share my thoughts on how not all motherhood is created equally, how wanting what we don’t have shows up even in this season, and how I want to remember these years of my life.

“Surviving, not thriving” is a phrase often coined in motherhood, and I want to challenge it. When I look back on the season spent growing our family and pouring into our littles, I don’t want to remember these years in shades of grey because I was just “surviving.” There has to be a better way, and I’m in pursuit of finding it!

In this episode of The Anastasiya Podcast, I talk about my very complicated relationship with social media after taking the entire month of January off. Like every social media hiatus I’ve ever taken (because yes, I do this often), it felt amazing. I didn’t miss it. Not even a little. Life was quieter, clearer, and somehow I had so much more time… shocking.

What’s interesting is that I’m not even consuming political or sensationalized content. I’m watching wholesome videos about families, kids, and funny moments that genuinely make me think, “Oh my gosh, I love people!” And yet, the second I put my phone down, I feel physically sick. Instant cyber sickness and real remorse over free time I somehow donated to the algorithm.

I reflect on how much content we absorb in even one minute on social media and how quickly that multiplies without us noticing. Twenty minutes goes by, and we’re maxed out long before we realize it, smiling at our phones. I don’t have a perfect solution or a polished plan moving forward. I just know I still deeply love and hate social media... and for me, there truly is no in-between!

In this solo episode, I’m sharing a few real-life updates before diving into a topic that stopped me in my tracks. I started reading a book last week that referenced a study by Dr. Edward Wilson on the innate biological differences between men and women. Learning (or re-learning) that men produce new sperm for their entire lives, while women are born with every egg they will ever have, sent me down a deep rabbit hole - one that made me seriously reflect on my own fertility and biological timeline.

That curiosity turned into a deep dive into what our fertility actually looks like after thirty, and the data around conception after 35–37 was a genuine jaw-dropper. And that’s assuming everything else is in optimal shape: hormones, sperm health, stress levels, nutrition & overall wellness. It became very clear why so many women and couples in their 30s and 40s are facing fertility struggles, and why this conversation matters more than ever.

This episode isn’t meant to scare or pressure anyone. For me, it was about giving myself permission to sit with the facts, absorb the data, and re-evaluate what I want for our family. And once I did that, I knew I wanted to share this information with my female listeners so we can make honest, empowered, informed choices instead of relying on narratives that may not tell the full truth.

In this episode, Matt and I sit down together to share our experience with the miscarriage we recently walked through. We open up about what those days looked like for us, how we processed the loss individually and together, and why we felt called to share our story.

Healing doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s rarely linear. While acceptance can come, emotional waves still follow, and we talk honestly about navigating those moments with grace and patience. Our hope is that if you’re walking a similar path, you feel less alone - and reminded that external processing can be part of healing.

We trust God’s timing and His story for our lives and our family, and we hold hope close, knowing that beautiful things are still on the horizon.

This week’s episode is a cozy solo catch-up from my snowy corner of Rhode Island. We woke up to a full-on winter wonderland, all while still not sleeping over here: baby girls molars are very much molar-ing.

Sharing a family update as my little brother headed off to his first training school after joining the armed forces, along with some lighter updates like why Costco will forever be my favorite warehouse club and my honest thoughts on Love Is Blind (Season 9... thankful for the fast-forward button).

I also check in on the social media hiatus- it is still going strong, and I am still loving it! Stepping away gave me the time to finish up my 2026 vision board and to my surprise, sitting down to creating something was so therapeutic and enjoyable, it opened my eyes to wanting more slow, creative evenings once the day winds down, instead of defaulting to doom scrolling.

This episode is a laid-back catch up with a bunch of life updates from the start of the new year. Over in my corner of the world, we don’t really do New Year’s resolutions per se, we set goals. The kind that take time to fulfill. Whether that’s weeks, months, or the dreaded years, we do our best and just keep showing up.

I share how quitting sugar is going (does hot chocolate have sugar in it?), why my social media hiatus has been one of my favorite decisions so far, and what’s been filling my time instead. We dabble in the beauty world, skipping nail appointments, new reality TV (hello Members Only: Palm Beach), and the very real realization that my goal of getting to bed earlier is somehow going in the opposite direction… which is actually very on brand for me.

And while I haven’t started strength training yet, I did learn that hiking every day with Magnolia counts for something. Between carrying her, the Osprey backpack, and dressing in full winter gear, I’m hauling an extra 45 pounds. So… we’re calling that a win!!

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 1 of The Anastasiya Podcast. I rang in the New Year doing what I probably shouldn’t have been doing… doom scrolling, and I didn’t even notice the clock strike midnight...*eye roll*. That‘s exactly why I was excited to start a social media hiatus!

This year, I’m not trying to become someone new, instead I am excited to free up time that has always technically been there, but I was too distracted to notice. I am starting off the new year focusing on my health and wellbeing while being the best mom and wife I can be. And this time around when things feel hard, instead of giving up I will aim to rest, reset, and pivot to keep going.

I’m leaning into restructuring my free time, making the most of daily hikes with Volkie, cutting back on sugar (please send help), and maybe, just maybe, finally figuring out a decent bedtime routine. Nothing about this feels foolproof, but I’m giving myself permission to try, and that feels like a really good place to start.