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hillary ariel

@hillaryariel

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i spend my days living in the goodness of God ☁️
& caring for a tiny human at home 🪿

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hello and welcome to my little corner ☁️

reflecting and putting my thoughts into words has always been such an integral part of my life — and even more so now, as i navigate this major transition into motherhood.

i love writing.
i love talking to people about the different seasons of life, and all the beauty and chaos that come with them.
and most of all, i love creating space for authentic, vulnerable conversations — the kind where we can be honest about where we’re at, what we’re learning, and who we’re becoming.

if that sounds like you, stick around. let’s walk through this journey of life together 🌼 by @hillaryariel

A heartfelt piece about our recent life transition that I really wanted to share. It’s been such a crazy journey, yet it has truly been one filled with so much of His grace and love.

May this be an encouragement to those who have been or are on similar journeys! ☺️ by @hillaryariel

with a little fear and trembling, but a whole lot of excitement and anticipation, we’re so so happy to be able to share that we are expecting!!❣️

we thought really hard about how we wanted to share this joyous piece of news, because we knew that the journey to get here was not as straightforward, and was in fact filled with so much of His love, grace, mercy and redeeming power. and although it has been so hardgoing at many points, we know that we wouldn’t have had it any other way because we got to truly taste the goodness of God in our wrestling to get here.

we are beyond grateful that the Lord has entrusted us with a precious life, and we can’t wait to meet him soon 🥹❤️ by @hillaryariel

came across a post by @ourlittleplaynest recently about things that singaporean parents treat as emergencies, when they actually are not, and something just clicked in me.

as a first time mum, there have been 1001 things that i’ve been treating as emergencies, when really they’re not! 😭

if not for the many mum friends around me that have told me, “it’s normal”, “it happens”, “it’s okay”, “it WILL BE okay”, i think i would’ve lost it by now. and if not for my level-headed husband who constantly reminds me that not everything is a problem that needs to solved, i would’ve spent more time trying to fix things than actually enjoying the journey of watching our son grow.

in parenthood, there are just so many schools of thought, different approaches, different principles that it honestly gets so confusing sometimes. don’t let a difference in opinion or parenting style trick you into thinking that it’s an emergency you MUST resolve. a baby that doesn’t sleep through the night consistently doesn’t necessarily need to be sleep trained, a baby that is traditionally weaned will not necessarily grow to become a picky eater, a baby that tosses things on the floor for fun is (surprise) actually just going through normal development.

not everything is an emergency; in the grand scheme of things, you and baby will be okay❣️ by @hillaryariel

entering my 30s feeling kinda like by @hillaryariel

how has it been 7 months since i gave birth to our baby boy?! 😭

was reading “risen motherhood” today, and i was on a chapter on birth. it brought me straight back to the delivery ward where we went through a really intense 29 hour journey before baby zachary was finally in our arms.

the truth is, birth SCARED me and right up till the moment he was finally delivered safely, my head was just so full of anxious thoughts and fears.

if you’re a mama to be, and you find yourself resonating with how i feel, this one’s for you 🤍 by @hillaryariel

for the mums who may be struggling quietly, i hope this piece speaks to you 🤍 by @hillaryariel

at the end of the day, we’re all just trying to give our children the best childhood they could ever have 🤍

(also please forgive my grammar errors, mum brain or sth 🫪) by @hillaryariel

i recently, in my exhaustion, lamented to my husband about how i miss just being able to do things in life without rushing. sahm life often feels like a constant race against baby’s attention span and tolerance for being left alone — meals are rushed, showers are rushed, chores are rushed, replying people’s texts are rushed, the list goes on.

this lovely man then blocked out a whole afternoon and told me to take a day off, and just go do something that refreshes me. oh how i’ve missed enjoying a bowl of hot soup, going for a workout class that challenges me and reading without having to pause every 2 minutes!!! 🥹

which made me think — while sahm life is extremely meaningful and full of joy, it’s also round the clock labour that never quite ends. how precious would it be if villages (be it family, friends, or even a paid village) can work together to enable sahms “time off” from ✨ the daily grind ✨ because sahms deserve days off too 🤭

thankful for the husband who always validates the work that i put in to care for our baby, and who unreservedly protects my space to rest and recharge❣️ by @hillaryariel

brought zachary out for his first outdoor nature walk after hesitating for a long long time. so glad that we did it, together with my in-laws!

i’ve been wanting to bring him out into the sun, to breathe some fresh air and to admire the greenery, but i’ve always been so nervous about it because of the 1001 anxieties i have about the logistics of it all.

but mandai boardwalk was a really easy one!
🌼 stroller friendly
🌼 short enough of a walk for a first-timer
🌼 mix of shade + sun
🌼 clean changing & nursing rooms at the entrance & exit

the only downside is that once you’re on the trail, the only way is through and you can’t hop off the trail to use the toilet if you / baby needs to. so be prepared for that!

otherwise, it was really such a lovely morning! zac was so tired after that he took a 1 hour 45 minute nap — the first long nap he’s had in MONTHS 🫪 by @hillaryariel

happy fathers’ day, to the love of my life! your very first! 🥰

the start of your fatherhood journey wasn’t an easy one at all — having to make incredibly difficult decisions for our family, while managing the transition to caring for him, and supporting me through my postpartum recovery. but i saw how you clinged on to God so tightly in that season to pull us all through, and i came out of it just knowing that you will be an absolutely amazing dad in the years to come.

thank you for being the pillar of strength in our family — for not just doing all that you can to provide for our needs, but also pouring your heart into being present for zac and i ❤️

i love you, and i’m so thankful it’s you that i get to raise our little one with! by @hillaryariel

the experience of putting away the clothes your baby has outgrown as a first time mum should come with a warning 😭

how has it been 5 months since the little one has came into our lives, absolutely shook our world, but also filled our hearts with a love that we cannot explain? 🤧 by @hillaryariel