This month, we’re celebrating Louisiana cool moms — starting with my friend Becca Laurent of REBL Creative!
You can read the full evolution of her business in this older post, but today we’re focusing on what’s NEW with Becca — and that’s these two sweet little twins you see here!
Meet Baby A, Vivienne (aka Viv), and Baby B, Baudry (aka Beau)!
They were born on November 27, 2017.
Before the twins came, Becca was determined to go to Carter’s on Black Friday for the $5 Christmas jammies. But Beau and Viv had other plans in mind.
Becca started having contractions on Black Friday. She went to the hospital on Sunday night and had a C-section on Monday night — at 35 weeks and 3 days.
Viv went home, but Beau was in the NICU for 24 days to work on his eating and to regulate his temperature.
He finally came home on December 21 — just in time for Christmas!
Fast forward 6 months and Becca runs her jewelry business full-time from home as a new mama of twins.
Since you run your business from home, walk us through a typical day.
7AM - The Babies wake up. I feed them and then have some play time.
9AM - They go down for a nap. This is when I usually fill orders, answer emails, post to Instagram, etc.
11AM - They wake up. They eat, play and then usually take a short nap. If we need to get out of the house, this is when we pile into the car and take a trip to drop off at the post office or grab a coffee!
3PM - They eat again. My babysitter comes around the same time. While I have her there, I try to get something accomplished: laundry, dishes, swiffer, or make earrings!
6:30PM - Babies get their baths and eat again.
7PM - Babies are asleep. They just started sleeping through the night (12-ish hours) at the beginning of April, and it is AMAZING!
How do you balance being a new mom and business owner?
I definitely have not mastered this, and I wouldn’t be keeping up with REBL if it weren’t for the help I have around me! Before the twins arrived, I mentally prepared myself as if I would not be able to continue REBL, totally expecting the worst. But somehow it is all working out and we’re just going with the flow. Some days, no REBL gets done.
What’s been the biggest challenge of raising newborn twins and running a business?
I now have very limited time to do anything REBL-related (and I’m not staying up late unless I really need to get something done), so when I do have a moment to work, I have to be fully focused on what’s in front of me and not dilly-dally.
How have the twins inspired your creativity?
All the baby things are so colorful — and even colors are paired that I wouldn’t have thought to put together. So I have tried out some new colorful things. They also make me want to work harder or create better. That sounds so cliche, but I want them to see that if they work hard, they can accomplish anything.
What’s your favorite thing about being a mom so far?
Becca: Snuggles and smiles
As a new mom, where’s your favorite place (or easiest place) to bring the twins in Baton Rouge?
We haven’t exactly been too many places. When they were born and until about a month ago, it has been flu season, so we have been avoiding public places like the plague. We have gone to LSU and Mike the Tiger a few times on the weekends so that is probably our favorite and easiest place to bring them so far!
What advice would you give to other moms would want to start a business?
Budget for a babysitter or even better, convince a family member to help for free! Being an entrepreneur can be exhausting by itself, but being a MOM-trepreneur can be even more exhausting if you don’t have any help and don’t get enough sleep. I imagine making your own products are also a lot easier once your children are in school.