Drum roll please… Aaaaand welcome back to mom of the month! For October we are traveling to Philly to celebrate mom, doctor, fashion lover, and frontline worker Melissa. I am thrilled to introduce her and her family to you all so let’s jump right in!
About Melissa
Melissa and her family live in Philadelphia. Her and her husband Brian have 2 sons, Ellis who is 2 years old and Lenox is 9 months. Melissa is an Endocrinologist originally from Freeport, Bahamas. Brian also works in healthcare in the technology space.
Some of Melissa’s favorite things include good food and wine (yum!). She is committed to exercising with her Peloton and is a member of not only 1, but 2 book clubs! She loves to read. Her family enjoys traveling; however, the pandemic has put a damper on that for now. Since she enjoys good food and wine it’s no surprise that she and Brian love attending events. Their favorites are Diner en Blanc, Caribbean music festivals and Philadelphia street festivals. Some of the best food and wine can be found in Philadelphia!
Both Melissa and Brian have a great sense of style and like to “dress to the nines” often. Some of her favorite places to shop include larger stores like the Loft, Francescas, Target and Amazon. She also likes to shop smaller boutiques like Old City Boutique (Lost and Found).
I had the chance to talk to Melissa and ask her everything from where she likes to shop to how her life has changed with two little ones.
Q&A
Q: Is there a special bedtime or naptime routine that works for you with the children?
A: Ellis likes to take naps when Daddy is in the room with him. It also gives Daddy time to nap.
Q: Given your careers and how busy days can be for you and for Brian, how do you find time for yourselves?
A: Luckily, my mother lives with us to help with the kids, so we typically ask her to watch them so we can have a date night or hang out with friends.
Q: Once the pandemic is over where is the first place you’d like to travel to?
A: The Philippines and Japan with Brian’s family.
Q: Would you rather play Monopoly or Charades?
A: Charades – it is a more interactive game
Q: Can you share a challenging experience with both or one of your children and how you overcame it?
A: One week before Lenox was born, we found out the I had a tumor on the edge of my brain (meningioma) that was the cause of my severe vision loss. I have been healthy my entire life, so that was a shock. Then to add to the stress, Lenox was born 2 months early. The combination of an illness and a premature infant in the NICU was a huge burden.
Luckily, we have a close group of family and friends who jumped in and helped us with child care, meals and emotional support. We couldn’t have survived without them. This experience brought us closer together and we learned to take every challenge as it comes and face it together. I eventually had brain surgery to remove the tumor in February, 2020 and my vision has improved. Lenox came home the week after my surgery and he is such a joy.
Q: What is the funniest, cutest or craziest thing that one or both of your children have said or done?
A: Ellis initially was not excited to have a younger brother. However, he has warmed up to Lenox and calls him “MY baby.”
Q: Is there a family tradition that you all really enjoy and would like to ensure your children continue?
A: The Falcon family gathers for each birthday/ holiday and we spend quality time together. I hope our sons have a close relationship and celebrate each other with the rest of the family.
Q: What is your favorite fashion item?
A: I have a purse and shoe obsession.
Q: Given the new normal, especially in the urban space, how are you adjusting?
A: We continue to try to safely take advantage of the activities our city has to offer. We continue to enjoy good food either through outdoor dining or takeout. We take Ellis to the park to play and will take him to Boo at the Zoo this month.
Thank you so much Melissa for taking the time to talk to us about your journey in motherhood. It’s been a pleasure celebrating you and your family this month!
💕Mika
If you have a mom you’d like to nominate please shoot us a message on social @resilientBabyProducts
or by email: mika@resilientbabyproducts.com