Some days I cannot believe I am a mother of three boys


I am a mother of three amazing black boys. Some days I really cannot believe I have three children. As a child growing up, I always told my family and friends that I wanted to have four kids. I can tell you that once I gave birth to my third son, I knew we had reached our limit and our family was complete.

Pregnant just two months after marriage

I was holding Jayden for the first time after having an emergency c-section

My first son is 12-years-old, he will be the big 13 next month. I cannot believe it. I had Jayden when I was 28. I remember when I found out I was pregnant, which was just two months after my honeymoon. Yes, I was married for a whopping two months before I became pregnant with my first son. I was soooo scared. My husband and I did not use protection after we got married. See what being in love does to you. But, we never in a million years thought I would get pregnant that fast. Jayden arrived before our one-year anniversary. We were like a lot of newlyweds or should I say, I wanted to have our wedding cake on our one-year anniversary. In fact, the bakery we used included a one-year anniversary cake in the price. I thought that was a nice addition. My mother was so sweet and decided to pay for an upgrade of the cake so all of our family and friends could celebrate our anniversary and the birth of our little Jayden. You can see in the photo that she probably over did it a bit… that cake was huge.

 

Tough being a mom with no family nearby

I loved being a mother, but it was tough back then. We lived in Omaha, Nebraska at the time and we had no family near us. I moved there to take a job as a producer at the FOX TV station. I had several promotions while I was there and was the Executive Producer of the station’s website at the time. I loved my job. Not only did I get to report on stories, but I also anchored a newscast for the website and taped a teaser for the evening newscast to promote what viewers could learn more about on our website. It was truly a dream job. But, being in a city with no family and trying to take care of a newborn was overwhelming for two newlyweds. I was willing to leave the dream job for a chance to be near my mom and family members.

The realization that the TV industry was not the place for me anymore

After a few short weeks, I was hired at the CBS station in Indianapolis, Indiana. This move brought me within three hours of the Chicago area where most of my family resides. I was ecstatic to be so close. While working at the CBS station as an internet content producer, I got pregnant with my second son. Chase was born just one month after Jayden turned three years old. I remember working in a newsroom full of people and there were quite a few women, but no one else on staff was pregnant. I was the only one. There was nowhere for me to go to pump my breast, there was no mother’s type room. It was the same way in Omaha.

I stayed home with my Chasey Pooh for 2 years

After coming back from maternity leave and realizing, there was really no place for me to pump. I started to think that the TV industry was not for me anymore. I wanted to breast feed my child. I needed to pick my son up from daycare even if breaking news happened. I ended up parting ways with the TV station and I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

For two years, I was a stay at home mom

Chase was only four months at this time and I was able to stay home with him while job searching. While I knew that the economy was not doing well at the time, I really realized how bad it was when I could not find a job. I loved and hated being a stay at home mom. I loved knowing that my boys were safe, but I longed to have a purpose outside of being a mom. For nearly two years, I searched for the right opportunity. I was elated when I landed a job in the marketing/communications department at the Eiteljorg Museum in downtown Indy. Chase was almost three and Jayden was six years old at the time.

Switched career fields and I have never looked back

I remember feeling so scared that I would not be able to do the job. All I had ever known was working in a newsroom. But, I quickly realized that I could not only do the job, but I could excel at it. I have received two promotions over the course of almost seven years. I am currently the Digital Marketing Manager and I really love what I do. I also had my third son while working at the Eiteljorg. I became pregnant with Kaleb after working there for three years. My experience at the museum was really a night and day type of experience. My supervisors really value work life balance. They allowed me the opportunity to take extra time on maternity leave and when I returned to work, I was able to work from home several days a week.

I am a #HardworkingMommi

It can be tough working a demanding job and taking care of three boys, all while trying to start a business on the side. Yes, I started my own business in January of this year.

I named my business after myself, Hyacinth Rucker Digital Marketing and it focuses on all things digital including website creation and redesign, social media management and e-newsletter creation. I am a hardworking mommi, which is exactly why I selected #HardworkingMommi for my MommiNation T-shirt.

Hard work is in my blood

A loving single mother raised me. She raised myself, my older brother and younger sister, all by herself. She worked as a teacher and counselor and went back to school to get not one, but two Masters Degrees. She also has a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction that she obtained while I was an adult. I watched my mother push herself to do her best at work and cook healthy meals for us at home and so much more in between. My mother is my rock. I strive every day to be half the mother she was to my siblings and me.

My hard work is paying off and the future is bright

Kaleb decided to jump in my photo shoot.

I am determined to show my boys that hard work really does pay off. I work hard to be the best mother I can be. I know I fall short sometimes, but I get up every day with the thought that I am going to give my all today. I also work hard at my job. This pandemic has increased my workload by probably 50 percent. I work on weekends and nights to get everything done. I am always trying to balance work with my family. It is definitely a struggle sometimes. All while nurturing a new business that God put in my spirit to start in the summer of 2019. I took a business class in the fall of 2019 and pitched my business at a pitch fest in December. While I did not win, I won by gaining so much knowledge. And, I landed my first client in March of this year. I am so excited about what the future holds. The sky is the limit.

 

Until next time

Mommi Hyacinth