I am (almost) a Tucson native, I have been here since I was 3, the desert is all I know. My family is from Chicago and scattered throughout the South and Midwest, growing up it was always a nice escape during our summer heat! My mom is the daughter of a Lithuanian immigrant and a Swedish mother. We grew up with a lot of Eastern European culture, and so much good food! Food and nutrition were a big part of life. When I think of food it brings me joy, all of our celebrations involved careful thought into what we ate. Naturally, when my daughter was born, I became very invested in what she ate. From the health aspects of food to the diversity and flavor profiles, it was important to me that she had variety, and depth in her diet.

I love to cook, bake, and eat! When I am not busy with work or parenting, I try to find time to get creative in the kitchen. I dabble in cake decorating, love throwing dinner parties, and gathering with friends and family of course with good food.

When our beautiful daughter was born, she came with some surprises we weren't expecting. First, she came early at 34 weeks, spent 28 very long days in the NICU, then was diagnosed with a very rare genetic condition, she was the 151st person to be given her diagnosis at the time.

All of this only intensified my desire to ensure her diet was optimal to help her grow and thrive. Our breastfeeding journey was challenging, low muscle tone, and a cardiac defect, all contributed to a long road to success, which we ultimately achieved with the help of our incredible lactation consultants. Pumping, bottle feeds, tube feeds, and practice breastfeeds were all part of our story. So with all of that, my passion for breastfeeding was born. So, that's me and my story, I can't wait to learn about you and yours!