Congratulations to Ashley Lockhart! She is 25 years old, a registered nurse, and first time mom, who has chosen to stay home with her 8 month old son, Jackson. Jackson is the “best baby ever,” she says. At birth, he was “so alert and happy and calm.” Of course, she notes, he’s still a very happy baby boy but, because he is developing more of a personality, he’s not so calm anymore.


Ashley’s favorite first time mom experience was breastfeeding her son. She said she never thought it would feel so natural and that she would just know how to do it. Her favorite part of the day was in the morning when she would lay him down with her and nurse him.


Now that Jackson is old enough to be fed baby food, Ashley prefers supplementing him with organic foods. However, because she lives in a small town, it’s difficult to find a variety of organic foods. She tries to buy organic and local whenever possible. She enjoys making Jackson’s baby food and learned how to online. She uses a blender to puree the vegetables and fruits and freezes it in ice cube trays. She then transfers these molded servings to freezer bags that are thawed whenever needed. “I like making his food because I can give him more of a variety, like avocado, pumpkin and beans, for example.”


Ashley is also teaching her son sign language. She and her husband learned about 20 signs from a video and they use them with Jack as much as possible. Although Jack is only 8 months old and hasn’t learned sign language yet, she told me he did look like he signed “mama” a couple of times.

Ashley is not only a great mom, she’s a unique mom too. She has a soft look about her but don’t let it fool you. She has a tattoo addiction. She said she got her first tattoo when she was 18 years old and has been addicted ever since. Some of her tattoos have special meanings and some were designs she just liked. “I am especially proud to tell people about my husband’s name on my back,” she said. “We had each others' names tattooed when we had only been dating two weeks. Everyone thought we were crazy, but we knew we would be together forever. I also have a tattoo of my dad's guitar on my arm (He died when I was 13) and a dove in memory of my grandfather.” Ashley also has a tattoo on her foot that her husband designed. “It is a heart-shaped locket hooked to an anchor. He has an anchor hooked to a key on his foot.” She continues, “I love all my tattoos, and I'm glad to be able to show them off now. I always had to conceal them as a nurse.”


Does she miss work? As a registered nurse, she told me, she’s used to staying busy. “I never thought I would miss work, but I truly do,” she said. “I miss the interaction sometimes. However, I am torn because I love staying home with my son and feel so lucky not to have to miss out on his development. Plus, we hope to have more children very soon, so there's not much use for me to return to work yet....maybe one day.”


Ashley says she is truly fulfilled being a stay at home mom and wife. “While I feel nursing is very important and I miss it at times, I feel good having the extra time to take care of my husband and be there for my son. That is most important to me.”


So, how did Ashley meet the man of her dreams? “I met my husband at work. He was a resident physician doing a rotation where I was working. As part of my job, I had to take him out to patient's houses. We hit it off very early and were soon inseparable.”


So, what’s her advice for a happy, healthy marriage with child? Ashley and her husband feel very lucky to have her parents as babysitters. She and her husband have date nights and spend quality time together while Jackson visits with his grandparents. “They are always available to take care of him,” she says.


In closing, Ashley says she is thankful every day that she has her husband and beautiful son. “I feel so blessed and will never take them for granted.”


Congratulations again, Ashley. We’re very proud to have you as our first ever Hot Mama of the Month.


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If you’re interested in being our next Hot Mama of the Month, please send me, Darcie Baker, an email at darcie@makemeahotmama.com. You may also submit a comment to this article. Please include a few short paragraphs about yourself and your reasons for wanting to be our January 2009 Hot Mama. Your entries must be sent by January 8, 2009. Our winner will be featured on January 16, 2009. Good luck to you!