Hello internet world! I’m Veronica Ryan wife to Corey and mommy to Oliver, who is just about to turn nine months old. We live in Round Rock, Texas, and absolutely love our life here.

 

My husband and I met while attending Journalism school at Ohio University. As members of the same student-run publication, we ended up on the same team for the annual Grammar Smackdown competition. Yes, it IS as geeky as it sounds. After the competition, we were walking in the same direction and struck up a conversation. We found out we actually lived in the same dorm just on different floors. We said our goodbyes and didn’t see each other again until the summer before our junior year. When we met again, I was definitely not looking for a boyfriend let alone a potential husband. However, something clicked the second time around and we ended up dating.

Eventually we found ourselves moving to Harlingen, Texas immediately after graduation. I had joined the Rio Grande Valley Teach for America Corps and Corey was moving with me. It was a very scary time. We were barely 22 years old moving far away from any family or friends and living on our own in the adult world. I honestly had no idea what I wanted to do or be for the rest of my life, but was pretty sure I would be okay as long as I had Corey around.

Life without family or friends close by was (and still is) one of the hardest things to do. We had virtually no support system in close proximity, and back in 2009 Facetime didn’t even exist yet. We were very much on our own. Somehow we managed to get through those years and have become stronger for it. We got married in 2011 and ended up moving to the Austin area in 2014.

In 2015 we found out we were having our first baby the following May, which brought on a whole slew of new fears of being without a close family support system. His family is still back in Ohio and my family is scattered across the U.S. (parents in Las Vegas, sister in New Jersey, extended family in El Paso, San Antonio and Dallas to name a few). All year long I had been thinking about what our child care plan would be during the next school year.

I never intended to teach forever, I just kept at it and eventually realized I was a pretty good teacher. However, after seven years of teaching and coaching, I knew I was ready for a change. I made the decision to become a stay-at-home mom. It made the most sense since we definitely could not afford a nanny. We also didn’t really want to spend money sending the baby to daycare since hello: teacher salary. Also I just couldn’t imagine only seeing my baby for a few hours every day. Many teachers don’t get home until around 5 P.M. most days. On top of that I always had other after school activities to attend. In the end the decision to stay home with Oliver was a no brainer.

I’m not going to say staying home has been easy. In many ways it is more challenging than any day of teaching ever was, but it is also one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. Every day is a blessing and I get to see my baby grow every day. It was me who got to be there when he laughed for the first time, crawled for the first time and when he said “mama” for the first time. I will also get to see him take his first steps and be the one he runs to when he falls down.

I never would have imagined I would end up being a stay-at-home mom. In fact one of my best friends and I used to have a running joke of reasons NOT to have a baby. Reason #10 sleeping in, reason #605 hitting the road to a concert out of town, reason #83 drinking in a pool all day during the summer. The list goes on. But here I am, and I couldn’t be happier with the way my life has turned out so far.

On a typical Saturday you can find Corey and I hanging out on a trail somewhere pushing baby Oliver along in his jogging stroller. Sometimes we include our two fur puppies Dora and Diego. Our life is pretty simple. Some might even say a little boring, but for us, it’s just the way we like it.

Veronica DeSantos Ryan
Hi Austin mamas! I am Veronica DeSantos Ryan, a mama from Round Rock. My husband and I moved to the area in 2014 and love every minute of it. Our baby Oliver (May 2016) is the light of our life and we are enjoying every minute with him. After spending seven years teaching, I decided that I wanted to be a stay at home mom and teacher of life to my little boy. As a family we love running with Ollie in his jogger stroller, having picnics outside, playing with our two dogs and exploring all the the Austin area has to offer! I am also a performing princess for Lexi's Little Princesses Princess company, a teaching artist at The Georgetown Palace Theatre, and a member of the singing group The Vintage Dreams. I am an avid reader, piano player, singer, and occasional actress in community theater, and have recently been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles and More.

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