Chana of brooklyn Babybites and Move It Momma: interview and family photo session

When I first met Chana, at my first babybites Brooklyn new mom's luncheon with my seven week old babe-in-arms, literally, I found her instantly relatable. She was the mom that I hoped I would be - confident, passionate, engaged, smart, outspoken, down to earth, and with a strong sense of perspective, not to mention humor. When someone loves what they do, they create such positive energy, and now that I've met Chana's husband Ted and her two boys, Ben and Leo, I can see why - her family is so high-spirited and joyful, no wonder she gave up her career as a high-powered Wall Street lawyer to spend more time with her family and her two mom-related businesses, babybites Brooklyn and Move It Momma.

Chana and her family were so much fun to hang out with. Ben is five and Leo is three and Ben even managed to turn the tables on me...

I even let them both take some photos with my camera! Photography workshop for five year olds anyone?!

We met at Patrick Dougherty's sculpture "Natural History" at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens one gorgeous afternoon - Chana's idea, which I instantly loved.

We also chatted via e-mail about life, motherhood and business. If you aren't familiar with babybites Brooklyn I strongly suggest checking it out, especially if you're a new mom or dad. Chana IS babybites Brooklyn and a great resource to have in your life (she was a huge personal help to me during sleep training for example). I've been to many new moms luncheons and events on topics such as sleep, starting solids, developmental stages and even on starting your own business, and it was through babybites that I found my moms group.

I am excited to be working with Chana now on a babybites Brooklyn event of my own, the Baby and Me photo session and workshop on November 16th at the amazing 51st floor rooftop space at The Brooklyner, a new full service residential building and the tallest building in downtown Brooklyn. Chana and I visited the space a couple of weeks ago and it is amazing! I am looking forward to connecting with some new families, talking about and taking photos and having the chance to give back to the babybites Brooklyn community. Check the website for more info and to sign up for this event!

I have also been to some of Chana's Move It Momma stroller fitness sessions and I highly recommend trying them too - it's a great workout and Chana brings the same personal support and opportunity to connect as she does to babybites.

Here's my interview with Chana.

First, a little bit about yourself... where are you from, when did you come to Brooklyn/New York and why, and what has kept you here?

My name is Chana (pronounced "Ha-Na," or if you can swing the "Ch" sound, its "Ch" as in in"Chanukah" or "Challah"). I am a native New Yorker, grew up in Queens and spent 11 years on the UWS of Manhattan before finally finding Brooklyn as my home. When my first son was 16m old, we were priced out of the UWS, and crossed the bridge to find an affordable 2 BR apt. Having been a mommy in both boroughs, I can assuredly say that being a mom in Brooklyn is better. No offense to my Manhattan friends, but there's nothing quite like Brooklyn when it comes to the community feel. Its warmer here, and I'm not talking climate.

I know in your previous life you were a lawyer. Why did you leave the profession and do you think you'll ever go back?

Yes, crazy as it seems now, just three years ago, I was practicing law at a Wall Street firm, litigating with the big guys. Though that work paid the bills nicely, in the 10 years that I practiced, I never really found my work to be satisfying and I always knew that it was not the right fit. After the birth of my 2nd child, my desire to tap into my more creative side and to spend more time "mommying" led me to leave the firm and eventually start babybites Brooklyn. Much to my mother's dismay, at this point in time, I can't imagine going back to a corporate gig.

For those who don't know, what is babybites and why do you think it's important? How did you get involved and start babybites Brooklyn?

babybites is a company that provides support and community to moms in the form of live events as well via online resources. The company was started by Laura Deutsch in 2006, initially as just a new moms luncheon forum (hence, the name baby "bites"), where Laura brought together new moms in a restaurant, gave them a nice meal, brought in an expert speaker to discuss a topic relevant to new motherhood, and offered up some cool raffles. The moms learned something valuable, had fun, and most significantly, connected with other new moms and found a community where they could commiserate and share with others who were experiencing all the same life-altering stuff they were going through. Over the years, babybites grew and started hosting all different kinds of events --not just for new moms, but for moms of toddlers, and dads, and expectant parents -- basically anything and everything that could be useful or fun for parents with children ages 0-5. babybites is so important because being a new parent is rough stuff, and being a new mom in particular can be very isolating. babybites aims to make the process just a little bit easier.

My starting babybites Brooklyn was a product of good timing and a desire to do work that I felt passionate about. When I became a new mom in 2005, I was definitely one of those moms who was overwhelmed by how transformative the experience was, and how challenging. I knew that down the road, I wanted to do something relating to mommyhood, and more specifically, something to help make the experience of new mommyhood more empowering. Fast forward to 2008, I left my job, and Laura (whose husband played college lacrosse with my husband) approached me with the idea of starting babybites Brooklyn. Three years later, I have been working my tail off to create great events here in Brooklyn and provide moms with valuable resources and a community of support. No doubt, my favorite part of doing what I do is being a personal resource to my amazing Brooklyn moms.

How about Move It Momma? What's that about?

The two things I am probably most passionate about are mommyhood and fitness, so its no wonder that I would eventually start a business that allows me to combine these two passions. I was one of those women who was fit and active during adulthood, and then packed on about 60 pounds with each pregnancy, and had a really difficult time getting my body back after each baby. After my first son was born, I joined a stroller fitness class in Central Park, which helped me get my body back, not to mention my sanity. Not only did I lose the weight, I also found comfort in squatting, jumping and lunging alongside other new moms who were sleep deprived and experiencing exactly what I was going through. It was support and fitness all rolled into one.

Having successfully run babybites Brooklyn for over a year, I quickly learned that running a business was an ideal match for my personality and lifestyle, but I also wanted to build something that was all mine. Move It Momma was born. I have been running stroller fitness classes in Prospect Park 3x per week including over the weekend to accommodate my working mommas, and I am in the process of getting certified so that in addition to the stroller fitness, I can start offering in home packages (all while baby naps peacefully in the comfort of his or her crib). My moms who attend Move It Momma jokingly refer to my classes as "Learn & Burn" because not only do they get a seriously hardcore workout (think Jillian from the biggest loser, one of my personal role models), but they also get a supportive mom by their side who will walk them through napping schedules, starting solids, sleep issues, weaning, preschool applications...you name it...all while they tone their tush and find their core again. Its a win win.

What have you found to be the biggest challenges that new parents face?

There’s little that is not challenging. There’s the sleep deprivation, the isolation, the failure to be able to take a shower within a 24 hr period, the fact that you may want to harm your spouse. Lets face it -- those first few months in particular are rough. And then again, its all so worth it cuz’ there’s nothing like that little person in the crook of your shoulder.

What are some of your favorite tips for new parents?

My favorite tips are:

1. Enjoy every minute because the cliché is so true – it does pass very quickly.
2. Try as best you can to not sweat the small stuff. Think big picture. This too shall pass.
3. New moms, try to get one nap in during the day when that baby sleeps. Just do it!
4. Be nice to your partner. New dads – tell her how awesome and beautiful she is, especially in those few months after giving birth to your baby.
5. Find a new moms group. Chances are you connect with one or two moms who become lifelong friends.

What for you have been the biggest challenges and the biggest joys as a parent?

Other than the transition from 0 to 1, and then from 1 to 2 (boy, was that rough), I would say the biggest challenge is in the day to day management and just finding time for myself, as well as time for me and my husband. As a mom, I live for my boys and maintaining my own sense of self (other than being “mommy” to Ben and Leo) continues to be a challenge, and I suppose that will continue for a very long time. My biggest joy is just seeing how happy and wonderful they are. I remember being 30 and single and dreaming of having a family. I still look at them sometimes and think “how did you get here?”

What is your favorite thing to do as a family?

We are definitely an outdoors kind of family. This past summer, we were finally able, with a 5 and 3 year old, to start hiking together. As a couple who did a lot of camping and hiking before babies, my husband and I were thrilled to witness our sons’ enthusiastic response to climbing mountains and we intend to do a lot more of it in coming years. Closer to home, we can usually be found either in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden or in Prospect Park on most days.

Any last words before we end?

I guess I would just close with saying congrats to all the new and expectant parents out there and I hope to connect with you, either through babybites Brooklyn or Move It Momma or both. I really truly do love to be a resource, so I hope you’ll reach out. And lastly, a sincere thanks to all the amazing Brooklyn parents who have supported my endeavors through the years. You know who you are. Thank you!

Thank you Chana for sharing your story here, for all that you do, and for a great photo session! The complete slideshow from the session can be viewed here.

nyc baby, child and family photographer & architect alethea cheng fitzpatrick is based in brooklyn. she specializes in baby photography as interior design & interior design for babies. view her portfolio of babies, children or families or send her an e-mail here!