Birth of new perspective for East County moms

When life is at its craziest for Lakewood Ranch's Kathryn Metze, she thinks back to how everything has changed in 18 months.

Being a first-time mother can turn your life upside down.

When Kathryn and her husband, Justin, found they were pregnant in December 2016, with their daughter, Brinley, everything changed. The Metze family hadn’t planned for a baby.

“I didn’t think I was pregnant ... I was 35 after all," Metze said. "I thought, 'there’s no way,' I didn’t think it was ever going to happen. I’ve always babysat for kids and I love being around kids, but it’s just so different than having your own.”

Metze, who worked in sales for 10 years at First Data in Orlando, resigned to be a full-time mom to Brinley, who is 6 months old.

“I was in the grocery store the other day and someone in line wished me a happy Mother’s Day (which is May 13). I looked around and wondered who they were talking to before I realized it was me,” Metze said.

For her first Mother’s Day, Metze and her family will visit her parents, Bill and Laurie Kealing, in Venice.

“I was a career woman for 10 years,” Metze said. “We bought a convertible and we planned all these trips, and when we found out that I was pregnant we had to sell the convertible and cancel all the trips. But it’s still the coolest thing in the world to know she’s mine.”

Unlike Metze, who was surprised when Brinley came along, Lakewood Ranch's Ashley Paduch and her husband, Brett, were not surprised by the birth of their first child.

When they started building their current home in Lakewood Ranch two years ago, Ashley decided it was time.

Their daughter, Sloane, is now 9 months old. Paduch said that she never expected to feel like she does about her daughter.

“The amount of love that you have is surprising," Paduch said. "The fear that you have that something could happen, you want to protect your child from everything. I just can’t describe the fullness I feel in my heart when I look at her. It’s a whole different ball game.”

For her first Mother’s Day, Paduch just wanted one thing.

“All I want is my husband to make me breakfast," she said. "I just want him to make me an omelet and, because it’s Florida, I want to go outside. Maybe the beach,” Paduch said.

“There are all of these little milestones that are so exciting for me,” Paduch said. “I write them all down in a journal. Like, today Sloane sat up on her own for the first time. I wrote it down before I could forget it.”

Kristina Courtenay, from GreyHawk Landing, narrowly missed her first Mother’s Day last year. Her son, Kylar, is 11 months old after being born on May 23. 

“I always wanted to be a mom, it was always something I wanted for myself when I thought about my future,” Courtenay said. “When I found out, I felt the excitement. We had been trying for a few months., and I just took the test on a whim.”

For her first ever Mother’s Day, all Courtenay wants is to spend time with her husband, Mark, and Kylar.

“Maybe we’ll go out for dinner, but really I’m excited to spend time with my son. I’m just grateful to have that opportunity,” Courtenay said.