The Heart Behind Skylar Is Promoted to Big Sister.
It was the middle of the night. The house was quiet, but I was wide awake, rocking my newborn after a feeding and hoping he would drift back to sleep. I was tired, the kind of tired that comes with newborn days, when the nights are long and morning somehow arrives much too quickly.
As I rocked him, my mind wandered through the day we had just made it through and the to-do list already waiting for me in the morning. I was exhausted, grateful, overwhelmed, and incredibly happy, all at the same time.
It was one of my joyful chaos moments. And somewhere in that quiet, sleep-deprived moment, I had an epiphany: There is a story here.
That middle-of-the-night thought eventually became Skylar Is Promoted to Big Sister. But in many ways, the story had begun long before that night. I believe every child’s story begins long before they make their grand entrance into the world. My journey to motherhood began with a season of waiting, hoping, praying, and learning to trust in something greater than myself.
The road came with its share of twists and turns. There was a time when becoming a parent felt uncertain, and moving forward required patience, resilience, and a great deal of faith.
And then our daughter arrived. She was our answered prayer, a beautiful reminder that some blessings are worth waiting for. We soaked in the joy of becoming parents, but eventually another quiet question began to surface: Would she ever have a sibling?
As time passed, the question became harder to ignore. Growing older brought its own realities and moments of uncertainty. Still, faith remained our anchor. We held on to the belief that God’s promises unfold in His timing, even when we cannot see how the story will turn out. Then, what had once seemed almost impossible became possible. Our family was growing again. A New Baby and a New Big Sister! We were overwhelmed with joy. Most importantly, our daughter was thrilled about becoming a big sister. She wanted to help, love on the baby, and be part of this exciting new adventure. But excitement wasn’t the only emotion that came with it. But suddenly, the attention that had once belonged almost entirely to her had to be shared. Our routines changed.
There were feedings, diapers, sleepless nights, new responsibilities and a tiny new person who needed so much of our attention. While we were adjusting to life with a newborn, we realized something important: she was adjusting too. Becoming a big sister wasn’t simply about welcoming a baby. She was learning to find her place in a family that suddenly looked and felt different. And truthfully, so were we. We were all trying to find our new rhythm.
Love Doesn’t Divide. It Expands.
That season taught me one of the most important lessons behind this book: when a family grows, love doesn’t become smaller because it is being shared. Love expands. Children need reassurance through life’s transitions. They need to know their feelings matter and that even when circumstances change, they are still seen, valued, and deeply loved. So, we became more intentional.
Those little moments mattered.
They reminded me that family life isn’t shaped only by the grand milestones. So much of it happens in the small, intentional choices we make every day, a hug, a conversation, a moment of undivided attention, a quiet reminder: You are loved just as much as before.
I also came away from that season with an even greater appreciation for community. The encouragement, prayers, practical help, laughter, and love of family and friends can make challenging seasons lighter and joyful ones even sweeter. All of those experiences became part of the heart behind Skylar Is Promoted to Big Sister.
The book isn’t a direct retelling of our family’s journey. Skylar has her own adventures, personality, and world. But the emotions behind her story are very real—the excitement, uncertainty, adjustment, reassurance, and ultimately the discovery that a growing family doesn’t mean there is less love to go around.
There is simply more room for love to grow.
When I think back to that night rocking my newborn in the dark, exhausted and already thinking about tomorrow, it makes me smile. I wasn’t sitting at a desk trying to come up with my next book idea. I was simply living the story before I knew I would write it. It all started with my fingers and a phone.
My hope is that Skylar Is Promoted to Big Sister opens conversations between children and parents about change, big feelings, new beginnings, and the reassurance that every child still has an important place in the family, even when that family grows. Because perhaps the greatest promotion a child can receive isn’t simply a new title. It’s discovering that their heart has room to grow, too.