Miami Mom Collective Welcomes MIA Mom Rachel Santos Solano

Warm Greetings Miami Moms! My name is Rachel Santos Solano and I am so thrilled and honored to have been chosen as one of the newest contributors to Miami Mom Collective! I feel so humbled and grateful for the opportunity to be a new part of this amazing community of moms. I am beyond excited to share my story and write for this platform with the intention of learning, growing, and gaining a support system during my new motherhood journey! 

Miami

I was born and raised in Miami and am a proud Latina that comes from a Cuban background. What my family and I love the most about Miami is all of the rich cultural experiences that it has to offer and how much diversity there is. There is always something to do in South Florida ranging from festivals to events to museums and so much more!! 

Since I am a huge foodie, something that I personally love about Miami is how there are so many different types of restaurants and cuisines to choose from! You can find a little bit of everything ranging from seafood to Caribbean to Latin American cuisine and more! 

Aside from all of the incredible Miami food something else that I love is checking out local coffee shops and cafes that you can’t find anywhere else. Something that I most look forward to now as a new mom is going on more future mother and daughter coffee dates 🙂

Another thing that my family loves the most about Miami is the warm tropical weather all year round.

(So we don’t have to worry about cold weather ever!) And the beach, along with most places are only about 30 mins away from us! Plus, within a 1.5-2 hour drive, we can have a relaxing weekend getaway or day trip to coastal destinations like Islamorada & Naples!

Some of my all-time favorite places in South Florida are Everglades National Park, Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Zoo Miami, and the Wynwood Arts District. If you’re a local and haven’t been to one of these places yet then you definitely need to check it out and add it to your list! 

Mom

My little family is currently made up of my Costa Rican husband, Gabriel, and I along with our nine-month-old daughter Lily. My husband and I have been together for about 14 years now. We are about to celebrate our 7 year wedding anniversary this month!

It’s been a journey full of lots of ups and downs. But we still managed to get through and trust God and in His perfect timing. In the summer of last year was when I became a mother for the first time and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl whom we named Lily.

It’s a crazy story.

My husband and I didn’t really plan on having any children at the moment. I actually wanted to wait a few more years. In the beginning, I was very afraid to have children because of the labor pains and huge responsibility it takes to raise a child. I also felt unprepared mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially to have a child. 

However, in spite of all of my worries, fear, and self-doubt in myself and in my capabilities, God had other plans in store for my husband and me. He knew that we were ready and that we would be able to handle the challenges and blessings that come with having a child. When I found out I was pregnant it came as a huge shock and surprise to my husband and I since we obviously hadn’t planned it. 

It was during my first ultrasound that I found out I was already 18 weeks along so I had practically missed my first trimester! Fast forward a few months later, my daughter was born exactly 9 days after my birthday in June so it was even extra special to me. Ever since she was born our whole life has changed and turned upside down for the better. Now I can’t imagine my life without her! 

Motherhood definitely has its challenging and hectic days.

But we still love every minute that we are with her. Lily has honestly brought so much joy, love, laughter, and happiness to our little family and home. Not only has she become my main motivation and inspiration but she has also changed my perspective and views on becoming a mother.

I am so grateful to God for blessing me with such a sweet, loving, and happy baby and for giving me the honor and privilege of becoming a mother. She is truly the best gift that I could have ever asked for! Since I am just starting my motherhood journey I definitely have a lot to learn within the coming years especially from my own mom and other mothers as well.

I look forward to raising her the way our parents raised us along with celebrating her milestones and enjoying life together. And maybe if God permits he will bless us with a second child down the road to become her sibling.

Collective

What community means to me is being surrounded by people you can relate to, who are like-minded, and that act as a support system. It’s made up of people who make one feel like they belong and are valuable, appreciated, and loved. It’s also made up of people who genuinely love helping, supporting, cheering, and lifting others up.

What excites me the most about being a part of Miami Mom Collective is the opportunity to get plugged into the community, attend local events put together by incredible women, and most importantly the chance to meet other Miami moms.

By becoming one of the newest contributors to Miami Mom Collective I hope to gain some wisdom and knowledge from other moms who have more experience than me. And to hopefully develop real, meaningful, and lasting friendships along with a support system during my new motherhood journey that I am embarking on!