- Son, Luca, 9 months. Married to Matthew Fitzsimmons, an urban planner and a docent at the Chicago Architecture Foundation
- Chicago
- Singer and songwriter
How has becoming a mom changed you?
I think it has made me slow down, which is strange because I have never been busier. But I think you are so aware of how quickly this stage, especially when they are so tiny, goes by. I’ve been touring for almost 13 years nonstop, always in a car, always in a plane, heading somewhere. Everything was kind of all about me, what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it. … But now obviously everything has shifted. It’s been such a joy to just hang out for a little while and Luca has been such a great reminder of that.
What has been the biggest surprise so far?
I was a little bit worried that I would feel bored, not with being with him, but with the lifestyle of not going somewhere new every single day. The opposite has been true. It’s been really wonderful to have a routine. I’m thrilled to say I don’t find it boring at all. There are moments that are hard and tedious, of course. I didn’t know how much I would enjoy just the mundane details of being a mom. I really like it, way more than I thought I would.
Has Luca made it into many songs yet?
I kind of feel like I am so steeped in the experience of being a new mom and trying to figure everything out. I need to get out of that initial part of the experience before I can look back on it with any kind of understanding or perspective. I feel like every day I am a complete newbie at this.
What is your ideal day or night in Chicago?
We love to get up in the morning, go to the Coffee Studio, which is my favorite coffee place, at Clark and Olive, get a good cup of coffee and walk over to the dog beach, have breakfast at m.henry (5707 N. Clark) and then just sort of be in the backyard with friends. Making a big dinner and going to bed early.
