Bryan Health’s online community for Nebraska parents.
Parenting is life-changing, rewarding and filled with excitement. CapitalMOM is a Bryan Health online community for Nebraska parents and grandparents to connect, learn and grow with one another through all stages of life.
Health & Wellness
How to Deal With Big Changes in Your Life
The one constant in life is change. One might get a new job, have a baby, graduate or move to a different city. Even though changes can be exciting, they can also be stressful. My patients frequently ask for coping strategies to deal with the big changes in life. Here...
Safe Sleep Practices for Newborns
Welcoming a baby into the world is a happy and exciting time! One of the most important aspects of caring for a baby is ensuring safe sleep. Infants typically sleep 16 to 18 hours a day, which is essential for their growth, development and overall health. Safe sleep...
Could an Ongoing Cough or Chest Cold Be Asthma?
I often see patients in my office who are dealing with a cough or chest cold that won’t go away or returns repeatedly. With these symptoms, I consider if my patient might have asthma.
Family
Safe Sleep Practices for Newborns
Welcoming a baby into the world is a happy and exciting time! One of the most important aspects of caring for a baby is ensuring safe sleep. Infants typically sleep 16 to 18 hours a day, which is essential for their growth, development and overall health. Safe sleep...
Moms Just Wanna Have Fun: Prioritizing Your Own Joy This Summer
The last day of school is on the horizon, and the kids are already buzzing with excitement for summer. As I brainstormed what to write about for May, a few obvious topics came to mind: summer activity bucket lists, spring cleaning and toy purging, summer survival...
Retirement: One Word, So Many Reactions
Retirement. I never really thought too much about the word or the idea of retiring. I truly enjoyed and appreciated the work I was asked to perform at Bryan. It felt challenging, purposeful and fulfilling. I loved my co-workers and volunteers - they were like family...
Parenting
My Inner Voice: The Power of Positive Self-Talk
I’ve never been one to ask myself the “why me” question when something doesn’t go as planned in my life. Thankfully, when times have been difficult I’ve been able to skip past this question and look for solutions by asking “what if”. Often, when life presents a...
Appreciating the Mess
Welcome to Real Mom Moments with Rachel and Ashlee. More Real Mom Moments Raise Your Hand If... Skills of Independent Play I am a mom to three awesome kids: Ellie, Anna, and Levi. My husband Jon works as a professor at the UNL Business College. While we are not...
This Summer, Don’t Just Survive the Family Vacation, Enjoy It
Does the thought of a summer vacation kind of stress you out? Do you ever come back from a “getaway” feeling more drained than when you left? Same. Traveling with little humans is a full-contact sport. As the mom, I’m not just packing the snacks and sunscreen, I’m...
School
Summer Reflections & Prepping for Back to School
This week, we're going to roll into a tribute to summer and talk about getting into the swing of back to school. Our Summer Glimmers & Dimmers But first, let's go ahead and start with our glimmer and our dimmer. Rachel's July Glimmer My glimmer this month is my...
What to Do If Your Kid Lacks Motivation About School
Sometimes it feels like our kids really don’t care about school. Even when they’re smart and underachieving, or especially when they’re failing school, it’s not as simple as not caring about school. A Shift in Collyns' Approach to Schoolwork Collyns, who is in fourth...
Life Lessons Beyond the Cap & Gown
Three of our four grandkids have received their bachelor’s degree. This past weekend, one of those three received her master's degree. Reflections on Aging at Graduation I keep telling myself, "I’m too young for this. Stop the clock of life. Time is moving too...
Activities & Sports
Move More, Stress Less: Simple Ways to Add Movement Into Mom Life
Before I had my two littles, Max and Zoey, finding time to exercise was easy. Now? The struggle is real. Between laundry, dishes, snack requests and cleaning up endless messes, working out often takes a back seat. As moms, we naturally put our kids’ needs first – but...
Making Memories on the Golf Course
For years l've written about what my grandkids were up to, into or moving away from. It has always been about how my life has interacted with theirs—the ups, downs and 'looking forward to's. Since this summer, I have stood on the sidelines while my husband has been...
Our E-Bike Road Trip from Nebraska to Colorado
Earlier this month, John and I went on a small vacation. Here's how it went. Planning Our Trip We didn’t want to do anything too huge or expensive, so we decided to take our bikes to a couple of the state parks around the Midwest and explore. I don’t believe we’ve had...
Seasons & Holidays
Galentine’s Day: A Reminder to Cherish Your Mom Friends
I first heard about Galentine’s Day from Parks and Recreation, where Amy Poehler’s character, Leslie Knope, made it a tradition to celebrate female friendships on February 13th. Honestly, she was onto something—because while motherhood is incredibly rewarding, it can...
Embracing Tiny Wins: A Mom’s Realistic Approach to New Year’s Goals
As a full-time personal trainer, health and wellness are literally my career—I spend my days helping others prioritize their well-being. But even with all my knowledge and experience, I still struggle to practice self-care as a mom of a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old....
Soaking Up & Building Up Our Kids
Hi. I'm Rachel, and I'm Ashlee. Welcome to the CapitalMOM Real Life Conversations. It's real life. Rachel’s December Glimmer We're going to start with our glimmer and our dimmer. And my glimmer for this month is Wicked. Have you seen Wicked? Because I saw it, and I...
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Meet Rachel
I was born and raised in Lincoln, NE. Before turning into a stay-at-home mom to Ellie, Brecken, and Finley, I taught PE at Scott Middle School for over eight years.
My husband, John, coaches men’s gymnastics at the University of Nebraska, and our kids love cheering on the athletes and playing in the gym. Go Big Red!
I hope you relate to my joys and challenges of motherhood as I share the little details and the big moments of my family’s life that I find so fulfilling.
Meet Ashlee
I’m a mom to Ellie, Anna, and Levi. I balance part-time nursing with full-time motherhood. My husband, Jon, is a professor at UNL’s Business College.
We’ve called Lincoln home for five years, after being raised in Missouri and moving from South Carolina. My family loves outdoor adventures—biking, camping, and anything water-related!
I’ve been supported and inspired by so many amazing parents on my motherhood journey, and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned with you.
Meet Cassidy
I’m originally from North Platte, but Lincoln has been my home for over a decade. My husband, Justin, and I have two children, Maxwell and Zoey.
We’re both small business owners—Justin in motorsports, and me as a personal trainer and social media manager. Our flexible schedules allow us to prioritize family life.
I love photography, reading, podcasts, and cooking. Though motherhood is demanding and exhausting, I can’t wait to share the beautifully messy journey with you!
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