By Natalie Batlle
Today my daughter Chloe turns 18 months.
My second child, Chloe has had in many ways a very different experience than her brother Eliot. Just two weeks after she was born, I was pushing Chloe in her pram on the way to hunt for commercial real estate. Her skinny newborn legs had become chubby by the time we started site visits. She was rolling over when we signed the lease, and had started to crawl just in time to choose tiles & furniture. By the time Chloe began to walk we were in the full swing of PR & pre-sales. I remember gawking at her sweet wobbly steps while on the phone with the contractor, bravo Chloe I cheered under my breath. She was on the go.
The first time Chloe said mama we were putting the finishing touches on the library. I remember thinking it was all happening too fast. My little girl was becoming a toddler right in front of me and Juno House was set to open. I wasn’t ready for either.
Today Chloe turns 18 months and it is the last month I will nurse her. It’s time. I can’t believe we have been going so long, but somehow with all the busyness we didn’t have a choice. We needed each other physically. Me more than her I’m sure. Nursing her between meetings, bringing her to Juno for a cuddle and a feed, rushing home to put her to bed. The sensation of milk pumping to the surface of my breasts was a reminder of the immense responsibility of motherhood. A gentle, physical nod to the fact that I was needed somewhere outside of Juno. As Chloe got older, nursing became less about her wellbeing, and more about my own. Our shared moments were the only time I could be present. Nursing for me was gloriously mindless.
For the last 4 months I have had a love-hate relationship with nursing Chloe. Over the chaos of the last year and a half it was impossible to sleep train (lose sleep to sleep train? No thanks!) so we continued to co-sleep. And it’s been this way everyday since she was born. The months surrounding the launch of Juno were filled with special occasions and invitations. I said no to many of them to be able to nurse her. And sometimes when I couldn’t go I would resent Chloe.
And sometimes when I didn’t want to go I would thank her. Because entrepreneurship is exhausting and running home to nurse Chloe has been my crutch.
In many ways Chloe has had a very different experience than her brother Eliot who I took to baby swim classes and Turo Park. Just Eliot and me. 6 months of maternity leave. Hours & hours strolling the city. Mama meetups, friends, bonding. Traveling as a family of three to Prague and Copenhaguen, life was more relaxed.
It was during my extended maternity leave with Eliot that I had the idea for Juno House. Just one crazy thought that turned into an idea, that grew and morphed until eventually it became a start-up with partners and members and substance.
Juno House happened very fast. We started pitching during the pandemic, and I became pregnant soon after. For the last two years much of my day to day includes a certain level of shock. Ok this is really happening… pull yourself together let’s go!
I never took maternity leave with Chloe. I didn’t have to. Chloe is an entrepreneur’s daughter. She is strong and funny and sassy. She’s been co-pilot to this adventure that is first time entrepreneurship since before she was even born. She gets it.
I have so much respect for women entrepreneurs. We give it our all everyday, we are passionate and empathetic and hard working. 18 months in and I’m far from a pro, but ready or not, both Chloe & Juno are blooming.
Natalie Batlle is mama to two children, Eliot & Chloe and the founder and CEO of Juno House. Originally from Chicago, Natalie has called Barcelona home for the last 10 years. At Juno House she leads vision and ensures the team stays true to its collaboration vs. competition philosophy.
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