Jacqueline Kurtzer

Marketing and Events Coordinator for Big Valley Ford Lincoln

I'm a new mother of a very busy 10-month-old boy named Aiden and the wife of Tyler Kurtzer, an amazing husband. I am a woman with ambition, drive, and the desire to make positive contributions to my community while at the same time being the best mother and wife that I can be.

Aiden was born in March 2011 and from the first time I looked into his eyes, I felt an unconditional love and bond that can neither be explained nor broken. His smile makes my heart melt and his laugh brings tears to my eyes. I feel so lucky to have been blessed with such an amazing little boy. I was fortunate enough to spend the first five months of Aiden's life at home with him. Then the reality started setting in that soon I'd have to go back to work and wouldn't be able to spend my days playing peek-a-boo or taking countless pictures of him sleeping, eating or even playing with his newly found toes. And yes, I really do have albums full of these things.

The idea of going back to work made me extremely nervous. I feared that no one could possibly take care of Aiden and care for him the way I did. The Lord blessed me again, with my mom volunteering to watch him when I returned to work. What really surprised me was that after I dropped him off, I was never overly concerned with how he was doing. I never worried if he was getting enough hugs and kisses throughout the day or if she sang little songs to him as she changed his diaper, like I did. I worked my eight hours then hurried home to see my happy little angel. My mom cares for him as though he was her own. It's truly heartwarming to watch the two of them together.

Apart from someone caring for Aiden during the day, my second concern was family/career time. How would Tyler and I balance the two? Finding a harmonious balance between career and home life was a little tough for us in the beginning. Tyler works out of town for Apple and his schedule is very inconsistent; combine that with my events schedule and you've got one hectic calendar. We sat down and agreed that we would always take at least two family outings a week. Let it be walks around Oak Park, trips to the zoo, a day in San Francisco, or even a weekend in Lake Tahoe, we will always make weekly time for our family. I also always make sure Aiden has the equally important 'Mommy and Aiden' time. No matter how chaotic or busy I get, each evening we always share what I call the 4B's: Bath, Bottle, Book, and Bed. I've never missed a 4B's night and I never will!

I've always considered myself a very strong and ambitious person, but having Aiden has really made me want to reach for the stars in order to provide the best life possible for my son. My main motivation, inspiration and desire for life comes from the love I give and receive daily from my son and husband. And I wouldn't change it for the world!