Talia is a wife, mother, and creative living in Wellington and her home is exactly what you'd hope it to be: full of noise, sunlight, singing in the car, and the kind of beautiful chaos that only three small children under four can create.

She and her husband have been together since they were 17, and together they're raising Manaia, four, Ziza, two, and Mali, who was just three weeks old when Talia answered our questions nap-trapped and perfectly happy about it. Talia's story is one of expanding love and a home that was built to be lived in loudly.

Fun Fact: All three Soloa kids are born on consecutive days in April and exactly 2 years apart - wild.

How has becoming a mother changed the way you see yourself?

I'm starting to see bits of myself in my kids, more so the wild and cheeky sides at the moment - which can be a bit much sometimes but for some reason I keep picturing myself as their age. I think of my mum and how wonderful she was/is raising the wild and cheeky little Talia and the beautiful job she did in letting my sister and I be exactly who we were.

Motherhood changed what I care about, it used to be what I was working on or the next 'big thing', now it's the type of person I am and what I carry. Becoming a mama has shifted my focus from pouring everything inward to pouring everything outward and it feels really good.

Is there anything about this season of life that has genuinely surprised you?

When I found out I was pregnant with our second I cried a lot, not because we didn't want another baby but with our first it felt like my heart split open when he came, like it hurt how much I loved him. If that's how I felt about my first baby, how will it feel with another, how would we give our whole heart to two little people.

"I was surprised that the jump from 0 to 1 baby was harder than 1 to 2. Your capacity just grows."

I couldn't feel more different about it now. I was surprised that the jump from 0-1 baby for me was harder than 1-2. Your capacity just grows. You learn to embrace the chaos, the mess and all the moments. It tests you in the craziest ways but you also experience joy like nothing else. Teenage me would be so shocked that I have three babies now lol.

Describe a good day in your home right now. What does it look, feel, and sound like?

A great day in our fale is the sunlight filling the room and waking us up and all the kids in our bed. We hear "THE SUN CAME OUT!!" and from there it's a sleepy walk for some and a mad-dash for our 2yr old to get ready for the day. Our breakfast time is sometimes rowdy, always messy, but we sit together for a moment. We head out for a coffee most days, sometimes three of us, sometimes all 5 of us.

 It sounds like singing in the car, chasing the little ones, talking to strangers and feeding the baby in all sorts of places. The afternoon to evening hours in the summer are my favourite when we're outside all day, playing ‘til dinner then watching the sunset. Multi-gen house means catching nana and papa on all the details of the day before the bedtime routine starts. Always laughs with dada before story time in bed.

What is the smallest, most ordinary moment in your day that you secretly love the most?

Post bath time zoomies, when they're in their little jammies or when everyone’s singing in the car.

What has motherhood taught you about yourself that nothing else could have?

A quiet strength learned from mama's before and around you and going through it yourself. Also how well designed the female body is, go us.

Is there something you used to believe about parenting before you became a parent that has completely changed?

I used to say I would never do a lot of things when I had kids, sometimes I would look at parents and disagree with their decisions (bad I know) and now that I'm on the other side I have been humbled.

Every single parenting journey looks different and I've learned how important it is to champion other parents because we're all out here trying our best.

What is the one feeling you hope your child/children carry with them from their childhood?

That they were the light of our lives and that we truly treasured each of them.

What lesson, big or small, do you most want to pass on?

Faith is the foundation for everything that we do in our family.

When your children are grown, what do you hope they say about their early years at home?

I hope they remember a house that felt lived-in and warm - that mum and dad were present and loved being around them.

Photos taken by Wellington photographer Jess Manthey. Featured throughout the story is the Frankie Highchair in Oat. Discover more colours online HERE.