Kaycee and Eric Sogard met when she was a softball player and he was a baseball player at Arizona State University. And sports have been a big part of their life ever since, leading the pair to Milwaukee, where Eric has been a second baseman for the Brewers for two seasons. With a baby set to join their four-year-old daughter Saydee and two-year-old son Knix this October, Kaycee shares what it’s like to be a baseball family.
How long have you lived in Wisconsin?
We spent last June to October in Milwaukee, and have been here again since the beginning of April. We absolutely love the people, and how everyone has welcomed us with open arms!
What’s it like being the wife of a professional baseball player? Are there aspects that people don’t think about or understand?
Being the wife of a baseball player is a little hectic and crazy, but also really fun. During baseball season we wives take on the majority of the responsibilities around the house and with the kids, since the guys travel so often and are barely home when they are in town. It can be very stressful, but I also feel really lucky that we are able to travel and show our kids so many different parts of the country. I think people don’t realize how often our husbands are gone, and how hard it is on our families. Our husbands are regular guys who have to deal with everything other dads do — they just work in front of thousands of people every night!
We can only imagine how challenging it must be to handle the baseball schedule. How do you approach it?
We love to travel, even though it’s not always easy with the kids. Eric gets to fly with his team, so that leaves me and the kids on our own. We do get to stay in the hotel with him, so that’s nice. Our family rule is to not go more than seven days apart, so that usually leaves us traveling at least one week a month, sometimes two. Since we have pretty much traveled everywhere since they were both born, they’re amazing flyers and sleep great in hotels. It’s all they know! I love being able to take the kids to new places in cities we haven’t been to before. They love new museums, fun food spots and seeing the new baseball stadiums. Our “home” is in Arizona, where we live in the offseason, which is about October through March.
What are you like as a mom? What is Eric like as a dad? What do you prioritize as parents?
I would say I’m usually a pretty “go with the flow” mom. Probably because this lifestyle has forced me to be that way! But don’t get me wrong — at the end of a week alone with the kids while Eric is on the road, you can find me rocking back and forth, locked in the pantry, eating a pint of Ben and Jerrys. Eric is definitely the cool parent to the kids (maybe since they don’t see him as often), but I can always count on him to discipline, or back me up when needs be. He’s the best of both worlds!
First and foremost our priority is each other. We always put each other before anything, and really hope the kids see how much we value our marriage and relationship. When it comes to the kids, we want them to try and experience as many things as possible. We are really blessed to be able to travel and experience so many things, but always want them to be grateful and appreciate the things we are able to do.
Congrats on being pregnant again! What are you most looking forward to with this baby? How do you think being a family of five be different?
My emotions over baby #3 are all over the place! One day I’m watching Saydee and Knix playing together, and I can’t wait to give them another friend. The next day they’re screaming at each other for hours, I’m trying not to pull my hair out and I’m scared to death to add another crazy to the bunch! I think they’re both normal emotions to have, and there is so much emotion with the unknown, but we couldn’t be happier to be able to grow our family. We have been blessed with three healthy babies, and can’t wait to experience all of our crazy adventures with another little one.
Do you still play softball? And how into baseball are your kids?
Eric and I played the same position in college, and are very similar athletes … except for the fact that he’s, ya know, a professional! I don’t play anymore except the occasional slow-pitch game. Saydee is Eric’s biggest fan and loves watching him play. She’s always asking about his games, and asking if his team won. As for playing it herself, she’d currently rather twirl around in her leotard. Knix, on the other hand, is baseball-obsessed. He loves watching Eric play, and is constantly playing at home. He loves it! Sports were such a big part of both of our lives, we would love to see them experience team sports, but we will leave that up to them and whatever they choose to do.
Why did you decide to start your blog? What has that project meant for you?
I started my blog back before I had Saydee, but didn’t really start blogging or “Instagramming” seriously until bit after she was born. Writing has always been something I love to do, and of course photography, so it was the perfect medium for me to combine the two. Having an outlet that’s just for me is something I that has really helped me to still feel like “me” and not just mom. It can definitely be a lot of work, but I always enjoy it!
Your Instagram account is beautiful. What do you like about that platform and how do you approach sharing your life on it?
Thank you so much! Photography has become a big hobby of mine, and I love having a place to share those photos. My favorite part of Instagram is being able to connect with other people. Since we live such a unique lifestyle, I have always loved being able to let people into our lives and get a little better idea of how we live. Of course I don’t share every aspect of our lives and try to keep some things private, but I’m always trying to find that balance between sharing a pretty photo, and also showing the real and raw aspects of our family.
What are your favorite ways to have fun as a family? What are some of the best things you’ve done so far in Wisconsin?
The kids love the children’s museum and one of their favorite things to do is have a picnic. Whether it’s in the backyard, at the park or on the living room floor, they love it! We love to visit the zoo whenever we go to a new city, so we’ve been to our fair share, and the Milwaukee County Zoo is our favorite so far. It’s amazing! The kids had a great time at Apple Holler last year (and I loved the food), so we’re looking forward to making our way out there again.