Confessions: Keeping It Real
When we had our second child everyone we met would gush over the kids and tell us we had the perfect family, a daughter and a son. I remember telling a friend I was pregnant with my third, and her response was, “Oh no!” I assured her that my husband and I were actually quite happy with the news and she quickly back-peddled. It was at that moment I realized that the rest of the world thinks we are off our rockers for wanting a large family. I came from a family of 9 children, so a big...
Read MoreRemember When
There are peals of laughter drifting in from the living room followed by squeals and the patter of little footsteps. I know this is going to end badly, with something broke or someone crying, but I can’t help myself to enjoy the sound of my children enjoying each other. Nothing makes my heart gladder. Mothering is not always filled with moments like these. It is usually the mundane of cooking, cleaning, wiping, teaching, disciplining . . . but enjoying; now that makes it all...
Read MoreTruly Thankful
Truly Thankful There are Thanksgivings when we rattle off things we are thankful for without too much thought. . . family, friends, shelter, food, , , this will not be one of them. My son Brock had elective surgery on his belly button on the Monday before the week of Thanksgiving; as a result he ended up with a collapsed lung. My poor boy has asthma so between that and the sore belly from the surgery we went 4 days before figuring out what the problem was. By Friday I knew I needed to get him...
Read MoreAn Apology Letter to My First Born:
An Apology Letter to My Firstborn Child: I recently read an apology letter another parent had written to their second born child, apologizing that he didn’t have a nice baby book or look as put together as the first born (“An Apology Letter to My Second Child” by Jennifer DeMattia). It reminded me of a conversation we had when you were lamenting the fact that you are the first born, recalling the pit falls to your place in our family. It got me thinking from your perspective and you are right....
Read MoreBaby Choices
Baby Choices: The most nonsensical idea I ever embraced as a mom was to give your baby choices. The fact that I bought into it at all, I blame on DIPS (Dumbness Induced by Pregnancy Syndrome), a syndrome that I still have to this day. The reason I know I still have it is because I continue to give my babies choices, even though I know it is absurd. I recall reading in a baby magazine this idea when my first born was a baby. You can tell that they are targeting sleep deprived, fuzzy brained...
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