Everything has been at sixes and sevens over here while we’re trying to get packed to go on vacation for a week. I’ve been letting Benjamin eat parfaits for lunch and didn’t even notice that he had moved his entire mattress to the floor for a little bedroom makeover. On top of the upcoming trip, some friends of ours who had to move out of their place due to mold are going to stay at our … [Read more...]
A Letter to Lucy, at Nine Months…
Dear Lucy, Yesterday you turned 9 months old, my little pocket peach. I can’t believe that ¾ of a year has passed since your birth! It’s gone by so fast. Being with you each day brings your Mama so much joy. You are our bright star. You get the biggest grin on your face anytime Daddy, Big Brother or I smile at you. And although I know that every baby is the sweetest and the best, I can’t … [Read more...]
My Experience Practicing Ecological Breastfeeding
(Lucy, age 4 months with me while the bridesmaids prepared for my best friend's wedding) photo credit: Jade Pierce Photography After having such a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad experience with breastfeeding and creating a secure attachment with our firstborn when I was working full-time that I shared with you yesterday, I was determined to do it differently for round two. When I was … [Read more...]
My Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Experience as a Working Mother
(Unhappy Baby Benjamin. This is seriously what he did most of his first year of life, poor child.) This post could also be titled: Why We Chose Mama and Baby Togetherness the Second Time Around. I've been wanting to tell you about our amazing experience with Ecological Breastfeeding, but I feel like I need to describe our experience with our firstborn's babyhood and why we so desperately wanted … [Read more...]
10 Ways to Prepare Your Toddler for a New Baby
When we became pregnant with our second child, we were nervous about how our two-year-old son would react to having a new sibling. Our firstborn is a bit of a handful and is very intent on having everyone’s attention at all times. We were worried that having to share our attention with a new baby would cause him to resent his little sister. We were so wrong! He has been a spectacular big brother … [Read more...]
Why Your Kids Need to Read Harry Potter
Warning: I’ve tried to be vague and keep spoilers at a minimum, but if you don’t want to know ANYTHING about the plot, be warned that this post contains allusions to themes and plot events. Confession: I have loved the Potter series since I was 12 years old. I grew up with Rowling’s books and they continue to delight me. I cannot wait until my children are old enough to delve into the … [Read more...]
3 Daily Rituals to Help Mothers of Littles Stay Sane
Little folks are awesome. I get to wake up next to a sunny baby girl to the sound of our three-year-old boy singing the Zulu chant from the beginning of The Lion King’s Circle of Life Song at the top of his lungs. It is indeed a splendid life. But, as wonderful as young motherhood is, there are some (many) moments of insanity exacerbated by never having a single moment to myself. After our … [Read more...]
Cloth Diapering: The Basics (and a GIVEAWAY from Ecological Babies! NOW CLOSED)
I’ve had a few pregnant friends ask me for the low down on cloth diapers, so I thought I would do a post about my experience with them accompanied by some links to good resources if you're interested in cloth diapering. And local business, Ecological Babies has offered a GroVia AIO in the brand new Woodlands print (which is just adorbs) as a giveaway for you. Hurrah! When I was pregnant with my … [Read more...]
In Defense of Jamie Lynne Grumet and Attachment Parenting
So yesterday I wrote about how I HATED the cover image and the title (Are You Mom Enough?) of the piece in TIME about Attachment Parenting and extended breastfeeding (the cover image is included in yesterday's post). I still hate the cover image and the title (oh, that title!). I still hate that TIME is trying to make AP and extended breastfeeding look as weird and sensational as possible. I still … [Read more...]
AFP: Awesome Family Planning
On the outside chance that you haven’t already decided that we’re completely nuts, this post will probably convince you. You may previously have figured out that we’re Catholic converts leaning toward the traditional, but now you’re going to think that we’re bordering on total lunacy. Who knows? Maybe you’re right. And this topic is going to be a hot button for controversy, but I’m gonna post it … [Read more...]