I was cleaning bottles and pump attachments in 2016 for the zillionth time. She was washing dishes. I was overtired, cranky, over-burdened with the minute annoying tasks of parenting a baby, completely unable to crack a smile at the time, she was being patient, wise, and non-judgemental. Because that's who she was, even when it was really hard and people really sucked. And as I finished what I was doing I said "ugh, I can't wait until this craziness is over, constantly pumpin

(My daughter is just slowly growing out of Dr. Seuss so cheesy rhymes come all too naturally, hahaha!) But seriously, if you’re on the spectrum of extroverted like I am, this mantra (or message behind it) saved my life when I became a new mom of 1, and then glaringly necessary when I became a new mom of 2 (cuz honestly its a whole new ball game with each additional blessing). When I was sinking and felt like someone was plugging the straw I was trying to breath from, I suppos

My husband often asks me, where I think I would be now if we never met. I know exactly - you're probably familiar with the show Sex in the City? I'd be Samantha Jones. He laughs when I say this but it's the truth. Before I met the hubby, I was done with men. And I don't mean done as a result of a bad break up (which I'd been through), or done playing the games (which I'd played), or done because I was emotionally spent (I wasn't), I'd just gotten to point in my life where I w

**I wrote this post over a year ago, but I still read it once and a while to remind myself of the message. Before a vacation with my hubby sans-children that I so badly needed, I was coming to the end of my rope sanity-wise. Between birthing my second babes in January (then promptly going back to work about one minute later), dealing with some very crazy post-birth health issues, having some more health issues in the fall, losing one of the most important women in my life, mo

Just over 6 months ago, we welcomed sweet little miss L into our family. She is a spitting image of me, and she looks so much like my Mom’s side of the family, especially my Nan. I had a really close and special relationship with my Nan, so seeing some of her in my daughter is amazing. It’s been incredible watching her grow and change so much over the past few months. She has completed our family, and I can’t imagine our life without her in it. For the first two weeks followi

My heart goes out to all of the new mamas in today’s world. Thanks to technology, there is just so much information readily available to expectant and new mothers and it all feels like it’s just too much. On one hand, the power of technology is great because we can all be more aware and more educated and are better able to self-advocate, but on the other hand, it can become an information overload. Everywhere you look you are bombarded with “how to”s and “what not to do’s”

As a few of my friends start the journey to motherhood and are trying to conceive or just have, the topic of “signs and symptoms of pregnancy” inevitably comes up. (So no dear readers, this mama isn't preggo for the third time! Although that would be interesting...) Here’s a list from babycenter.com of some pregnancy symptoms, I revisited for fun: Food aversions Mood swings Abdominal bloating Frequent urination Fatigue Sore breasts Light bleeding or spotting Nausea A missed p

I am a proud Military spouse, I am an adoptive parent, I am an infertility survivor, I am a 3x Gestational Surrogate, and this is my story…………. My journey to motherhood began in 2002, the year my husband and I were married. Right after our wedding we stop all prevention and started down a long and bumpy road. After six years of tracking cycles, taking temps, ultrasounds, medication, and intervention, we come to a cross roads. In August 2007, my husband received his first post

When you’re raising a high needs infant and toddler it’s so easy to feel caught up in all of the ways they make you feel. Tired, wait...exhausted, strained, stretched, tried, tested, angry, and frayed! All of it wrapped up in one. For the longest time I tried to understand what we were doing wrong to cause him to be so difficult but I have come to terms with that. There is nothing to judge, I feel no more shame for ‘making’ him the way he is. This is simply him and I have com

Is it just me, or have weekends gotten shorter?? I’ve been feeling pretty down in the dumps lately and I’m having trouble shaking it. I’ve been back to work for two weeks and my life has reached a new level of crazy town. It’s not bad. It’s not like we’ve had any major catastrophes. The kids all seem to be happy and adjusting well and, to be honest, barely even notice that I’m not around as often as I used to be. I, on the other hand, feel like I’m not doing a very good job,