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Tag: daughter (Page 3 of 3)

How to Make Time for Your Oldest Child

My son, my oldest child, is almost four years old, and he’s not the baby anymore. His toddler sister still breastfeeds and requires a lot more attention (and supervision) than her calm, obedient older brother. This is great for me as a stay-at-home mom; but it also means that my son gets left behind sometimes, just because he’s older and can be trusted, forgotten about while his sibling wreaks havoc left and right.

Lately I’ve made more of a conscious effort to get quality one-on-one time with my son. He needs it, and so do I. Here is how to make time for your oldest child. Continue reading

If I Ever Have Another Baby

I must confess, I want more kids. I’ve always wanted more than two (which is what I have now). But we are at a crossroads, our little family: is another child right for us? Right now my husband and I don’t agree; he’s set on the two we have and being done with it. I, however, have other dreams. I often think of the possibility… if I ever have another baby… what would I want my experience to be like?

One thing this dialogue has made me realize is that if I ever get the chance to have another child, I am not taking a single thing for granted. I know the experience I want to have, both for my baby and for myself. If I ever have another baby, these are my plans and my promises to my future child. Continue reading

Life with Cystic Fibrosis: A Mother’s Perspective

Like most people, I’d heard of cystic fibrosis (CF) but couldn’t really tell you a lot about it. A dear friend of mine named Stacy has been really influential in teaching my family about CF, since her daughter Elsa has it. I felt very strongly about getting some information out into the world to help more people, especially parents, learn about life with cystic fibrosis from a mother’s perspective. Continue reading

For My Daughter: A Love Letter On Your First Birthday

For my daughter’s first birthday, I thought to include a special entry into my journal for her, like a love letter. Read on to see it in its entirety…

From the moment I first saw your face, I adored you. You came into this world with a triumphant yell, opened your eyes and looked right into my heart. We all realized immediately that you were the personification of Shakespeare’s quote, “though she be but little, she is fierce.” Continue reading

I Hope She’s Not My Last Baby

All parents know the feeling of watching their children grow up. Last night my husband and I sat on the couch while the kids slept, looking at photo streams of Kiddo when he was a baby. I was so overcome with pride and sorrow that I was sobbing and laughing. I love him so, and he truly is growing up too fast. I feel a tightening in my heart when I think that I may never be pregnant again. It’s too early to tell, of course; Tiny is only six months old today (OMG wait what? Oh nooo), so we wouldn’t really be actively trying for another year or so. Still, to think that my days of being pregnant are over, makes my heart ache and brings tears to my eyes. I hope she’s not my last, and I’m not ready to accept that she quite likely is my last baby. Continue reading

A Letter to My Husband

Being a mom is hard. Like, really hard. Worthwhile and joyous and life changing, yes. But hard nonetheless.
Being a dad is hard too, damnit. My husband has been working extra hard lately, and he deserves to know how appreciated and loved he is, so I wanted to write this just in time for Valentines Day. Thanks for reading this letter to my husband.

A little backstory: Babe and I met in high school, I was a freshman and dating his best friend. We were on-again-off-again until we decided that resistance was useless, and married in 2008. Since Kid #1 made his debut, our lives have been a beautiful chaotic swirl. Now we sit surrounded by half-full sippy cups, Hot Wheels being batted around by the cat, and burp cloths on every table.

I still love this man. Hell, I love him more now than ever. And nothing screams “jackpot” more than watching him with our children. He is patient, fair, and already has mastered dad jokes. But we never get time to sit and gaze into each other’s eyes, talking peacefully and admiring one another. So, I want to write him a letter.

Continue reading

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