If you celebrate Christmas and you have kids, you probably know all the words to about a thousand Christmas carols. And, like visions of sugarplums dancing in your head, they probably start to drive you a little mad after a while. That’s why I came up with my own lyrics, fitting for moms and dads and caregivers alike. Read on for my Christmas carols for parents.
Continue readingTag: father (Page 1 of 2)
Happy fifth birthday to my son! He is such a special human being, a calm considerate gift from God. This year is also significant because my baby, my oldest child, my firstborn, is going to kindergarten in the fall. It’s a strange phase that we’re in, because in some ways my son is so obviously a big boy. But in other ways, he reminds me that he is still so little. And as his mother, I’m going through all of these “firsts” for the first time, too. I hope that you enjoy a letter to my son on his fifth birthday. Continue reading
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
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
I haven’t always been a stay-at-home mom, or SAHM. When I was pregnant with my first child, all the way until he was two years old, I was a working mom. I did the whole pumping/daycare/packing food/cry at dropoff thing, and I hated it. So when we got pregnant with our second child, I knew I had to make a huge adjustment.
While my husband and I were always in agreement that I should stay at home with the babies, we didn’t really know anyone (except his mom, thirty years ago) who had done it. And it was certainly a transition for our house and our marriage.
That’s why I thought to sit my husband down (after asking nicely, of course) and pick his weary brain. Now he’s the sole breadwinner for our little home, and he’s married to a SAHM. So what’s it really like… from the dad’s perspective? Continue reading
I want my children to grow up with a healthy emotional intelligence. Simply put, I want them to have a healthy range of emotions, know the vernacular so that they can express those feelings, and deal with unpleasant feelings in a safe way. That emotional education begins when they are still quite young and must happen regularly. Let me give you some insight into what’s working beautifully for our family! Continue reading
Ain’t it always the way life goes: you finally think that you have everything figured out, and you get a good routine going with your first child… and then Life throws a curveball at your face. That’s what happened to us when we were expecting our second child. My husband and I were so ecstatic to see that positive pregnancy test! But we were shoved out of our comfort zone all over again. In many ways, it felt like being a new parent for the second time.
Now that my hindsight is 20/20, I’d like to tell you about how our lives changed the second time we became parents. Continue reading
I want all parents to know about this man: while his name isn’t as popular as it should be, it doesn’t undermine what he did to literally save thousands of premature babies. Before his dedicated care, premies were basically sent with their parents to die at home. Because of his selflessness and determination, baby incubators were adopted into hospitals. Now a premature baby has an extraordinarily better chance at survival. All thanks to this man, Dr. Couney. Continue reading
As you get closer to your due date, your mind is probably going 100mph with the list of things to take to the hospital. Ideally, you want this bag ready to go in your car or by the door in case you have an “omg my water broke!” moment, and find yourself and your significant other rushing to Labor and Delivery.
Compiled from friends, websites, apps and hospital lists, here’s what I plan to take with me. And now I’ll share my ultimate hospital packing list with you! Scroll to the end of the article for the free downloadable PDF! Continue reading
You may have heard about some parents-to-be playing music for their unborn baby, and might even have thought about trying it yourself. Sarah and I have done some research and talked to some parents who’ve tried this. There seem to be mixed feelings on this topic… Music for baby while they’re still in the womb. Read all about what we’ve learned about music for unborn babies and what we recommend as new parents.
