The year 2020 has been like a rolling, burning dumpster fire. I’m home all the time with my babies, and while I’m grateful to be protecting my family, the constant headlines and reports have me feeling perpetual dread. Luckily, I have had time to myself to read and I wanted to share some suggestions for books to get you through 2020. Some are educational, some are uplifting, some just make you think. But I’m a better person for it, and I can’t wait to hear your suggestions too!
Continue readingTag: hope
I write a letter to each child on each birthday and include it in their journal. This fall, I’m writing to my daughter – my youngest child – who is turning four years old. Please enjoy this letter to my daughter on her fourth birthday, and feel free to use it as a template as you write to your own kids.
Continue reading
Autism is a very real condition which affects so many families that you’ve probably heard of it at least once. It’s life changing and eye opening. But not enough people really understand it, or know what it’s like to have a loved one with autism.
I interviewed my friend Brienne who has a son with autism. I wanted to know what their daily life is like, what it was like to get that diagnosis, and what a mom has to say about life with autism. My hope is that we can reach more people so that they understand that having autism does not make you less capable, less lovable, less worthy of love and respect. People with autism are people too, and they deserve to be loved and respected like everyone else! So have hope and be kind, always. 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
If you’re a parent, you know that people can sometimes tell you things which are not helpful at all (and instead, drive you crazy or stress you out). My great friend Marie, who helps parents over at Create Balanced Life, has some words of wisdom on this. Here’s what she has to say about that one annoying thing people tell new parents – her least parenting advice – and what to think about instead. Continue reading
We are getting closer and closer to the big day! We’ve spent a lot of time speaking to medical professionals, attending classes, and doing lots of our own research – all with the intention of making the best birth plan possible for our son. This birth plan is written with a hospital birth in mind, and my emphasis was on a natural/drug-free birth. I’ll write a birth center-specific plan soon.
I wrote this adorably innocent article in 2013. I’ve revised it now that I’ve birthed two kiddos 🙂 Free PDF download included!
