• Family

    Caring for Moms of Newborns

    Motherhood takes its toll on women’s bodies, minds, and emotions. And that’s even before the child is actually born! Pregnancy itself can be exciting and miraculous while also being difficult and almost disabling. The upside is that during pregnancy, the…

  • Family

    I Am Not a SuperMom

    I am not a SuperMom. I do not have it all together, nor do I balance it all. My house is usually messy, as is my minivan. I let my dogs get on the furniture. I hate to dust. If…

  • Adoption,  Family

    I Need to Explain.

    One of the hardest things for me as a parent is wanting to explain myself and be understood by (Read: approved by) others all the time–especially by other parents. When my babies were actually babies, I wanted to be ready with…

  • Family

    Wisdom (or Something) at 40

    I turn 40 years old this month. 40! I am really having a hard time believing it. No, I don’t think that 40 is old; I’m just surprised to have gotten here so quickly. So now that I’m in my fifth decade…

  • Family

    It Takes a Village

    I used to kind-of laugh at the saying “It takes a village to raise a child.” But that was before I became a mother and realized how true that statement is. I, for one, could never make it through motherhood…

  • Family

    Not According to Plan

    It was the first time in my then-nine years of motherhood that all of my children were to have ongoing scheduled activities, of which I was not to be a part. Honestly, this was pretty exciting to me. Now that…

  • Family,  Marriage

    Gimme a Break!

    All I wanted was for her to put the crayons back in the box. Is that really too much to ask of a two-year-old? It’s been seven years since that event, but I remember it vividly. My daughter Callie and…