Blog Posts

I had always wanted to be able to surprise my husband with a beautiful, out of the blue pregnancy announcement. I didn’t know that we were going to end up needing medical assistance to get pregnant, and I didn’t expect my husband to be so observant!

Since we were actively trying to get pregnant, he knew my announcement was coming, just not when. He was determined that I was not going to be able to catch him off guard, and he was watching and scrutinizing my every move, just waiting for the announcement.

It’s so hard to surprise someone that’s expecting the news!

Continue reading “How I Told My Husband About My Pregnancy” →

Before I became a NICU parent, I had no idea what it meant to have a baby in the NICU. While we were still in the hospital, we had many people try and be helpful, but it didn’t always feel helpful. I know their hearts were in the right place, but sometimes it was more frustrating than helpful.

September is NICU Awareness Month, and in the spirit of spreading awareness, I’ve compiled a list of things you need to know about NICU babies and their parents.

Continue reading “5 Things to Understand About NICU Parents” →

In July, I posted my 5 ideas to losing the baby weight (and then some). I decided that for accountability reasons, I’m going to update at the end of every month on my progress! I realize this may not be the most interesting read for many of you, but it’s my blog, and I’m going to do it anyway!

Okay that sounds like I don’t care about you all, and I care very much, but I know me, and I know I need to be held accountable or I’ll get lazy and slack off, so will you all please help hold me accountable?

Continue reading “August Weight Loss Update” →

When you become a mom, it feels like the weight of the world has been placed upon your shoulders and you’re expected to just deal with the burden alone.

At least, I feel that way sometimes. I especially feel that way because I’m the one that wanted a baby. I’m the one that started the conversation about having a kid. I’m the one that cried over every pregnancy announcement and baby shower invitation and birth announcement and onesie I wanted for my future littles. So it’s my own fault that I’m in this mess, right?

Well, no. It took two to make the baby, and it takes a village to raise one. Like, for real mommas, you may be the superest of supermoms, but you can’t do it alone.

Continue reading “Make Time for Mommy Self-Care” →

Having a baby in the NICU is a confusing, terrifying, overwhelming, exhausting, emotional rollercoaster.

The majority of parents don’t expect to be sent to the NICU when their babies are born, and typically they went through a traumatic birth to get there. Many babies in the NICU are premature, though not all.

Most likely, a first time NICU parent will feel lost and confused as they are admitted and begin to try to navigate the medical jargon and understand what all the tubes and wires attached to their babies mean. Heck, even a parent that has already been in the NICU before would most likely feel overwhelmed, because each baby is different and each circumstance unique.

While there is no secret to making a stay in the NICU pleasant or enjoyable, here is a list of tips from past and present NICU parents to make your baby’s stay at least more survivable.

Continue reading “Tips to Survive the NICU” →

As some of you may know, I work as a full time, staff, sign language interpreter.

When I found out I was pregnant, I had an arrangement with my boss, that I would be off work for two months after Kaden was born, and then come back part time with the intent of going back to full time after a couple of weeks to ease back in. The goal was for me to return to full time by, or around September 1st because school would be back in session by then, and our agency would be busy again. (We tend to slow down around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and again in the summer when educational interpreters flood the community for work.)

Since Kaden arrived so early, our plan was pretty much thrown out of the window.

Continue reading “Returning to Work After Baby” →

While the answer varies depending on who you ask or which website you look at, the third trimester of a pregnancy begins at about 28 weeks. My pregnancy with Kaden ended at 29 weeks and 2 days.

The third trimester is when the baby gains the most weight and thus, mommy’s belly gets big. The third trimester is generally when mommys-to-be take maternity pictures, have baby showers, and can really feel and see their babies move in their bellies.

Continue reading “Third Trimester Envy” →

While the gift of growing a human life is wonderful, it’s also exhausting, uncomfortable, awkward, and demanding. If you’re not nauseous, you’re hungry (and sometimes you’re even both at the same time, which becomes a vicious cycle of how-do-I-eat-and-not-throw-it-back-up?). If you want to go to sleep, you can’t because your hips hurt and the baby keeps using your bladder as a squeeze toy and your diaphragm like one of those leg press machines at the gym.

It’s beautiful, and an incredible feeling, but it can also suck sometimes.

So, here are my 10 pregnancy products to help take the suck out of your pregnancy, so you can just relax and bask in the incredibleness of it.

Continue reading “10 Essentials for an Easier Pregnancy” →

I recently got back from a trip to California to visit my family with Kaden, and I learned several things, not only about parenting, but about people in general.

Continue reading “What Traveling with a Baby Has Taught Me” →

Dear NICU Parents,

I know you haven’t really had the chance to soak in the joy of having a baby, because he went straight to the NICU after he was born, but congratulations.

Continue reading “An Open Letter to NICU Parents” →