Ice is frosting the view outside our front door and soon, we will be scurrying to and from cities to visit family, friends and maybe even do a little shopping; but are you prepared in case of an emergency Do you what to do if your car slides off the road and do you know what you should carry in your car for you and your kids? It pays to keep your trunk packed with a winter survival kit for you and your kids AND to keep your cell phone with you. Before we get to your packing list, take a …
Facing the Mother “Hood” Alone
Hello little mamas! We have a special guest today. Catrina Gray signed up to have a mentor from The Mom Initiative and the funny part is we were just beginning to become friends while I was already on the M.O.M. Team. Catrina is a single mom with a heart for God and an eye for beautiful shots of life. Because she is in college and has dyslexia, she shared her story and I wrote her article; as a single mom, she has faced many trials including whether or not her daughter would be “normal.” Motherhood is a challenge for …
EXPECTANT: Growing a life while growing a family
A track-mom friend stood by the fence as we cheered our senior girls across the finish line in their last high school race last night. And then my friend did something I didn’t expect. She reached over and hugged me, smiling with teary eyes. Then I did something I didn’t expect. I had a flashback to bottles and blankets. Swallowing a surprise gulp of my own, I reminded myself that this growing up and moving on thing is good. We don’t have children to keep them forever, but when my husband placed our baby girl in my arms over eighteen …
Abide in Me
When I am asked, “How many children do you have?” I don’t know how to respond. “Three,” I answer, while I finish the sentence in my head, “…here with me and one in Heaven.” I will never forget my daughter, Rachel Faith, even if the only life she experienced was in the womb. She is always with me. As beautiful as she was at birth and at death, those images are not what flutter through my mind. I imagine her dancing with her sister. I twirl her dark curls. I embrace her, though she’s not physically here. Rachel died at …
I’m Pregnant – Now What?
Whether pink lines, a plus sign or a doctor’s diagnosis is the way you discover you are pregnant, a multitude of thoughts and emotions are sure to follow. Some women are excited and receive the news with great anticipation. Others are afraid of what their future might hold and aren’t sure how they are going to deal with the days ahead. Pregnancy is different for everyone and so are the circumstances associated with it. A thousand questions run through every expectant mom’s mind as she begins her journey down an unfamiliar road. Even if she’s had a baby before, each …
Expecting Stretch Marks
During the 40 weeks of pregnancy, a woman’s body does things she never imagined it could do. It begs for us to use the word “miracle” to describe the whole, amazing process. When our skin stretches more than it’s happy to, reddish or purplish marks develop that remind me of childhood poison ivy moments, minus the scratching. Primarily due to heredity, stretch marks may appear on your stomach, chest, or behind, anywhere the body is doing the miraculous work of growing to accommodate carrying and bearing new life. They appear gradually, so you may not even notice them at first …
40 Weeks of Growing Trust
The test stick turns pink, and suddenly your whole world changes. Within days you may start to feel your body change, and new thoughts cross your mind that you never considered before. How will life change professionally, intimately, financially, and physically? With the passing of each day on the calendar, you may feel like time is running out to get a firm hold on the coming addition to your family and the changes to your world. Forty weeks will pass faster than you think, and the urge to be in control may grow right along with the size of your …
Parenting out of the Pit of Addiction
It hadn’t been long since she arrived at the shelter, this young mother of four whose face showed years of experience beyond her age. With her eyes down, we worked on a felt scarf and ate cookies. Sorting colored beads, we picked through the bowl together. She began to share pieces of her story with every bead she chose. Spousal abuse led to despondence, to single substance abuse, to more substances, to corrupt companions, to more violence, to total loss in the pit of addiction. As she whispered the names of separated children through quivering lips she said, “I’ve done …
Preventing Picky Eaters
Is it really possible to raise children who aren’t picky eaters? Are there any tips to make mealtime a healthy haven of eating pleasure? It’s a dilemma most moms deal with at some time or another. The journey to healthy kids who eat healthy food and make mealtime more relaxing and less contentious begins before they are ever born and their propensity to prefer healthy foods over junk food is nurtured throughout their childhood. So, how can we prevent picky eaters… Begin in the womb and while you breastfeed. While your sweet little bundle of joy is developing within …
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