Ages + Stages

It was like with putting my second baby down "drowsy but awake" - I'm going to decide to do this, be smart about it, and make it work. And so I did. Have I faced blunders? Absolutely. But I did my research - aside from Dr. Google, I read 2 books and spoke to several parents who did it or are doing it firsthand. And here is what I've learned from the so-called "myths", fears, and misconceptions listed above:

All three of my kids lived on breastmilk for the first year of their lives.  I feel fortunate that my twins were born at 37 weeks, but they were not good at latching.  I exclusively pumped and bottle fed them, and had to work very hard to produce enough milk.  I tried every trick in the book, but pumping consistently was the only sure way to increase my supply.  My youngest was great at breast feeding so I breastfed and pumped for the first year.  I had no trouble producing enough for one baby since my body had been “trained” to produce enough for two.

I have four children, or maybe five, I don’t know - I lost count. Whether you have two or seven, anything more than one child makes all the sound parenting advice from well-meaning grocery store ladies seem downright comical....

Tax season is in full swing, and while filing your taxes isn’t necessarily fun – a refund can be agreat incentive to get them done. While it may be tempting to spend it, saving all or even someof a...

Back when I was in 1st grade, my mom received a phone call that I’d won a toy kitchen for my drawing in a coloring contest at a local grocery store. I was beyond excited that someone had recognized...

Congratulations on completing your first year of parenting! As my own daughter just turned one- I’ve been able to reflect on the challenges, joys, and learning opportunities that I’ve encountered in the last 12 months. Here are some key things...

We did it.  We survived tent camping with three small children and a crazy dog.  We finished off our summer by packing the whole family and plenty of gear into our van, driving thirty minutes away (nice and close, just in case we had to abandon ship), and made a 30’ circle of dirt our home for a weekend.

The holidays are upon us. Halloween just ghosted out and the turkey is gobbling up the days to Thanksgiving. If your family is hoping to add a little homemade decoration to your Thanksgiving table here are a few different...

I remember watching one of my closest friends putting her baby to her breast. It was like magic.  It was as if baby and mom were perfectly connected.  Meanwhile, I sat attached to my pump EVERY 3 hours.  I still needed to use formula. I felt like I failed to connect with my baby.  I’d cry because the sound of my pump parts clicking together made my milk let down…not the cry of my baby.  

From the moment my daughter was born, I expected belly issues. Her big sister had this nursing mama on a dairy free, egg free, shellfish free diet for 5 months. I thought those would be the longest 5 moths of my life! (How could this Wisconsin girl go without her cheese?) But what I didn’t expect was that my second baby wouldn’t outgrow these issues.