10 Disgusting Truths About Postpartum Recovery

Women who are pregnant for the first time are hungry for information about pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum recovery.  They’re relentless scavengers of information, devouring books, posts, and pins, their appetite for knowledge as strong as the craving for human flesh by the man-eating lions of Tsavo.  Unfortunately, most information available is generic, repetitive, or far too sugar-coated to be worth a damn, revealing none of the … Continue reading 10 Disgusting Truths About Postpartum Recovery

Catching a Nap When You’re a Parent is Like Trying to Catch a Mythical Beast

Prior to becoming a parent, I was a napping PRO. I have insomnia and crazy sleep issues that have left me waking up exhausted for most of my existence, so I utilized the mystical force of the power nap to keep me going on a regular basis.  In the weeks leading up to the due date of our first child, one of the most common pieces of advice … Continue reading Catching a Nap When You’re a Parent is Like Trying to Catch a Mythical Beast

Once We Become Parents We Don’t Want To Hang Out With You Anymore (But Not For The Reasons You Think)

Before I became a parent, I had a few relatively close friends who began starting families, and after the birth of their little ones, I never really saw them again.  I tried calling periodically, and would offer up the same sort of date idea we used to do together, usually coffees or lunch dates.  Usually the offer was rejected and after a few attempts to stay connected, … Continue reading Once We Become Parents We Don’t Want To Hang Out With You Anymore (But Not For The Reasons You Think)

Her Three Favorite Skeins

She knit because she loved to.  She enjoyed sitting in her chair, her mind and body calm and quiet and still, with the exception of her hands, which moved furiously back and forth, clicking and clacking and whirling.  She loved the way the needles tinged and pinged, and the fibers twisted and twined, and she could not get enough of her hobby that embodied the essence of the … Continue reading Her Three Favorite Skeins

Here’s Why You Need To Know About My Infertility

This week is National Infertility Awareness Week.  RESOLVE, a National Infertility Association, chose the expression Resolve To Know More as their campaign theme for 2014. Jesse and Lauren, at Our Crazy Ever After, are doing their part to raise awareness by pairing up bloggers, having the ones with experience dealing with infertility guest post on the ones without.  They’ve compiled all of the posts in a link up here.  Below … Continue reading Here’s Why You Need To Know About My Infertility

The Accidental Marathoner

Originally posted on A Morning Grouch:
I have two Mes. Real me is caring and giving and kind.  Real me is never bored, because there is always someone to love or something to create or something to enjoy.  Real Me relishes weekends, family, friends and manically pursuing hobbies.  Real Me even loves horribly gray days and days when the basement floods and days when a baking dish explodes in the kitchen because… Continue reading The Accidental Marathoner

How Vaccinations Are Like Wool Blankets

All of this nonsense about diseases that have effectively been eradicated starting to pop back in the picture due, at least in large part, to people choosing not to vaccinate is getting ridiculous. Unfortunately many are uninformed, misinformed, or have developed some crackpot conspiracy theory, which is wreaking havoc on such a simple and effective method of preventing the spread of infection. Let’s look at … Continue reading How Vaccinations Are Like Wool Blankets

Broken Machinery

The floor is lined with well-oiled machines. They are gleaming models, producing perfect products. They hum, whir, purr.   Smile.   They are lustrous, polished instruments with safety valves releasing steam, and automatic shut-offs. They are controlled and efficient.   But one machine is not like the rest. A single rusty clunker, worn out, broken down, wearing thin. It screeches, bangs, clanks.   Snarls.   … Continue reading Broken Machinery

The Bad Words We Are Teaching Our Children

Our words matter.  As parents, we know we are responsible for teaching our children how to respect themselves and others, and that our words help shape their life-long inner dialogue. Some of the “bad” words we try to shield our children from at an early age are obvious, such as swear words or hate speech or rude, nasty comments.  We would never purposefully and passionately … Continue reading The Bad Words We Are Teaching Our Children