When my husband and I announced that we were expecting our first child we were thrilled and touched to receive countless well wishes and messages of encouragement.

“Congratulations!”

“You two are going to make wonderful parents!”

“So happy for you both!”

“We’re so excited for your new adventure!”

There was nothing better than feeling like we had an army of friends and family who were going to be a steadfast support system during this new chapter of our lives.  We felt so incredibly blessed!

Then we decided that we wanted to have a non-medicated, husband-coached, ‘natural’ birth using The Bradley Method ©. As we begun preparing for natural childbirth, suddenly congratulations turned into are you nuts?
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Growing up I was always thankful for the close relationship I had with my father. I have such fond memories of loving that he was my soccer coach, laughing when he tried to scare my hiccups away, running to him as my loose-tooth expert, and helping him cook breakfast for our church’s men’s group. Being around him was, and still is, always fun and I looked forward to the one-on-one moments we spent together. But it wasn’t until I got married and had a little girl of my own that I realized just how important that bond ended up being in my life. The impact it had on the way I expected to be treated by the guys I dated, what I looked for in the man I ended up marrying, and what I expect my husband to provide for our daughter cannot be overrated. Now I am thrilled to watch the bond between my husband and daughter flourish as he teaches her all the essential lessons that only a father can bestow on his little girl. One way I encourage their relationship to grow is through a weekly father daughter date night. Continue reading →

The first time my father told me my son was no longer a baby I wanted to scream “NOOOOO!” at the top of my lungs, scoop my little one up in my arms, and snuggle him for hours like I did when he was itty-bitty. It didn’t matter that he was walking, babbling, eating finger foods, and climbing on everything he could. No number of toddler-like behaviors could keep me from getting choked up at the thought of him no longer being a baby. While I know my son will always be my baby, the fact that he’d transitioned to full-on toddler mode was one slice of reality I wasn’t quite ready to swallow. It may seem like an insignificant change in a child’s life, especially when it tends to happen in the blink of an eye, but going from baby to toddler is a big deal. Everything that had become the new normal with your baby shifts and throws you a colossal curve ball complete with everything from new foods and physical milestones to sudden personality peeks and big boy beds. Continue reading →

Whether you are a first time mom or a veteran child-wrangler the one thing that no mom enjoys is watching her child get a shot. No one likes getting shots and anyone who says they don’t hurt is just trying to act tough. As adults, we know things like aches and redness can accompany vaccinations and so we take the appropriate measures to feel more comfortable after getting them. When it comes to our babies and young children who can’t quite justify the pain of a shot, it is our job to ease their discomfort post-prick. There are a number of effective ways to treat your baby after vaccinations, so be sure at least a few of these are in your arsenal the next time you head to the pediatrician’s office.

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