Real Stories

Obesity is a complex disease with many contributing factors. It’s not always as simple as ‘eat less, move more.’

Maintaining your weight is as great an accomplishment as losing weight when one is dealing with obesity. Recognizing this as an accomplishment is greatly important for mental and physical health.

This guest post from Sonja Wasden is a beautifully written perspective about experiencing mental illness in motherhood.

International adoptions have decreased at an extraordinary rate over the last decade. Since 2004, the number of children adopted by US families from other countries has been cut in half, as nations across the world revise their guidelines to restrict overseas adoption. In 2016, only 5,370 children from other countries were adopted by American families. …

Most adults can remember at least one instance of bullying or exclusion they experienced as a child. For some, exclusion defined their lives, impacting how they learned to relate with others into adulthood. In an effort to keep their own children from becoming victims of bullying, these scarred adults inadvertently teach their children how to …

When it comes to Postpartum Depression, I feel like I’ve been through it all. Not only have I dealt with it after each of my children’s births, but I also suffered from traumatic Perinatal Depression, which is depression during pregnancy. Somehow, though, this time around, it took me a while to realize that I was suffering …

When it comes to reading, the earlier you can start with your child, the better. Reading books to your little one is not only fun, but it also is important for growing developmental skills. By reading to your child, you reinforce basic sounds, encourage language acquisition, teach your child about enunciation and more. Why is …

I have been hesitating to publish pregnancy updates lately because all in all, this fourth baby has caused me very few issues (unlike his brothers!), and I didn’t really want to bore anyone with posts about random pregnancy things that most everyone deals with. But a few weeks ago, things changed up a little bit, …

If you’ve ever read my posts on pregnancy before, you’ll know that I’m the kind of mom who complains A LOT. I don’t mean to. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to create life and carry it to term, and I never take for granted my kids or my beautiful ability to have a family. …

Oh help me, OB-GYN Kenobi! You’re my only hope! I can’t believe this is happening again. And so early! That’s right – my body has gone into super crazy overdrive with the unbearable itchiness associated with Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP). As you may or may not know, I’ve dealt with this in every single …

I don’t often talk about my own experience with miscarriage. I’ve had three in total, and each has hit me hard. When I was growing up, I didn’t want children. I saw myself as career-driven, wanting to make a difference to the world, and I thought kids were annoying and got in the way of …

When we found out we were pregnant with this baby, Mark’s immediate reaction was to declare his intentions on getting a vasectomy. While he loves me and loves our children, he does NOT love pregnancy’s effect on his wife – neither physical  nor psychological. While initially we both were on the same page with how …

Another week goes by in this pregnancy that has gone on FOREVER, and I am in equal parts happy that baby is staying put and frustrated because I want to be DONE. After the last update, where I ended up in the hospital for vomiting blood, I had a brief respite before ending up in …

I haven’t updated about my pregnancy in a long while. The truth is that besides the stress of moving across the country and settling in to a new city, new house and new surroundings, there is a bigger reason for my reticence in posting about things. In all honesty, there is a distinct lack of …

My husband has a great way of making me feel bad about myself. This morning as I was half naked, getting dressed, he says, “Wow. Your bump is really big.” Yep. I knew this, and I smiled. “I know,” I said. He shakes his head in wonder. “No, I mean, it’s like as big as …

I can’t believe it, but there’s only 18 weeks left in this pregnancy! Unless, of course, the baby comes early like Daniel, in which case I could have between 13 – 15 weeks left! Eep! Not to mention this little guy is still measuring about 4 – 6 days ahead of schedule. Yep – I …

I haven’t really had a chance to update lately, so this is a post for 18 – 20 weeks pregnant. Can you believe it? I’m officially halfway done!! WOOHOO! We spent the last couple of weeks up in Pennsylvania visiting my folks and enjoying time as a family. Happily, our first week there, Mark and …

Well today I am 17 weeks pregnant, and quite honestly – the shit has hit the fan. This week has seen no end of pregnancy drama (and by drama – I mean whining and moaning about completely normal pregnancy crap). Pull up a chair and let me tell you all about why my ass hurts and …

I’m finding it hard to be enthusiastic right now, despite the fact I have every reason to be. Yesterday we had our big 16 week gender scan, which culminated in us finding out the amazing news that we are expecting a beautiful, healthy baby….. Again. And while I am over the moon about him being …

Once again, I’ve skipped a week of updates as not a lot changes these days. I still feel fat and frumpy, and I’m still rather annoyed at the state of my body, but I’m trying hard to enjoy the changes I’m going through. It’s hard, but since this is DEFINITELY my last baby, I am …

I’m actually updating on the proper day for once! Woohoo! I’m 11 weeks today. Of course, I also had my 12 week appointment/scan this morning, and I’m glad to say that all is well. Here’s the pertinent information. The twelve week scan is also known as the “dating scan.” It’s when they get the truest …

I’m 10 weeks pregnant. Not much has changed since last week. According to what I’m reading, my uterus is the size of a grapefruit now ,and the baby is about 1 3/4 inches from crown to rump. She’s the size of a kumquat, apparently. Of course, you’d never know that if you looked at my …

Today is the big day. We have Dexter’s speech assessment with the county. This will determine his educational future. If they think it is necessary, he will be seeing a speech therapist to work on bringing him in line with his peers. His hearing issues have unfortunately meant that he is struggling with elocution, and …

Well I’m nine weeks pregnant this week. And things are getting interesting. I know it sounds crazy (and it probably IS), but I swear that I can feel something moving within. It is far too early for me to be feeling it, yet… I know what a baby feels like, and I am  having the …

So on Wednesday, we finally got in to see our OB/GYN, the inimitable Dr KJ, my very favorite person on the planet when it comes to having babies. And even though she missed my actual birth (through no fault of her own), she is still an awesomely awesome doctor. I was hoping against hope that …

Poor poor Dexter. You may recall last week when I wrote about how his pediatrician perforated both of his ear drums and and the resulting drama. It was a difficult time, and the poor kid was in a lot of pain. To properly assess the situation, though, and to decide what to do regarding any …

Today, we have a guest post from Melissa Rhone, who has offered to share her thoughts on adding music to your child’s life! I hope you enjoy.   5 Fun Ways to Add Music to Your Child’s Life Studies show that music is vital in the development of children’s minds and music abilities. Fortunately, you …