Motherhood Isn’t Always Pretty

When it’s not all puppies & sunshine

January 18, 2012

Cole had a hell of a time going to sleep last night. I don’t know if he was wound up from a late nap, teething, if the medicine I gave him for a cold was messing with him or if he just wanted to screw with me.  But 90 minutes after I laid him down [...]

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On (not) having baby #3…

April 12, 2011

“They talked me out of it,” I said, all rejected-like replaying the conversation for a friend.  At my 37-week OB appointment, my doctor asked if I was still considering having my tubes tied.  I said I was and Craig joked, “How can you say that when you look at Chessa?”  Sensing a difference of opinion, [...]

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The post-baby body post

April 11, 2011

Drying her hair, she takes a hard look in the mirror.  Her eyes start with her face.  The eyes looking back at her are tired and weary, and when she smiles there are creases underneath that didn’t used to be there.  “I should really think about putting on makeup even when I’m not leaving the [...]

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Turning the proverbial corner: C-section recovery

March 21, 2011

This weekend I decided that people were trying to help me too much.  I suppose that means I’m either an ungrateful snot or I’m starting to feel better, right?  I do feel more like myself and human again, for the most part.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not about to go running any marathons.  Hell, I’m not even sure [...]

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If this is as bad as it gets, I suppose I shouldn’t complain

March 16, 2011

My toddler won’t sleep and my newborn won’t poop.  Yep, I’m going there.  I’m talking about poop.  Or lack thereof.  My poor little guy went from dirtying a diaper with nearly every bottle to not going at all for more than an entire day.  He grunts and groans like a mad man, pulling his little [...]

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I have a village

August 24, 2010

So, you think you have a system.  You think you’re so smart and have it all figured out.  You think you’re so lucky to have the quickest morning drop off routine, just waltzing across the yard to your mother-in-law’s house and dropping off the baby who is so happy to see PapPap that she doesn’t [...]

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It seems we’ve turned a parenting corner

July 15, 2010

Um…  guys.  This parenting thing gets HARDER as they get older?  Did none of you think to tell me that?  Oh, no.  You were all “you can do this” when she was itty bitty and had hours every evening where she fussed and cried and I walked miles up and down the halls of my [...]

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The evolution of middle of the night wake up calls

June 25, 2010

I count my blessings every day that I have a child who sleeps through the night.  The sea parted and it first started happening when she was about 10 weeks old.  I would wake up throughout the night and look at the video monitor to make sure she had moved or sneak into her room, [...]

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Mother’s Day in Review

May 10, 2010

The first Mother’s Day with a baby really gets a girl thinking.  Thinking about all the times I blew off with a quick card for my mother because I didn’t think it was a big deal.  Thinking about the lessons I’ve learned from my mom.  Thinking about the memories and recipes that both of my [...]

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Add exercise to the list of things that change after baby

May 5, 2010

I should be half ashamed to admit this, but tonight was the first time I’ve worked out since C was born.  Yes, I’ve gone for walks with my daughter, but to be fair, they were more like casual strolls.  I was lucky to lose the baby weight thanks to adjusting to life with a baby [...]

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