Motherhood
Posts related to raising children through their ages and stages
Encouragement for Moms Who Are Overwhelmed or Discouraged: We’re All Broken
One of the biggest things I have learned over my years as a mother is that we are two imperfect people raising imperfect people in a world that often works against us. This can sound like a sober realization and a hopeless proclamation but I'd like to take the...
How to Become an Ideal Mother: Is it Possible?
I have been working on establishing the same morning routine with my kids for 6 years. I can't remember where I saw the high 5 idea first but I looked back in my photos recently and saw a picture of my now 11 year old in front of the high 5 poster we still use...
Raising Men, Not Boys: Chores
I often remind my boys (and myself) that I am raising men, not boys. I have asked them what kind of men they want to grow into and they tell me they want to be hard working and Godly. I admit to leading their answers a bit there. But this basically gives me...
Newborn Survival Phase: 4 Things Large Family Moms Know
We are expecting our fifth child. This means we have been through the newborn survival phase 4 times and have chosen to enter it again. My body goes through nausea, weight gain, and incredible expansion. Nights are spent nursing and comforting a baby instead...
Unexpected Pregnancy and Unassisted Birth
This is a story about my experience with unassisted pregnancy and unassisted birth. But in order to do his story justice, I need to start months before he was even conceived. Right after my 3rd son turned two, I became pregnant. We were overjoyed as we had always...
Normalizing Birth for Children
My eldest son witnessed his first birth around 1.5 years old. He stood with his little rubber boots on the fence and held on to the cable and watched as the calf emerged, feet, then face, then a wet body slipping out onto the bedding pack. I'd like to say it was a...