In some ways 2018 felt a million years long and in some ways it's just flown by--packed full of stuff. I wanted to share some of the big events with you (partly just to document for myself!). January: -I'm several weeks in to my worst pregnancy so far due to more severe hyperemesis gravidarum (I always think next time will be better..reader...next time is not better). -Netflix and La … [Read more...]
5 Saints Every Nursing Mom Should Know
We know that Pope Francis has supported breastfeeding women (even in church) and Our Lady offers a beautiful example of motherly love when she's depicted nursing in the tradition of Christian art. There is wonderful encouragement for nursing mothers in our faith, but some of us still face difficult challenges when we try to breastfeed. As a mama who has struggled with breastfeeding, I was … [Read more...]
Finding Your Groove When Nursing a Toddler
With a firstborn who hated nursing due to reflux issues, breastfeeding started as a struggle and quickly ended with regrets and feelings of failure. Then when my daughter, Lucy, was born, I got the special nursing relationship I had hoped for and planned to go on for at least two years (partly because it was going so well and partly because extended breastfeeding decreases my risk of breast … [Read more...]
2 Wardrobe Tips for Nursing Confidently in Public
I’ve written before about breastfeeding (nursing in public because the Pope said to and because the Blessed Virgin Mary does it) and I’m often asked how to be modest when nursing a baby. I think this is the wrong question because breastfeeding is not immodest. In most places in the world, women don’t have to think twice about feeding their babies in public. Breastfeeding is not viewed as … [Read more...]
Breastfeeding in Public, Hungry Babies, and Pope Francis
I saw this snippet of a recent interview with Pope Francis on Jimmy Akin's post: "At the Wednesday General Audience the other day there was a young mother behind one of the barriers with a baby that was just a few months old. The child was crying its eyes out as I came past. The mother was caressing it. I said to her: Madam, I think the child’s hungry. 'Yes, it’s probably time…' she … [Read more...]
Praying with Your Feet
Sometimes I make the mistake of separating my spiritual life from my vocation as a wife and mother. I see my children as distractions from prayer and spirituality, rather than an opportunity to love God. On a particularly trying morning with a very fussy infant at church, I spent almost all of Mass outside holding my crying baby and watching Mass through the door. Afterwards, I lamented to a … [Read more...]
Breastfeeding and a Prayer Request
We are just falling in love with Baby Gwen (who's making things very easy on mama by sleeping in 2-3 hour stretches all night between feedings!). Thank you for all the well-wishes and love for her! Today you can find me over at Mama and Baby Love sharing about my breastfeeding struggles with our firstborn and how everything changed the second time around! And please keep my sweet friend … [Read more...]
Any Expectant Mamas Out There? Check Out From Maiden to Mother
I'm three days overdue with Baby Gwen (Lucy was 10 days late) so I'm starting to lose my mind a little. I really gave all my natural labor induction methods a good try yesterday, including acupuncture, spicy Thai food, long walks, etc. but to no avail! One more weekend pregnant just sounds UNBEARABLE. C'mon Baby Carrot! I'm doing my best to distract myself from the fact that I'm still … [Read more...]
How My Kids Didn’t Ruin Mass
Confession: my kids are not typically little angels at Mass. ‘Typical” Mass behavior being our 3-year-old banging the kneeler open and closed and then dropping it on his own foot. Commence siren-like wailing. Or the kids tussling over who gets to hold the Baby Jesus finger puppet. And, to no one’s surprise, the preschooler throwing the St. Joseph finger puppet at his baby sister’s head doesn’t … [Read more...]
Choosing Maternity Items You Can Use for Your Post-Partum Wardrobe
And now for more thrifty and versatile maternity wear! Earlier this week, Katherine shared some of her favorite non-maternity items that can do double duty as maternity and today I want to share some of my favorite maternity essentials that can help carry you through the post-partum days. The post-partum days are tricky wardrobe-wise. And since I usually gain half my pre-pregnancy weight during … [Read more...]
