Red Stick Mom

For the many of you who are reading this blog series (here is Part 1 and Part 2) who have never struggled with fertility, chances are that you know someone who is. Infertility affects between 10% and 15% of couples trying to conceive.  You likely have a friend or a relative who is currently dealing with this issue. Knowing the right things to do or say can be tricky because you don't want to walk on eggshells, but you don't want to be hurtful either. Based on my experiences, here are a few suggestions for what to say and what not to say. Things you should try to avoid saying or doing: Don't tell her to "just relax". This was one...

Infertility :: How to Cope I shared my story of my journey through infertility. What I failed to share, however, was the deep agonizing pain that I went through in that journey.  I didn't share about the endless nights when I would cry myself to sleep, or when I would wake up in the morning with tears covering my face from crying in my sleep. I didn't share about the times when I would have to rush to the bathroom to be sick and then return to a room full of my friends and their young babies with a smile plastered to my face. Or the times when I would hear a song on the radio that triggered deep pain...

Infertility :: My Story I have two amazing children.  Matthew, my three-year-old, is an inquisitive, bright, tractor-loving country boy, while Ben, my almost-two-year-old, is a playful, hilarious, sweet bull in a china shop.  I cannot imagine not being their mother. But for years I could not imagine that I ever would have the chance. In 2006, after two years of marriage, Kenny and I decided to start a family.  We didn't really know many people with young children, and only a very few of our friends had experienced a pregnancy in their marriage.  So we really had no idea what to expect in the process.  I truly believed that we would become pregnant immediately.  In fact, I remember that we started trying to conceive...

Our son William was baptized on Sunday. I was so excited. I had been planning it for weeks. My husband and I were hosting a brunch for our families at our house afterward. He had an adorable outfit picked out. A close family friend was going to baptize him. It was going to be perfect – my son’s first big event in his short three-month life. The day arrived and by the end of it I learned a valuable lesson: there are no perfect moments in life. At least, not the kind of “perfect” that you often hope they will be.  Having a child has redefined what having a meaningful experience is for me – and it doesn’t always involve everything...

I've never been great at planning ahead.  Easter is one holiday that always catches me off guard. With the actual easter basket, I never really know what to put in it, and my kids are really too young to enjoy candy (or at least they should be!) After buying new clothes for Easter, I don't want to spend a ton filling up their Easter basket...especially with just junk they will never use.  So, this year, I've decided to create an Easter basket that was not only inexpensive but actually useful to our daily lives. I've put together several different "themes" that are all great to throw together with one quick walk through the dollar store.  Best of all, these...