Red Stick Mom

Congrats! You’re having a baby! You’ve picked out a name, ordered a crib, and researched stroller systems.  You’ve spent hours drooling over tutus and LSU football onesies.  But, have you taken the time to prepare for labor and birth?  Having a baby is so much more than showing up at the hospital after your water breaks, and it’s nothing like what you see on tv and in movies.  In fact, having a great birth experience starts before your first prenatal visit.  There are several things to consider when preparing for your best birth, and this four-step guide will get you on your way! 1. Choose Your Birth Team The first and most important choice you will make is your birth team,...

Supporting the single mom. It's hard to be there for someone when you don't know how and when you don't "have time." I lost a lot of friends when I became a single mom, but I have been so blessed to have a few faithful mommas stick with me and support me; and I am even more thankful for the new moms who joined me in this new journey. So how can you help the single mom? Obviously, I cannot speak for every single mom, but this is what has gotten me through it! These are all ways my friends helped me -some I didn't even know I needed. Stop asking me what you can do to help! There are at least...

I’m easily overwhelmed.  So, it’s no surprise that the holidays make me a little frazzled.  In fact, I often find myself dreading them instead of feeling the holiday spirit.  There’s something about having a baby that makes family even more desperate to see you, and that can mean a lot of pressure and stress.  When Etta Mae was born, I decided that it was very important to establish traditions to make sure that our immediate family found a way to connect at Christmastime. One tradition that we have started is stolen from my own childhood.  No matter what else we had going on for the holidays, Christmas day was always spent at home with just my parents and brother.  Etta...

It’s that time of year again, ladies. You know where our head starts to spin and our bank account begins to deflate.  I’m talking about the holidays.  I feel the question of “What are your plans for the holidays?” starts in July. Between my husband and me, we have family in St. Amant, Lafayette, Covington, New Orleans and St. Louis, MO. Obviously, we can’t see everyone for each holiday. Before moving to Baton Rouge and having kids, holidays consisted of visiting, eating and driving to the next house , visiting, eating and driving to the next house, and again visiting, eating and driving to the next house. All fine and good when you are in college and can handle long,...

I'm sorry to say that this post doesn’t have any magic tricks or super tips that will coax your child into dreamland, but I am here to say that you WILL get through the rough patches and your baby WILL eventually nap or sleep. You are tired, drained, defeated, and sleep-deprived.  I was there—for 13 solid months. Despite all the encouraging advice from my friends with sleeping babies, Judah just did not want to nap.  The ONLY thing that seemed to put him to sleep during the day was the car (or nursing), but the problem with that was I was still attached.  There were no dishes I could clean from the car or clothes I could fold.  I was...