Red Stick Mom

Since I just had my second baby and am headed kicking and screaming back to work, I know that I'm going to have to answer the question: To pump or not to pump? Providing freshly expressed breast milk for my little one is a labor of love that doesn't come from a grocery store. I choose to breast feed my babies for as long as I can when I go back to work; then, I just supplement as needed. So... How do I manage the task of juggling my inquisitive middle school students while attempting this task? Here's some helpful tips I've come to know and love in this process. -Be in the know. Go ahead and have that awkward...

I wanted to be one of those women who loved being pregnant. I went into it so optimistically, hoping the life inside me would give me a healthy glow and a sunny disposition. I. Was. Wrong. My first trimester was predictably nauseating--no surprises there. But I can tell you the exact moment that things took a turn for the worse. I was 14 weeks along and the nausea had only recently subsided. My husband and I were watching the Saints game at a friend's house and I just could not get comfortable. There was this pain in my lower back, right at the bottom of my ribs on the right side. It felt like someone pinching me hard from the...

Do you have one of those mom friends that just always makes you laugh and puts a smile on your face? That is how I feel about the lovely and talented Ashley Hawthorne.  She has a quick wit and great sense of humor; but more importantly, she is an incredible and inspiring woman and mom. I'm so happy for you to get to know her and tour a bit of her beautiful, new home out in woodsy Central.  Although Ashley is an Interior Designer, her home does not have the untouched magazine look you might expect.  Instead, she breathes life into every corner and makes it a livable and beautiful space for her son and soon-to-arrive daughter. I know...

Last week's post generated a great deal of feedback, which is so great.  I think that it's important for us as moms to dialogue about this topic as much as possible, so we can begin to be more aware of and sensitive of others. So, how can we remain passionate about our decisions while offering support to other moms with differing views? This is the part that is tricky.  For example, I am sure that the well-meaning mother I met at the park has researched natural birth in-depth, and she probably can explain to me why natural birth is BETTER.  And because her knowledge of that is so deep, she felt compelled to educate me.  But here is the problem with...

This Halloween was a little extra special for Baton Rouge.  The long wait for Trader Joe’s is finally over.  Being the curious mama that I am, I had to check it out to see if it lives up to the hype.  It didn’t hurt that the store is only a short drive from our house (win!). So, I loaded up Etta Mae, and we braved the rain.  I had never been to a Trader Joe’s, and I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. All I knew was that cookie butter is supposed to be the yummiest stuff on Earth. We walked up to live music and a flurry of shoppers.  The first thing I noticed after walking in was...