Ages & Stages

Childbirth and change. The two words go hand in hand, do they not? The moment you get pregnant, people start reminding you that "everything's about to change". Some are kind enough to add "for the better" on the end of the popular phrase. And you know it's true, it has to be - you're literally about to add an entire new person into your life and home and routine. There are the obvious things {your nights, your time}, but when we brought our little bundle of joy home, the age old adage that so many had repeated to me while I was growing her was abundantly true. Everything had changed. My usually very clean and neat house can become a...

My almost 10 month old has crazy hair. Crazy adorable hair. Crazy long, gets-stuck-in-the-bib-velcro hair. It curls just a bit in the back, and sometimes sticks out on either side of his head. And most strangers think he is a girl. They swing by with their grocery carts, stop, and say, “What a happy baby! How old is she?” Sometimes I don’t even bother correcting them. When I do correct them, they apologize profusely and say, “He is a pretty boy! He’s going to break some hearts one day!” Honestly, it doesn't bother me that people think he’s a girl. You can’t really tell at this age. Babies look like babies. But, it has started to annoy my husband. (I...

I could probably write about a hundred posts about lessons I have learned since my son was born over 9 months ago, but one has stuck out in my mind lately: I’ve learned to say “No” without guilt. Well, without much guilt anyway. Being a well-raised Southern girl, my first inclination whenever I get an invitation, or a request to do something, is to say yes. I get it from my mother. I am a people-pleaser and hate feeling like I have let anyone down. It drives me crazy. For my whole adult life, my inclination has been to always agree to as much as possible. Generally, I think this is a good policy. I miss out on less and...

My husband and I have always strived to teach our children to love and live the local culture. In Baton Rouge, that means tailgating. Both of my children were around six months old for their first tailgates, and as soon as my daughter could express herself she started referring to many fall Saturdays as "LSU all day day." I wouldn't want it any other way. Some people think tailgating is only for crazy college kids, established companies and/or those lucky enough to have an RV in Touchdown Village. That is just not true. I am here to tell you that tailgating with a family is possible and, quite honestly, pretty fun. Like so many other events pre and post parenthood,...

I'm a researcher and planner by nature. I genuinely enjoy it! I like being prepared and informed and knowing as much as I can before something comes my way. So of course when I found I was pregnant, it was ON. I consumed every article and blog post I could get my hands on like a crazy person. "How to Survive Your First Trimester" turned into "Breastfeeding Basics" and then to "What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag" and "What You Need to Know About Labor & Delivery". I was ready and waiting for labor. I knew that there were things I couldn't prepare for, but I honestly felt like there wasn't much that was going to be able...