Toddlers

Have you ever heard people talk about the kids that never stop? The ones, when they are awake, you can't blink? The "curious" ones? The "wild" ones? I gave birth to one, and my life has never been the same. My wild child is wild! He’s constantly moving, he truly does not stop unless he’s sleeping. He is curious, stubborn, hard-headed, and will not listen to "no" if he’s got his mind set on doing something. He absolutely cannot handle being bored. And when he gets bored, he’s not happy until someone is yelling, crying or things are in complete chaos.  He is the cause of 95% of my anxiety as a mother. He makes me up my “mom game”...

I am a summer gal, y’all. Maybe it was growing up in the relentless Louisiana heat that forced me into such a love affair. I need the sun. The shorts and tanks and late sunsets. The pretty, brightly painted toenails in carefree sandals. I'm the no school, spend the day at the pool, gimme the sunscreen smell, sunshine lovin’ fool. I’ve wanted to be a mermaid since before mermaids were cool. I love every aspect of it every year. I need the sun on my skin to feel complete and balanced. I had big dreams of being a stay at home mom and raising my kids outside and having zoo field trips and hiking adventures and swamp tours and outside play...

Good Morning! It is 7:30 a.m. and I hear his little giggle. The sight of our dog causes him to let out a squeal of excitement and the day begins. I fix my coffee in preparation. By 8:00 a.m. sharp he is fussing for fuel. Though scrambled eggs and toast are on the menu, he scowls and points to the cabinet where I have unsuccessfully hidden the M&Ms. Meltdown number one is underway as I sip my lukewarm coffee, right on schedule! At 9:30 a.m. all is well. We have eaten and semi-dressed for the day. (By semi I mean I have refreshed my messy bun and brushed my teeth because.... well, motherhood). He has also brushed his teeth pridefully, a task...

Hello February. I can’t believe you and I meet again so soon. A year ago during the beginning of your month, I was on bed rest awaiting my due date, February 16th, for my baby boy. Three days from now, a year-ago-Mommy would be giving birth to her 3rd baby boy 2 weeks early on a Monday night (which is funny because my nickname for his Daddy is “Monday of People” on my phone but that, dear readers, is another story). As I unpack the Amazon box of Baby Shark birthday party decorations, my thoughts return to February 4th, 2019. I was scheduled to go to the doctor the very next morning since my OB/GYN was off on Mondays. I had...

We bragged too early. After giving birth, I returned to work when Aeris was four months old. She began sleeping for six hours straight through the night, out of the blue. I continued to read articles and check her developmental stages as new moms tend to do, but we never realized how lucky we were. Anytime family and friends inquired about sleep, we responded arrogantly that we slept well. Our daughter didn’t cry at all times of the night, she slept soundly and occasionally stirred when it was time to nurse. It was a parent match made in heaven. As the months flew by, six hours gradually turned to eight and finally, she was sleeping throughout the entire night. We slept...