Encouragement

  “A-B-C-D…” well, you know the rest. The song played from my one year old daughter’s new magnetic alphabet bus toy as I picked up the letters off the floor again for the millionth time to put them back on the fridge. She was pressing the musical note button over and over, while spinning to the Alphabet and Wheels on the Bus. I had already showed her how to place a letter in the open spot on the bus and it would sing a little jingle about that letter. She was more interested in the noise those letters made as they hit the tile floor one by one and of course the songs. Hi, my name is Jenny and I have...

Before my son was born, when the question came up as to whether or not I would breastfeed him, the answer was always a resounding YES! Breastfeeding was something I very much wanted to do for him. (Ha! Parenting is SO easy before you actually have a baby.) Our son surprised us by coming almost six weeks early. I was still reading the pregnancy books and hadn't yet moved onto the "now-I-have-a-baby-what-the-heck-do-I-do?" books. Fortunately, he didn't have to spend any time in the NICU but as I worked through the shock that my baby was actually here, I also struggled to breastfeed. The nurses and the lactation consultants kept telling me "He's a preemie; it will take him a little longer to figure it out,...

I’m not about to rattle off my list of unattainable expectations for myself for 2016. Am I totally opposed to New Year’s Resolutions? No. Sometimes it takes some goal-setting to turn a new leaf in our lives, to kick off the motivation. To find that refreshment. But do I also think an extensively numbered list of “to’s” leaves room for one to become disappointed in themselves when the early January drive inevitably fizzles out given some time? Yes. Will I be dissatisfied in myself if I don’t lose the 10 pounds by March? It’s likely. Will I feel like a failure the first time I give into the Big Mac in April (or February) after committing to an all-organic diet? Probably....

  Well, it's almost that time again. Time to make those New Year resolutions that go so well until those delicious king cakes hit the shelves at grocery stores.   In years past, I've made my fair share of "lose weight and commit to health" resolutions, and this year I'm sure I'll make some version of that to be a better version of myself.  2015 brought a big change to my life and with that a new, more realistic view of those old stand-by resolutions. With the birth of my second child last February, I gained more than just a son; I gained more confidence as a mother, a little more laid back attitude toward life, and some changes to...

I look forward to every New Year because it feels like the slate has been wiped clean. It’s a time to reflect and start over (if need be). And boy do I need a re-do. 2015 was a year full of promises and “I’ll get to its” and good intentions on my part. I wanted so badly to change a few key things within myself and by March, I failed. In 2016, I want to finish what I started in 2015. I won’t call them resolutions because resolutions never get accomplished, so instead I will call this my Plan of Action. As a mom, here's what I need to change and handle better. This is my 2016 Plan of Action:  1....