Working Moms

In the wide world of parenting topics I don't consider myself to be an "expert" (using the term very loosely) at much, but breastfeeding/pumping/working, well I've pretty much mastered! Having nursed my daughter for a little over a year, mostly while working almost full-time, and now doing the same with my son, I've developed my own list of essential items that every pumping momma needs when away from baby. A great, electric double breast pump. Yea, they are costly but at a price tag cheaper than formula it's worth every penny. Great news, many health insurance plans are now covering the cost of breast pumps! Your pump will be your best friend for many months, and when you are finally...

We all know it, we all hate it, the dreaded "Mommy Brain!" You know that crazy sense of chaos that makes moms feel like they are loosing control of everything in their lives. We have all had days where "Mommy Brain" takes over and whether it's forgetting where you parked the car, dropping your kids off for school late (AGAIN), or forgetting to set the timer on the oven and burning dinner the mommy brain monster can make any bad day worse and make you feel pretty inadequate. In my day job as a Speech Therapist, I work to aid patients who have experienced neurological injuries or illness to strengthen, re-develop and overcompensate for cognitive deficits. I provide my patients with...

My decision to go from work-at-home doula mom to heel wearing, daily hair washing full-time corporate mom was not an easy one.  In fact, it took me about a year to truly commit to going back to work. But after 2.5 years, it was time.  It had become clear that staying home was not bringing out the best in me as a mom, and the desire to have more financial flexibility for our family led me to pursue career opportunities.  I was blessed to find something very quickly (much more quickly than I had planned to be honest), and a new chapter of our lives was underway. In the months leading up to my career change, I had a lot of...

Friendships are hard.  At least for me.  Growing up, I was a tomboy--one of the guys--with a fierce independent streak. I never had a lot of girl friends. I also moved around a bit, so I don't have any friends that I've known since elementary school.  College and grad school brought dear friends--kindred spirits--but distance keeps us apart these days. My husband is my absolute best friend, and I'm lucky to be married to him. We've had lots of adventures and have moved across country a few times in our nearly decade-long marriage.  Its easy to be best friends with him, especially because we're both slightly weird. Adult friendships, though, are difficult for me, especially with other women. Wonderful and worth it,...

The month of January is usually filled with enthusiastic intentions and overwhelming failures. New Year's resolutions, in my mind, just set us up to fail. The emotion and excitement of change and discipline quickly fade into disappointment when we realize that this life thing is hard. And we're tired. So, there are no resolutions for me this year. Instead, though, I am striving towards a goal for 2015. I'm aiming, not for specific results, but a state of being. A mental orientation that (hopefully) translates into some action.  Throughout 2015 I want to focus on balance. My goal being to strike a balance between doing stuff and doing nothing. Most days, I wake up tired, go to work, come home, play with my kid,...