Pregnancy

{For just this week, we are handing over our computers to the men in our lives and turning this little piece of the world wide web into Red Stick DADS Blog!  Read along with their joys and their struggles, and find out why we are so very thankful to have these awesome dads in our lives.} ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- What a trip! As I traveled back from Northeast Louisiana, I had nothing but the highway and great manly memories from the guys hunting trip I was leaving. The trip was a mix between Duck Commander and Mountain Men with a side of Rambo. Despite not physically traveling to a far destination, we were one with John Rambo’s persona. Our arsenal included AR15’s, pistols, knives, axes, machetes,...

A Word of Encouragement From the Other Side My husband and I were married for seven years before we decided to have a child. He knew he always wanted a child (or children). I wasn’t so sure. The fact that we weren’t in the same place with the idea didn’t really matter because both of us were busy working and enjoying our jobs and each other. We were enough. We were totally happy. As I got older, we discussed it a bit more often because BIOLOGY. At 30, I wasn’t ready. Nope. Not 31. Or 32. I had Ellen when I was halfway to 34. My least favorite thing about having a child in the beginning? Everything. Every. Single. Thing. Let’s take it back even...

“You’re hiring a what?!” was the most common reaction I got when I mentioned I was hiring a professional birth photographer. And I was living in Austin at the time…you know, the place where people ride around topless on purple unicycles (slight exaggeration), and yet I was the weirdo who wanted to record my baby’s birth. This Louisiana girl just trying to keep Austin weird, y'all! Yes, most people thought I was crazy to even consider this. Birth photography is a fairly new trend that has become immensely popular over the past few years. As someone who has utilized this service, here are some answers to a few questions I often get asked on birth photography: So what exactly is...

When I was pregnant with my first child my husband and I eagerly prepared and anticipated my pregnancy ending with labor and delivery.  I read countless books, articles and blogs, and we even attended an extensive labor and delivery class to become knowledgeable.   Much to our surprise (and a little disappointment on my part) our 36 week ultrasound revealed that our daughter was in the breech position and the safest delivery option would be a scheduled cesarean section.  So, I delivered a beautiful, healthy baby girl via scheduled c-section without ever having a contraction, feeling my water break or going into labor.  I was overjoyed to finally meet my baby but felt like I had missed out on...

As a child I dreamed of the day I'd become a mother. I never had a doubt in my mind that I wanted children, but often wondered how many children I'd have.  In a perfect world I'm pretty certain that my husband and I would channel our inner Duggar and have as many as we could and we'd love every second of it.  However, my world isn't perfect and circumstances have helped my husband and I make the decision that after three sons, we have decided we are finished having children. I started my momma journey early at the mere age of 21 and had my last child at 29.  Being a mother is such an indescribable feeling.  Your heart learns a new type...