Ages & Stages

New Mom Reality Each day I look forward to the possibility of a power walk in my neighborhood. That may not seem like a lofty goal for a fitness instructor, but at seven weeks post-partum, it’s good enough for...

We’re continuing our celebration of World Breastfeeding Week 2019 The theme for this year is “Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding.” Thanks to Lovelace Health System for sponsoring this World Breastfeeding Week Editorial Series.  If you are breastpumping due to an unforeseen challenge with your bundle...

I don't know that I'd call us foodies, but my husband and I definitely like good food. We're also the parents of two lively little girls that we love to spend time with. We often eat a meal or...

Sometimes I have this delusion that my life ought to run like a well-oiled machine. Each family member knows what their responsibilities are and executes them perfectly. All the pieces of the family machine fall together without a hitch....

Undoubtedly, the teenage years are awkward and confusing for parents and adolescents. The obvious instigator is hormones, along with developing minds and bodies. Teens are trying to navigate a world at an in-between stage, not quite an adult but...

I have two older bonus daughters, currently sixteen and eighteen, whom I met when they were thirteen and fifteen. Given their age when we first connected, I've adopted a somewhat hands-off approach to parenting. I let them know that...

I sat there with tears rolling down from my eyes . . . again. I had no idea breastfeeding would hurt this bad. What was I doing wrong? I felt like I was failing. I was mere weeks into being a...

Believe me when I say the first two weeks of having a newborn weren’t easy. Especially breastfeeding. Not that it hurt or anything, but because my milk supply was just not there. Now please know that I also have an...

We all know that toddlers have lots of big feelings and emotions. Understandably my husband and I were a little nervous about moving our two-year-old out of the only home she's ever known and into a new one. We...

Incoming!!! Look Out!! Inappropriate gestures, curse words, and classmates wearing makeup at the playground. Parents can try to keep their children innocent as long as possible, but at times it seems impossible. A 4th grade boy asked my daughter if she...

My music education begins and ends with 6th grade orchestra. I vividly remember going into the orchestra room on the first day of middle school and sitting down in chairs arranged in a semicircle. I was excited to finally...

So, if you are reading my blog hoping for a fairy tale ending, then you’ve come to the right place! I became a single mom at the age of 18. I had just finished my first year of college and...

When I became pregnant with our son David in 2014, we were overjoyed. We had been trying for years and experienced two miscarriages. So as the pregnancy progressed and everything looked good, we were very hopeful that this would...

My favorite holiday just passed (May the Fourth), so I started looking around to find my next favorite holiday. Did you even know there was a holiday dedicated to cleaning up your room? According to several places on the...