“Mom, you are being so mean to me. You are so much nicer to Peter. You love him more than me.” I looked at my soon-to-be 19-year-old son, my first born child, and simply said, “No, of course I don’t love him more. I adore you both.” But I like your 12-year-old brother a heck of a lot more right now. This thought ran through my head, but thankfully I didn’t … [Read more...]
How One Little Cat Taught Me How to Be a Mom
My husband and I rarely jump into anything blind, whether it’s buying a new car or getting a throw pillow for the sofa. Months of research and discussion go into any decision we make. So when we were three years into our marriage and felt ready to start a family, we weren’t just going to throw caution to the wind and let nature take it’s course. No, we were going to plan … [Read more...]
Wishing for Happier Days: The Pain of Mother’s Day After Pregnancy Loss
I sat up on the exam table, my husband next to me. Our doctor turned her back on us and asked for the date of my last period. With her calendar wheel in hand, she turned around and pronounced that May 30th would be my due date. Excitement filled my body. I couldn’t stop smiling. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a mother, and now it was happening. Joe turned to … [Read more...]
When a Pregnancy Surprises You – The Joy of the Third Baby
I held the familiar white stick in my hand and watched in disbelief as two lines appeared in the result window. Positive. By this point in my life, I had lost count of how many times I had taken a pregnancy test. There were four miscarriages before our first child and a year of infertility before we had our second. Now that I decided two children was all I could handle, … [Read more...]
And Down Will Come Baby Cradle and All
Each time I go downstairs to our playroom I see it, the cradle my father made for me when my first child was born 18 years ago. Soon after my husband and I announced we were expecting a baby, my dad started planning to build it for his first grandchild. Joe and I were thrilled. But our happiness was short lived when at 10 weeks we saw our baby, but no heartbeat. I was … [Read more...]
