I remember it like it was yesterday. My mom had bought a television… FOR MY ROOM! That was a really big deal in 1976 and I was one excited teenage girl! But Mom had become a busy working woman whose priorities had changed. Not long after that gracious gift assumed its rightful place in the corner of my room, my mom and I had a big blow out. In the midst of the mayhem my sweet mom looked me in the eye and cried out, “Good grief, Stephanie! We bought you a television for your room! What more do you …
When You Struggle With Infertility and Loss
A Post From My Blog Last Fall *I was going in for a routine ultrasound, only to learn the unexpected, my baby had died during the week. No heartbeat. “My prayer this morning as I waited for the doctor, was somehow, there would be a heartbeat. I requested she try again for my sake and sadly as I knew, there was none. Even though I didn’t hear one, I was comforted as I laid my heart in God’s hands. Fresh tears well up with each passing moment as I continue to grieve the loss of my child. I grieve the dreams that were attached …
10 Ways to Win the Whining War
It has a way of grating on your nerves. Whining can drive a momma up the proverbial wall. How do you stop a two year old from whining when it’s time for bed, when you take her favorite toy away or when she doesn’t get her way? What do you do when your 5 year old whines about what you feed him for lunch, when you make him play outside or when you make him take a nap? Somehow, whining is a universal language for children between 1 and 18… and if it’s not dealt with before they become adults, …
Is it Autism?
“She does not like to be held or rocked at all. She won’t look at what I am pointing at, and never points at things herself. The softest touch sends her wailing, but being bitten by ants at the playground did not cause a stir. She still is not talking, but all my friends have had late talkers. She seems to look everywhere but in my eyes. So many things don’t seem right. Could this be autism?” Autism. Just the sound of the word makes the strongest of moms weak in the knees. So what is autism? According to the …
Facing our Fears
What’s a mom to do when her child who never minded being passed around a room of eager relatives freaks out at the sound of a flushing toilet? Are childhood anxieties real? The day my four year old screamed from the back of our mini-van in the Hobby Lobby parking lot, I hoped everyone around me believed childhood worries are real. Fears are not because of anything moms do wrong; childhood fears are part of being a child. Instead of finding the quickest way to squelch a panic, a wise mom knows fears are not only normal, they are the …
The Happiest She’s Been in 45 Years
a poem about mothers, daughters, and Alzheimer’s Disease (to view as a video, click here.) She was happy once upon a time long long ago. Then, all changed. She birthed a baby girl. She moved 3,000 miles to an unknown land: California, where women wore white after Labor Day. And she tried. Oh, how hard she tried to make everything just right so I could be happy. I didn’t care about leveling off the measuring cup with the back of the knife whether the salad fork went on the left or the right if dinner was served precisely at 6:00 …
Abide in Me
When I am asked, “How many children do you have?” I don’t know how to respond. “Three,” I answer, while I finish the sentence in my head, “…here with me and one in Heaven.” I will never forget my daughter, Rachel Faith, even if the only life she experienced was in the womb. She is always with me. As beautiful as she was at birth and at death, those images are not what flutter through my mind. I imagine her dancing with her sister. I twirl her dark curls. I embrace her, though she’s not physically here. Rachel died at …
I’m Pregnant – Now What?
Whether pink lines, a plus sign or a doctor’s diagnosis is the way you discover you are pregnant, a multitude of thoughts and emotions are sure to follow. Some women are excited and receive the news with great anticipation. Others are afraid of what their future might hold and aren’t sure how they are going to deal with the days ahead. Pregnancy is different for everyone and so are the circumstances associated with it. A thousand questions run through every expectant mom’s mind as she begins her journey down an unfamiliar road. Even if she’s had a baby before, each …
Season of Growing
A walk to my mailbox yesterday revealed a rose about to bloom. A clematis vine winds its way up the porch, hanging with purple blossoms. Even the fungus on the stump has gone from espresso cup to soup bowl size in a matter of days. If growth is the symphony of springtime, our children take center stage. It’s time for mommies everywhere to set aside their ironing baskets, resist spring cleaning, and turn off technology in favor of embracing this season of growth with our children. Including these 7 essential ingredients in your spring will help you make the …
When parenting means… having a gentle answer
Some days, parenting is hard. That was my exhausted thought as I drove my daughter home from swim team one night. The whole day had been a battle. I can’t even remember as I write this what the issues were, but it just seemed like everything was a challenge that day. Maybe it was because we had a busy schedule and I was being impatient. Or maybe it was because she’s a pre-teen and she’s becoming more independent. Whatever the reason, I was frustrated. She was mad. And it was one of those days. There we were, driving along on …