pregnancy Archives - The Mom Initiative

Honey, the Kids Shrunk Me!

“Mom, I think you’re shrinking.” My firstborn stands beside me, the tip of his blonde head occupying the space above mine. He casts me one of his infectious grins as he puffs out his chest and holds his shoulders tall to prove the truth of his declaration. I stretch myself up on tiptoe so I can look my sixteen-year-old in the eye. Then, I return his goading with a playful punch and remind him that “sometimes the best things come in small packages…” But what I really want to say to that growing boy of mine is that it’s his fault. …

The Stretch Marks No One Told Me About

No one told me about the stretch marks that come after the baby is born. No one told me about the stretch marks that come after the baby is born… Click To Tweet Oh, I’d been amply warned of the blemishes that accompany pregnancy. I remember sitting in the waiting room with my firstborn tucked safely inside of me, his tiny form no bigger than a grain of rice. And as I’d flipped through a pregnancy magazine and munched on saltines to keep the morning nausea at bay, a seasoned mom had willingly filled me in on my soon-to-come reality. …

what NOT to say {when you hear good news}

Recently, I shared on my blog that I’m pregnant. My husband and I are expecting our third child to arrive in March. It’s been fun to share the good news with family and friends and it’s been even more humorous to hear some of their responses. We’ve received these lines so far: “Are you sure you are having only one this time?” “Were you planning on this?” “You are going to have your hands full.” “Time for you to get snipped, mister.” Since we already have twins, I expected many of these responses. There is a lot of truth in …

Do I have to say goodbye to bubble baths?

Today I’m sharing an excerpt from my eBook EXPECTANT: 40 Devotions for New and Expectant Moms. EXPECTANT helps a mommy-to-be or a new mom grow her own life while growing a baby. Like this excerpt from the chapter about “Strengthening Your Heart,” transparent stories and biblical truth give new mamas a generous helping of hope and wisdom for the transition into motherhood. What girl doesn’t love a long hot bubble bath? It’s right up there with a pedicure, a latte, and reading on the beach. Read a magazine and drink a latte, while getting a pedicure at the beach, and …

10 Things Every New Mom Should Know

Today, we’re honored to have special guest, Lindsey Bell with us sharing 10 things every new mom should know. I recently ‘met’ Lindsey through cyberspace and found out that not only do we have the same agent, but we also have the same heart. I know you’ll love her heart as much as I do! So, sweet moms, go grab a cup of coffee and sit back and enjoy reading some great insight as to what every new mom needs to know. If you aren’t a new or expecting, you can share it with someone who is. Be sure to leave some …

EXPECTANT: Growing a life while growing a family

A track-mom friend stood by the fence as we cheered our senior girls across the finish line in their last high school race last night. And then my friend did something I didn’t expect. She reached over and hugged me, smiling with teary eyes. Then I did something I didn’t expect. I had a flashback to bottles and blankets. Swallowing a surprise gulp of my own, I reminded myself that this growing up and moving on thing is good. We don’t have children to keep them forever, but when my husband placed our baby girl in my arms over eighteen …

Who’s Your Mama

Who’s Your Mama? In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5a I really hate TV shows and books that are about an adopted child being reunited with his biological parent. The stories tend to reinforce an adopted child’s fantasy that all will be well once the biological parents are found. But mostly I am turned off by these accounts because I feel a little threatened. Since I was in third grade, I knew two things. I wanted to be a teacher and I wanted to be a mom. I went to school, …

Expecting Stretch Marks

During the 40 weeks of pregnancy, a woman’s body does things she never imagined it could do. It begs for us to use the word “miracle” to describe the whole, amazing process. When our skin stretches more than it’s happy to, reddish or purplish marks develop that remind me of childhood poison ivy moments, minus the scratching. Primarily due to heredity, stretch marks may appear on your stomach, chest, or behind, anywhere the body is doing the miraculous work of growing to accommodate carrying and bearing new life. They appear gradually, so you may not even notice them at first …