Ben and I always joke that first birthday parties are just as much a celebration for the parents as the children. “We all made it!” We certainly felt that way when Nora Heather’s first birthday rolled around. As much as we have enjoyed our little light, she’s thrown us all sorts of new challenges! Just…

Truthfully, I was never one of those gals who longed to become a wife and mother. I was never hostile to the idea. But it wasn’t the stuff of my daydreams. Traveling the world and climbing the corporate ladder, kicking buns and taking names? Those were my daydreams. So when I found myself married much younger…

Being a writer, I often process life through writing. The births of my daughters remain two of the most profound experiences of my life. Experiences that taught me so much, and continue to teach with each retelling. What a treat it was to process Nora’s birth story with my voice! The Birth Hour invited me…

Second babies are funny. On the one one hand, you’re more comfortable in your mommy skin. The little things don’t seem so big. You’re more confident. Expectations are realistic. Joy is easier to find. On the other hand, you now have two babies. More responsibility and limited time. Two sets of completely different needs. One Mommy. About a…

Hazily stumbling into our apartment with a new baby was—how was it, again, exactly? Overwhelming. Daunting. Our new, needy roommate terrified me. Truly. I longed for a moment to catch my breath. To process the massive event which had just occurred inside my body. An event that left me leaking, achy, and exhausted. An event that…

It was hard not to stare. The Mom balanced a baby carrier in one arm, and lugged a screaming toddler with the other; her face a frazzled mess, her snot-faced kid even messier.  Quite a sight. There goes my quiet meal. It was almost comical how she attempted to order over the ruckus; her toddler’s…

One reason Nora’s birth story has been so resonate is because of the many  ways God provided throughout my pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum with her. I wanted to share some of those ways with you, as a testament to His faithfulness and lovingkindness. Our doula invited us to pray specifically for this birth. She…

I wanted to get the words on the page while this experience was still fresh in my mind! I will likely come back in a few weeks and make some updates, but for now enjoy the rawness of the story. (11/5) Prelabor The weeks leading up to Nora’s birth were an intense mental, emotional, and…

Over the past thirty something weeks, my ligaments have stretched and strained to make room for this baby girl inside. The aches and pains have come on quicker, stronger this second merry-go-round. My hips are wider. My legs stouter, ankles rounder. My body literally creaking beneath the weight of growing new life. And my soul,…