Grayson is sick. He’s been throwing up green bile and has been pretty miserable. We’ve been running Pedialyte through his tube all day and watching him closely for worsening symptoms. Normally, we would be in the ER, but are just waiting it out for now (and praying) because a hospital stay this week seems logistically…

Dear Charlotte, Happy 3rd Birthday to my Charnado, aka Shirley Temple (what you say is your name every time you are asked). We’ve had a great day celebrating you: cake for breakfast, the park with your cousin, and an afternoon playing at home. I told you I would make you a special birthday lunch and…

Every morning around 10 am, I have an urge to write in this space. I have ideas, sentences and paragraphs form in my brain and I want to get them out. And I promise myself that after the kids are in bed, I’ll sit and blog. But then I don’t. Parenting three is hard- it…

Dear Nolan,  Happy 4 months and Happy New Year little guy! We are just wrapping up your first Christmas and I definitely tried to soak up the season with you, my last little baby. There’s just something really special about having a baby at Christmas, and I’ll miss it.  You have grown and changed a…

I’ve read quite a few year end recaps today, and it seems like 2015 wasn’t too kind to anyone. And just like 2013 (my last really hard year), I’ll be glad to close the door on 2015 and am looking forward to a hopefully much calmer, uneventful new year.  I spent 2015 just surviving. I…

Every Christmas, my dad writes letters from “Santa” to all his grandchildren. This is one of my favorite traditions, and I know the kids will love reading these sweet words some day. Here are this year’s three letters: Dear Grayson, It is my great privilege to again be with you this Christmas Eve.  Being Santa…

Typically, this is how dinner/bedtime goes.  1. After Grayson’s nurse arrives and takes him in his room to get ready for bed, put some combination of chicken/fruit/cheese on a plate.  2. Pour almond milk and pray it’s in the “right” cup to avoid toddler meltdown 3. Charlotte eats meal while watching yet another play-doh or…

My third and final attempt at exclusively breastfeeding a baby ended this weekend. Nolan had a weight check on Friday, and despite my best efforts to get him to gain enough weight on breastmilk alone, he’s fallen completely off the growth chart. Sigh.  I won’t lie, I’m really disappointed. I’m annoyed at my body because…

Dear Nolan, Nolan, Nolan, Nolan. Oh how I love you so. You are sweet, cuddly, and definitely a mama’s boy. And I love holding you, nursing you, and being physically close to you. But, oh my goodness, sweet baby, it really  is ok to be held by someone else, or God forbid, be by yourself…

Right after Nolan was born, I said I wanted to be sure to document how life is in this season, because I know in a few years, I probably won’t be able to recall much just from memory. The problem is, it’s really difficult to find the motivation to write at the end of the…