ExpectingWords.com - Helping expecting couples find the right words at the right times

There’s a reason why new moms can’t wait to get out of the hospital after they give birth.

Here are the top ten post-delivery surprises my friends and I faced.  If you’re preparing for birth, then reading this list just might help you smile instead of grimace when…

1) At least four nurses will squeeze your boobs. Sometimes, one will squeeze while another watches.

2) Your pulse and blood pressure will be taken every four hours to make sure you’re alive.              (more…)

I read a book.  It changed everything I thought about parenting.  Raising a Child With Soul: How Time-Tested Jewish Wisdom Can Shape Your Child’s Character by Slovie Jungreis-Wolff is heavy on lessons and heavy on Bible stories.  But don’t let that scare you.  Even if you’re not Jewish or Christian, there are insights from Jungreis-Wolff that will change the way you parent forever.

I feel desperate to share one of many remarkable insights I gained from this book.  I want to SHOUT this idea to all parents from the top of the Empire State Building.

Jungreis-Wolff writes that one key to building good character in young children is to avoid false praise.  She says that when a child displays a special interest or talent (baking cookies, drawing a picture, finger-painting, etc.) do not give false praise that they are amazing painters, superb chefs or the best artists. Do not hang every picture on the fridge.  Doing that will only make their knees buckle when the real world shows them that they are not as talented as they thought they were.  (more…)

This past weekend my husband and I flew to Cancun, Mexico.  We spent four nights in Shangri-la, while our son stayed at home with visiting grandparents.  It was our longest time away from our son.  The weather was nice.  It was slightly overcast part of the time, but as long as I could sit in a lounge chair by the pool with my husband beside me, I was euphoric.  Blake was thoroughly entertained and happy at home, and the grandparents were thrilled to be with him.  What could go wrong?  Me.

Apparently, I need to take a vacation from my brain.  For the first day of my trip, it just wouldn’t stop the movie reel: what if our plane crashes?  What if Blake desperately cries for me for hours?  What if they put him in the warmer pajamas but the heat is turned too high and Blake overheats in the middle of the night?  What if they forget to read him “Goodnight Moon” at bedtime?

What if I shouldn’t have left my baby?   (more…)

Mothering: The most exhausting test of endurance I have ever experienced.

Not only does this sport require tremendous energy and money, it also requires parents to be constant activity planners.  That’s where moms Heather Flett and Whitney Moss come in.  They make parents’ lives a little bit easier with their creative blog www.RookieMoms.com (I guest blogged for them last week about 5 activities to stay in love, even when you have young children!) and book. Meanwhile, their book  The Rookie Mom’s Handbook: 250 Activities to Do with (and Without) Your Baby expands upon the blog by sharing helpful, funny and totally necessary advice for new moms, making it a great baby shower gift.

One of their blog posts, 25 Activities to Try During Your Maternity Leave, was oh so fitting for me because (more…)

Today, I’m excited to share my guest post on guest post on RookieMoms.com.

I wrote about 5 fun activities to do with your spouse to keep your relationship strong.

My husband and I know that our son adds a lot of stress to our relationship, so we use these activities to stay connected.

Perhaps they will make a difference for you too.