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

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?   Continue reading »

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 Continue reading »

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.

I promised to be a little more patient and my husband promised to be a little faster. That’s the compromise we reached once it became clear that I had gotten used to barking orders: “Get the washcloth! Bring me the bottle! Go find him the tiny little stuffed dog he loves that is usually in his crib but not here right now!” Yes, I mean those exclamation points.

I’m hoping I’m not the only one who suffers from I-Had-a-Baby-and-Turned-Into-a-Barking-Dog syndrome.

According to new research that I wrote about in another post, 90 percent of couples say their relationship is worse since they had a baby. I suspect it’s because life tends to feel like an emergency all the time when there’s a baby or toddler around. The sense of urgency means many of us push niceties, tactfulness, and respect to the side for the greater good (the child).

I read a story a few months ago about a mom who was bathing her three young kids in the tub, Continue reading »

When I discovered the blog www.AtYourCervix.blogspot.com I was shocked, to say the least. A courageous Labor and Delivery Registered Nurse (who remains anonymous) blogs about what goes on behind closed doors at the maternity ward in the hospital where she works. AtYourCervix is a smart and savvy lady with more than eight years of experience in Obstetrical Nursing. She currently works in a teaching hospital in Pennsylvania where over 4000 babies are born annually. With a commitment to service and a voice of compassion for mothers, she shares her insights with us in today’s guest post. Thank you AtYourCervix, for your words of wisdom. Continue reading »