Blog entries

Best Baby Products

Elizabeth — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 23:04:00 +0100

Necessity is the mother of invention, which may be why so many parents have developed great baby products. So we thought we would feature a few of our favorites along with some other great baby stuff.

See our picks in our Family Section.

Do You Throw Away Your Child's Artwork?

Elizabeth — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:21:40 +0100

When my son started attending Montessori I was thrilled to say the least. I loved the exposure he received to a new and exciting world. But this past year he discovered a passion for painting. And when I say passion—I mean he is like an art machine!

This child cranks our more artwork than I can possibly display. Typically he paints more than one piece of work a Read More...

Lacking Motivation

Elizabeth — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 23:07:25 +0100

Losing weight is a struggle for plenty of people. It's a battle I've been fighting almost my entire life. For a few years however, I was dedicated to getting my body in shape and I did. But for the past 4 or 5 years I have not been able to motivate myself to get in gear. Dammit I miss Dexatrim! It's not for lack of time or resources-- I think there's some sort of mental bloRead More...

Brilliant Ideas

Elizabeth — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:40:46 +0100

I love it when people come up with good ideas to make parenting just a tad bit easier.

Have you seen this? It's a crib that packs into a backback. This amazing little thing only weighs 10.5 pounds and comes with its own pump. I think this is a great idea!

The GoCrib is a standard-size portable crib that has an inflatable airframe. You can use this at home or Read More...

One Wedding And A Funeral

Elizabeth — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:15:32 +0100

When you plan a wedding you focus on all of the details that, at the time, seem like the most important thing in the world. When I planned my own wedding, I tried to steer clear of the detail consuming nonsense—but like many brides I couldn’t seem escape it. I remember organizing all of the goody bags and party favors when a friend said, “Why are you doing all of this? No one is goinRead More...

Mamie Grace

Elizabeth — Thu, 13 May 2010 01:25:58 +0100

After suffering complications from heart surgery my baby girl died on Tuesday, May 4th, 2010. She died in my arms. I have so much to say about that day, her life and what I have learned from her short time on this earth. I will write more later.

Life Is A Guest List

Elizabeth — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:25:17 +0100

I’m sitting in the hospital room of my two-month-old baby girl, Mamie Grace. She had heart surgery and is not doing well. Her chest is open and there are tubes filled with blood routed into and out of her heart. Right now, she can’t live without the machine that is attached to her. Essentially, she is in a medically induced coma. Doctors say she has a 50/50 chance oRead More...

How Much Would You Pay For Sleep?

Elizabeth — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:49:18 +0100

When I first moved to Washington, D.C. I was 31-years-old, single and ready to conquer the world. Once I got my feet wet in the big city I went out almost every night. I would grab drinks with friends, attend some fabulous event or dine at a great new restaurant. I stayed up late and rolled into work at 9:00am—what a life! My mantra was “You can sleep when you’re dead.” But now, after 5 years of marriage, one dog, three kids, dozens of doctor visits, thousands of dirty diapers, vomitiRead More...

Birth Plan Interrupted

Elizabeth — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:56:03 +0100

I made it to 37 weeks and 6 days and just completed my last sonogram. My doctor wanted to make sure my twins could stay put for a few more days. After I left the doctor’s office I met my husband for dinner. We had just ordered some hot wings and I planned on sinking my teeth into a big, juicy burger. We were celebrating our “Last Supper” before the tidal wave of bRead More...

Do You Fake It With Other Moms?

Elizabeth — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:36:33 +0100

I was getting my hair done today and the lady next to me started talking about my upcoming birth. She said, “Isn’t it just the most important day of you life?” I thought for a second and said, “No.” She looked a bit stunned and perplexed. That’s when I realized I was bit too honest with my hair salon stranger.

I went on to explain that I had post-partum depreRead More...

The Mom Label

Elizabeth — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:47:52 +0100

The other day I ordered a new daily planner. I chose a bright orange one thinking it was very hip and stylish. When the calendar arrived it had a wrapper with a little logo that read, “Mom Agenda.” I thought surely it’s just on the packaging. I ripped off the label and to my shock and horror the calendar is embossed with the words “Mom Agenda.” You’vRead More...

36 Weeks Pregnant With Twins: The Final Push

Elizabeth — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:35:34 +0100

I just had my 35-week check-up and discovered both my babies weigh about 6-pounds!

It seems impossible to me that I could even carry such a load. When women are pregnant with twins we hear more about the early arrivals. You never really hear much about the women who carry to term or very close to it.

I naively assumed that most twins are born early and tiny. Boy was I wrong! I actually have another two weeks before my induction-- but I’m reaRead More...

Belly Blues

Elizabeth — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:20:44 +0100

I hate to keep talking about my big belly but right now it's consuming me-- literally!

I feel like Poppin' Fresh. You know, that happy little Pillsbury Doughboy who giggles when you poke his stomach (I want to punch him). The only difference is, I don't giggle-- I'm more likely to cry.

Surprisingly my stomach is not thatRead More...

Pee Pee Palooza

Elizabeth — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:54:22 +0100

Current Status: 35 Weeks Pregnant With Twins

This is really not the type of thing you discuss in “polite” company—but then again, nothing that happens to your body during pregnancy is very polite.

I’ve made it my mission to alert unsuspecting women about what really happens to their bodies when they get pregnant. In pregnancy books we often just get the medical explanation-- you don’t always get the real nitty gritty.

C-Section or Giving Birth Like A Pioneer Woman?

Elizabeth — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:31:15 +0100

Throughout my pregnancy I have planned to give birth to my twins vaginally. Assuming there are no other complications, I believe, as do many experts, that it’s the healthiest way to have a baby. But, I’ve discovered that many women and men view vaginal birth as archaic and unnecessary. So am I one of the last pioneers?

No Rest For The Weary

Elizabeth — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 15:08:52 +0100

Current Status: 33 Weeks Pregnant With Twins

You know it’s bad when you’re watching a commercial for the “Pussycat Dolls Workout Video” and you’re tempted to order it. I’m so desperate to get my body back it’s all I can think about. My husband has created a home gym in the basement so he can be on hand when the babies are born. But here’s the thing—he’s just getting more ripped and I’m just getting more rippled and dimpled.

Pregnancy Weight Guidelines

Elizabeth — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:05:05 +0100

There’s often a lot of anxiety surrounding pregnancy weight gain. Some women are more than happy to put on the pounds and others are terrified of the scale. Personally, I dread getting weighed at every doctor’s visit. With my last pregnancy I gained about 30 pounds, which is fairly normal— but I still hated it.

This time things are different. I'm 31 Read More...

FREEDOM!!!!!

Elizabeth — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:43:44 +0100

Today my son goes back to school-- but now he’s attending the full day program! That means from 8:30 in the morning until 3:30 in the afternoon I’m on my own. This is such a change for me that I’m not sure what to do with myself. Before today my little guy was only in school for 3 hours. In that short three-hour window I had to work, clean the house, do laundry and run errands. Of course there was no time for myself-- so this should be a breeze right? Wrong?

Vanity Lost

Elizabeth — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 17:21:11 +0100

Current Status: 31 Weeks Pregnant

When discussing the state of my 40-year-old body during this twin pregnancy, my husband and I have ultimately decided to give in to nature. These days, our mantra is, “We’ll rebuild the body in 2011.” But, I have just realized the destruction of my ever-expanding temple is not yet over.

1 Mom, 1 Dad, Two Sets of Rules

Elizabeth — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:31:44 +0100

My husband and I always joke that our house is my house, our bedroom is my bedroom and all the money he makes is mine. The truth is—it’s no joke. My husband is very patient, kind and quite possibly a little scared of me, so he let’s me lay down the law in our (my) house. He dutifully follows the rules set forth by his bossy wife. But when it comes to raising our son, my husband is a major league rule breaker.

My husband always exceeds the limits set on TV time, cookiesRead More...