Not A Hipster Mom

As some of you may know, my boyfriend and I recently welcomed a new member into our family. Our baby girl was born a few weeks ago, and we are beyond thrilled to have her round-out our blended family of five, which includes his 10yo daughter from a previous relationship, my 7yo daughter from a previous relationship, and now our baby girl together. It has been seven years since I last had a newborn, and I’m already realizing how many things I’ve forgotten (read: blocked out) from the last time around. I forgot how hungry little babies are, how exhausting and often monotonous new parenting is, and how adorable kids are before they learn how to sass and complain. ;) I also forgot how nosy and judgemental people can be when you’re a “new” mom. The same people who think they have a right to ask you incredibly invasive questions when you’re pregnant, have even more questions once the baby is born. I feel like most of the time, people aren’t intentionally trying to upset you, but that still...

I’m 38 weeks pregnant now with my second child, and as I approach the finish line and get ready to welcome baby girl, I find myself reflecting on just how different this pregnancy has been from my first. Before I delve in, I want to note that technically, this is my third pregnancy. In the winter of 2017, I suffered a devastating loss at 10 weeks, when I learned that the fetus did not have a heartbeat. It took two rounds of medicine, and finally a D&C, before I could physically move on from that pregnancy, and it took far longer before I was emotionally ready to try again. Nearly a year later, my boyfriend and I gave it another shot, and thankfully that resulted in a healthy pregnancy and this much-anticipated rainbow baby. So, for simplicity’s sake, I will refer to my current pregnancy as my second, though I will never forget the baby that almost was. I’m sure many of you can relate to the heartbreak of losing a baby, and I’m sending you all my love and support. Now that I’ve ma...

In this new Trump era (shudder), one of the biggest decisions most of us parents have to make is whether to shelter our kids from the horror of the daily news, or not. This is something I struggle with everyday when it comes to my six-year-old daughter. On one hand, I want her to know what is happening in this country and around the world, because I want to raise an informed and aware child who will grow into an informed and aware adult. On the other hand, I don’t want my daughter to walk around anxious and afraid all the time. Therein lies the struggle, the push-pull between wanting to educate and wanting to shelter. Here’s two reasons why I’ve made the decision to allow my daughter to watch the news, and one reason why I still limit her exposure. 1. I want her to know. I’m trying to raise a strong, independent, educated, compassionate human, and I want her to know that there are things worth fighting for. I want her to recognize injustice and speak out against it wherever she see...