At some point, if you have a baby with stomach problems, you’re going to ask yourself: “is there anything I can do to make this kid stop screaming and crying?” I mean, you know the saying “happy wife, happy life?” That could be amended a little to “happy baby, happy wife, happy life.” There’s nothing that breaks my heart (or my eardrums) more than when Critter is in pain.

Although we ultimately discovered and untreated root cause behind Critter’s horrifying reflux, one of the suggestions doctors will give for reflux babies is lifestyle changes. One of the most important ways to treat infant reflux is by using the right bottle.

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Baby-wearing is a time-honored tradition in almost every culture. Although there are as many different wraps and carriers as there are cultures, one thing remains the same: wearing a baby is a great way to get things done and bond with baby at the same time. 

Now, I have heard some really weird perceptions about baby-wearing. “How will they learn to walk if they’re carried around all the time?” and “aren’t you afraid they’re going to be spoiled” are on the opposite end of the spectrum from “it’s a baby, not a backpack.”

I get it. Baby-wearing isn’t for everyone. Not every baby enjoys it, and not every wrap is right for every parent. That being said, if you are interested in baby-wearing, it can be a little overwhelming at first. Since I was so sick during pregnancy, I had lots of time when I was stuck in bed and could research the best wraps and carriers for me and my baby. Between wraps and carriers, we had about five different ways to carry Critter by the time she was born. That’s not counting all the times one of our friends has wrapped her up, rebozo-style, and worn her around the house.

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Winter is here, and it brings a new challenge: trying to find something to do that won’t leave us feeling like icicles. Justin and I have a few favorites, like hanging out in a coffee shop or wandering Whole Foods for hours. (Don’t judge us.)

However, what’s fun for us isn’t always fun for kids. And what’s fun for kids isn’t always good for people with chronic illness. (I love trampoline parks, but they’re about the worst thing for my poor dislocating joints.) So what’s a family to do?

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My family, like most families, has traditions surrounding the holidays we celebrate. From serving ham—not turkey— as the main dish on Thanksgiving to picking out a live Christmas tree at a local farm, these are the things we do that tell us it’s time to celebrate.

Since Justin and I have been married, one of the things that’s important to us is making our own traditions. For example, we always eat Indian food on Valentine’s Day!

Now that Critter is in the picture, we’ve upped the ante on the holidays. Sure, she won’t remember this Christmas, but we need to get our celebrating down pat before she’s old enough to figure out if we’re just winging it.

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Being a mom is weird. You have a tiny human who is dependent on you for everything. You’re expected to teach that tiny human the way the world works, sometimes when you’re not even sure of things yourself.

We’re all doing the best we can as moms. Sometimes, we totally rock it. Sometimes, not so much. I’m so blessed to have friends who “get it” and can celebrate with me when things are going great, and help me out when they just aren’t.

Yesterday, like most days, was a combination of totally getting things right and totally failing to understand what my child wanted from me. I’m not entirely sure that she knew what she wanted the whole time. After all, she’s six months old. She’s not ready to make big decisions.

While dealing with separation anxiety and wondering if I would ever have a moment without a child in my arms ever again, I came up with this post.

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What you need with a baby changes as the baby grows. From the swaddle blankets of the first few months to the training pants of the potty-training age, each step in a baby’s life comes with unique purchasing decisions. Since Critter is six months old now, we’ve had to buy some things that wouldn’t have made a big difference in her life just a few short weeks ago.

Today I’m sharing my essential baby products list for a six month old baby. Every baby is different, so your mileage may vary, but many of the baby essentials on my list are fairly universal.

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This is Critter’s first Halloween, and it’ll be her first Thanksgiving as well. Because of this, we want her to live life to the fullest. I mean, she’s only a baby, but she can carpe diem, right? (Maybe I can carpe some pictures, too, if you get my drift.)

The other day when we were helping my friend move into an apartment, we noticed a pumpkin patch nearby. Pumpkin patch? Cute fall pictures? Fall activities that don’t make me ill? I was all in. Since I was all in, that meant Justin and the baby were all in whether they wanted to be or not.

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I don’t know about you, but I’m all about streamlining my daily routine. The smoother things run throughout the day, the easier it is to focus on the little things I might otherwise miss. The baby’s first creepy laugh. Snuggle time with the cats. Hanging out with Rio and Justin on the couch, watching a cooking competition or some weird show about apocalyptic elves.

The little moments are way more fun when you’re not worried about the fact that your kid’s favorite toy is turning grey— uh, wasn’t that thing white just a few minutes ago? Yikes. So today I’m sharing my favorite tips and hacks for making day-to-day parenthood easier on both you and the kiddo. Feel free to share your favorite parenting tips in the comments!

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I’ve written about Hyperemesis Gravidarum on my blog many times. You all know the basics: I was sick. I lost weight. I spent a lot of time in the emergency room. It made me depressed and anxious and I lost a tooth. But this post was hard to write. I’m sharing now because I’ve talked to many women who felt they were being dramatic, many people who felt their families and doctors ignored them, many expectant parents who had no idea what HG was until they were suffering. Awareness of HG is necessary for doctors and for patients in order to get proper treatment. Acknowledgment that it totally sucks is necessary for people who went through it.

I knew I was pregnant before I missed a period. Some of my friends know this. What they don’t know is that by the time I raised my suspicions to them, I was already sick. Hyperemesis struck early. Hyperemesis struck hard.

At six weeks I had my first emergency consult with an OB. “To be this sick this early, I expect twins!” They said. It wasn’t twins. It was Hyperemesis.

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