Within Ellie’s first two weeks, she was sleeping on a regular schedule and woke at night only to eat and then immediately fell back to sleep.
I’m Not Dreaming of A Deployed Christmas
So all and all, maybe I didn’t dream of a deployed Christmas, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be one I’d find in a dream. Thank you for coming to bring us Christmas cheer while we were on deployment @honeycounty @Redskins @BillyHurley3 @HearnDavid @krisblanks @shaunmicheelpga @KyleThompsonPGA
Forced Out of Parenthood
A parents daily or regular physical presence re-enforces your position as the parent and others, at the very least, acknowledge that fact either verbally or in their actions. So what happens when you lack a physical presence?
Preparing for Childbirth: Part II
In my initial Preparing for Childbirth post, I left off with: “I felt a gush of fluid. I was so excited, it was finally happening! I turned on the light thinking that my water had broken. I placed my hand on my leg, in the wet spot, only to pull it up and see that it …
Breastfeeding Tips
Ellie couldn’t figure out how to latch. After not peeing for the first day, the hospital decided that she needed to be given formula.
Preparing for Childbirth
I know exactly what you’re thinking, “Ease the pain of childbirth, yeah right.” You’ve heard a million stories about how painful childbirth is and it’s gotten you scared to death, but I have a secret to tell you… It doesn’t have to be a horrible experience.
Lost Memories
I tried to remember what it felt like to have her tiny fingers wrapped around one of mine, and I couldn’t. I had trouble recalling how my face rested on her head when she nestled her face into my chest.
Becoming Her
I was raised by a single mother of two. Every day she gave and gave and gave and received nothing in return. She gave not just to her children, but to everyone around her. She had no help from our fathers.
Finding A Pediatrician/ Preparing to Deploy: Part II
I was forced to take her to an urgent care facility that did not have a pediatrician on site (Christmas Eve pneumonia in New Jersey). During that visit, the doctor prescribed Ellie a medication that is NOT ALLOWED TO BE GIVEN TO CHILDREN UNDER 3, my daughter was 1.
Gaining A New Prospective
I was speaking to a woman about a week ago and her words genuinely touched my heart. She gave me a new perspective on my parenting situation. I was explaining to her that I was on a fourteen month deployment, I had a two-year-old daughter, and that I was a single mom. I described how …