Parenting + Family

The most beautiful girl I had ever laid eyes on was now my daughter, Amilia Degenesh Bailey.  You can read more about our picture perfect adoption story here.  Her nannies lovingly called her, Konjo, meaning beautiful, and were smitten...

My plan was to breastfeed; but that didn’t work out.  Instead, for nine long months my breast pump would become my best friend.  The following is my tribute to the machine that allowed me to feed my baby. Ode to...

Halloween.  One of the first words you think of when you think of Halloween is pumpkins; they just kind of go hand-in-hand right? This year, each trip I made to the store starting in late September I thought "I need...

I said goodbye to my baby boy the last week of November, as he took his oath for the United States Marine Corps. His whole childhood flashed through my mind, right there in the MEPS office. My sweet little preemie who...

The first time the thought ever crossed my mind it hit me like a ton of bricks. I am in love with my husband, but he now feels like a stranger. How did we get here? My mind retraced our steps through...

Postpartum depression is real. I know postpartum depression first hand - but not in the way you might think. May 14 - We left Fay and Andy’s house at 9:30. It was a sad parting. Fay feels unable to cope...

I grew up in a small town. A place where there is one elementary school and one high school. There’s not even a middle school. You’re stuck with people there. It’s a place where you can look at your...

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” -Benjamin Franklin “I feel so good when I’m pregnant,” said my friend Donna with a smile. Donna then proceeded to walk me into the ground,...

It's 8pm. My kids are asleep.  The kitchen is (mostly) clean. I've been looking forward to this since the mail came. It's time for me to sit down at the computer and work on my new hobby: couponing!   I...

Two years ago, we proclaimed independence from the man (read: decided to stay home for Thanksgiving instead of traveling to see family), and I did the only thing I could think of to do at the time. I embarked...