Wednesday, August 17, 2016
MOURNING & DANCING
I recently did a 2 week bible study with one of my friends called "Mourning & Dancing" and the underlying message resonated with me deeply --
We can both grieve the wrongs of this world and celebrate the sweetness of this life.
Monday, August 1, 2016
BOY'S VINTAGE TRANSPORTATION BEDROOM
After months of dragging my feet, Joe's big boy bedroom is finally complete. The truth is, Joe's been ready to get out of his crib for quite awhile now. Me, on the other hand, not so much.
Friday, July 15, 2016
WHY ARE REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS IMPORTANT TO ME? {GUEST POST}
During this election cycle, we have seen a continuing
onslaught of attacks on women’s reproductive rights. This has infuriated me as a woman but also as
someone who has recently relied on those reproductive rights. The idea that those rights are being chipped
away frightens me. So, why are
reproductive rights important to me?
Here is why – I am a mother who has had a second trimester abortion.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
THE TRUTH ABOUT 2ND TRIMESTER ABORTIONS
There are a lot of misconceptions that I hear about abortion that aren't based on fact. At this point in my journey, I feel a sense of responsibility to set the record straight. I want to share some personal details about my own 2nd trimester abortion to help shed light on what really happens, even if it's difficult to talk about. I guess you could say I'm tired of listening to arguments based off of inaccurate information.
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
WANT TO SHARE A GUEST POST?
I've been so inspired by the women all around me sharing their innermost secrets about their struggles and challenges with pregnancy loss, abortion, infertility and adoption. Women in the media. Friends. Strangers. Other bloggers. I hate that all of these women have had to endure such hardship, but at the same time, I'm proud of them.
Monday, June 27, 2016
REFLECTING ON MY ABORTION: SHOULDA COULDA WOULDA
A few months ago I set out on a quest to find a new doctor. I wanted someone who was thorough, kind and compassionate. But more importantly, I wanted someone who, without a doubt, supports a woman's right to choose.
Saturday, June 4, 2016
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRACE
This week has been really hard. The days have dragged on with heaviness, each a little more emotional than the next. I've begged time to stop so I wouldn't have to face this day without you.
Your due date.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
PARENTING THROUGH PREGNANCY LOSS
It's hard to be a parent when you feel broken. It's hard to live for someone else when sometimes you can barely live for yourself. Parenting through grief is just plain hard. You want to be in the moment for your child, but sometimes it's practically impossible to juggle it all.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
CARS BIRTHDAY PARTY
Well, it took 4 months, but I finally transferred the pictures from Joe's 2nd birthday onto my computer. (Mother of the year, I know.)
Friday, May 6, 2016
GAINING FAITH. LOSING RELIGION.
When you're raised by two teachers who are also athletic coaches, you learn at an early age that hard work = success. It's a common sense equation. Whenever I wanted something, I just worked harder to get it.
Thursday, April 28, 2016
PREGNANCY INNOCENCE
A friend of mine just announced her pregnancy. It's her first baby. She's pretty early on, but she couldn't keep it a secret any longer--she was bursting at the seams to share her exciting news. I watched her entire face light up as she shared how she found out, her symptoms of morning sickness, weird cravings and their first ultra sound experience.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
BEAR CREEK RETREAT
My sister and I spent last weekend at a yoga & meditation retreat in the middle-of-nowhere Hohenwald, Tennessee. There were no TVs, no phones, no computers, no clocks and no communication to the outside world allowed. I brought a book (which I barely opened) and a journal to document my experience.
Friday, April 8, 2016
Monday, April 4, 2016
LIFE LESSONS FROM AN EAGLE
For weeks, I've been watching an eagle's nest on a live feed in Hanover, PA. If you've never watched any of these live cams, I would highly recommend it. There are different cameras for various nests, and it's all very Truman Show-esque with a 24 hour live feed and infrared cameras at night. My mom sent us the link to the Hanover nest about a month ago knowing James is into bird watching. (Yes, you read that correctly)
Thursday, March 31, 2016
A REAL MAN
I received a very nice note from a woman who came across my story. At the end of her note, she wrote, "And kudos to your sweetie. Real men stand up with their women."
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
A NEW TITLE: ACTIVIST
I received a very beautiful letter from my Mom today, who is not only a raging liberal (which I say with love), but also a women's rights activist of her own time. In it she wrote, "Your titles are expanding...daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, wife, daughter-in-law, mother and now a new title, ACTIVIST."
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Friday, March 4, 2016
SHARING MY STORY: IS IT WORTH IT?
I'm starting to think I've completely lost my mind. Is any of this worth it? I think people forget that I said goodbye to my daughter only 8 short weeks ago. Which for me, feels more like 8 minutes ago.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
ABORTION RIGHTS: WHO CHOOSES?
Sunday, February 28, 2016
AN OPEN LETTER TO PRO-LIFE ACTIVISTS
I've quietly stood by listening to your opinions. I
feel every painful assumption you make about me. You draw a line between right
and wrong without hesitation, as if you know exactly what it feels like to be
faced with a life-changing decision. The problem is, the picture you paint
doesn't look anything like me.
Friday, February 19, 2016
YOU ARE A WARRIOR
Lay in bed and count your breaths.
-- in 3, out 3, in 3, out 3 --
-- in 3, out 3, in 3, out 3 --
Clear your mind. Focus on the positive.
Monday, January 25, 2016
BE STRONG & COURAGEOUS
On January 5th 2016, James and I sat in a cold hospital room with both hands on my belly and said goodbye to our daughter, Grace. It was the most painful moment of my entire life. Sometimes it all feels like a horrible dream and I will wake up to find my belly full again.
Friday, January 15, 2016
1 IN 900
I used to find comfort in numbers. That is, until I was "the 1."
There are new DNA tests called non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPT) that can detect chromosome abnormalities through a simple blood test from the mother. They have been around for a few years but were mostly used for high-risk women over 35. Now, doctors seem to be offering them up to everyone. The benefit? Finding out your baby's gender as early as 12 weeks.
Monday, January 11, 2016
PREGNANCY AFTER MISCARRIAGE
On January 5th, 2016, we said goodbye to another baby -- our 3rd child. It's been a complete nightmare these past few weeks.
I wrote this blog post on December 14th, 2015, the night before my world was turned completely upside down. I was waiting for my NIPT results (non-invasive prenatal test) to reveal the gender so I could include it in the blog post and share it with my personal Facebook announcement. I was not anticipating the results to be the beginning of the end of our daughter's precious life.