Willow's Surgery + Recovery | Monday Musings

Willow's Surgery + Recovery | Monday Musings

A few weeks ago, my 8-month old baby underwent major surgery. We knew from the moment we met her it would happen one day, but it was still a scary and difficult time in our lives. I shared some about what this looked like on social media but I wanted to wait until we were through the worst parts to write about it on the blog. Here we are, with life mostly back to normal, and there are so many things to share about what she went through and what I've learned because of it.

There's always a fine line between sharing Willow's story and not oversharing what she's been through, and in this case I am simply withholding what, exactly, her surgery was. I am happy to talk about the details in person because it's not a secret, but it's part of her story...and I never want to share more than she would want me to later in life.

That said, I can share that her surgery had to do with her mouth and, therefore, was mostly a challenge because it disrupted her feeding. But let me start on day one...

My Biggest Mistake as a Mom | Monday Musings

My Biggest Mistake as a Mom | Monday Musings

Many blogs are difficult for me to write (see a couple here and here), but this one is surprisingly easy. The idea came after I spent a weekend with family talking about life, motherhood, and what I've learned along the way. The road has been surprisingly easy, even if the newborn phase was hard in a lot of ways, and I am truly thankful for the little girl sleeping ever so sweetly upstairs right now. She has rocked my world in the best way.

The thing about any transition - whether moving, a new job, or marriage is that it can bring out the best and the worst in a person. Transitions are difficult. They make us rise to the challenge and reveal where we struggle to face what lies ahead. My biggest transition of the last year has been becoming a mom. In just 7 short months I have made countless mistakes and in the spirit of honesty - and showing that a beautiful life doesn't mean everything is easy - I wanted to share my biggest mistake today.

I could say that my biggest mistake is...

Recovering from Surgery | Personal

Recovering from Surgery | Personal

This Christmas was a strange one for me. The month of December was our busiest yet, but not because we agreed to lots of holiday parties and extra things that we regretted later. It was a series of unavoidable events, from a wedding to a trip to Texas and my sister's college graduation. While we loved each one for different reasons, it was all a little too much - especially with a 6-month old baby and the prospect of my tonsillectomy looming the day after Christmas.

Because I had surgery the next day, our holiday felt very short, but it was the best time to schedule what my surgeon told me would be 'two weeks of misery.' My mom and mother-in-law both had some time off, Nathan could take some vacation after the holidays, and my next wedding would happen just over a month later. I just knew I would be up and mostly back to normal in a week anyway, so it wouldn't be that big of a deal...