life expectations
Nicole Sinders Nicole Sinders

life expectations

As parents we need to hold loosely the expectations we have for our kids and for ourselves because things don’t always happen the way we want them to, in fact most of the time they don’t.

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Raising kids with pets
Nicole Sinders Nicole Sinders

Raising kids with pets

Raising kids with pets is a very controversial topic because people are firmly on one side of this decision: waiting to have pets after kids or getting pets before kids. I understand the reasons for wanting to wait, namely worrying the pet will not handle being “replaced” by a baby or that they will not bond well with the child. For me though, I think with proper training and preparation, pets can provide kids with some well deserved love!

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Qualities I admire in my kids
motherhood Nicole Sinders motherhood Nicole Sinders

Qualities I admire in my kids

My favorite thing of all about my children though is their imagination. When wheelchair gloves make you a superhero or a blanket over your head makes you invisible, life becomes more like an action movie. Sometimes I need to have that kind of imagination in my own life. Believing in the impossible and making sure to laugh more at myself!

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The day my life changed forever
motherhood, parenting, disability Nicole Sinders motherhood, parenting, disability Nicole Sinders

The day my life changed forever

Everything was going as I planned it when in August 2017 we found out that we were pregnant! We were over the moon excited. We could not wait to start planning our life as a family of three. We started by moving into our first home and ordering paint and furniture for the baby’s room. We talked about what we would do if the child had my allergies or family hearing loss or if they needed glasses like my husband. We were proud of ourselves for talking about every potential situation that might come up with our new arrival. But our lives changed forever when we went to our 20 week ultrasound.

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baby-led weaning: why we loved it and think you will too!
motherhood, toddlers Allie Emmons motherhood, toddlers Allie Emmons

baby-led weaning: why we loved it and think you will too!

When our son was old enough, I was excited to introduce him to food. I did the only thing I knew, which was to go out and buy some different baby food purees and start introducing them to him, a new one every three days. My excitement quickly faded when our meal times started to look like a speed race of us trying to spoon as much puree into my son’s mouth before he got upset…

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Moms supporting moms
motherhood, parenting Allie Emmons motherhood, parenting Allie Emmons

Moms supporting moms

Welcome to the club! When you become a mom, you enter into an exclusive club. Once you are a part of the club, other members can easily recognize you. We all get a “membership jacket”…which is usually whatever clothes we are wearing that are covered in spit-up, milk, and partially chewed Cheerios. Our messy buns, yoga pants, and little to no makeup are markers of our membership too.

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“Just Me and My Medela” - Tips for Exclusive Pumping
breastfeeding, motherhood Allie Emmons breastfeeding, motherhood Allie Emmons

“Just Me and My Medela” - Tips for Exclusive Pumping

After a year of exclusively pumping, I have learned a lot. I am so happy that I did it, because I believe that I gave my son the best nutrition that I could, and because of that, I wouldn’t change a thing. So if you find yourself in the position where you need to (or want to?) exclusively pump, here are some tips on how to survive exclusive pumping…

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