2012 May

Car Seat Crunch!

May 26, 2012 By Jenni 1 Comment

I am the conflicted owner of four car seats. My husband and I have two daughters (about two years apart) and two cars. We have always lived in car-oriented cities, and we both go go go a lot. So when we were expecting the kiddos and making gift wish lists, car seats were tops. We got a couple as gifts, and when we paid for the others, the pricetag did not escape our attention! So I’m reluctant to give up our car seat investment. But I am also really, really ready to have the flexibility, space, and ease that comes with booster seats. The back of my Accord is packed, y’all! Same in the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Birth, Before and After, Parenting Tagged With: car seats, carpool, parenting, things you don't think about when your kids are babies

Before the Birth Plan, A Pregnancy Plan

May 25, 2012 By Jenni Leave a Comment

http://www.dreamstime.com/-image20568472

I’m worried about the state of birth in our society. Fewer doctors know what drug-free childbirth looks like. Vaginal births are on the decline in too many places. More moms think their care providers are going to educate them about childbirth during the already too-short appointments dedicated to checking on mom’s and baby’s prenatal health. And it feels a lot like we’re conceding birth as a medical event, rather than protecting it as the wholly natural and empowering experience it can be. Let’s be clear: I don’t believe the only “good” birth is a natural birth. I don’t … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Birth, Before and After, Parenting, Pregnancy Tagged With: babywearing, birth, birthing from within, cesarean rates, childbirth education, Co-sleeping, Nashville, pregnancy, prenatal yoga, self-care, VBAC

How to Meditate

May 24, 2012 By Jenni 1 Comment

My friend Laura visited for a couple days this week, and she reminded me of something I experienced a few months ago: Meditation practice is simple. I got that message from Zen priest Karen Maezen Miller, too, in her blog post “A Glimpse of Mindfulness.” Laura said she’s been meditating for about 15 minutes each day, and lately, she’s noticed that she’s longing for even more time in meditation. That was all the reminder I needed. A few months ago, I set a pretty-sounding alarm on my phone for just 5 minutes. I put my bum in a chair, feet on the floor, my hands in my lap, my … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bodymind Bliss, Mindbody Practices, Self-care, Spirituality Tagged With: hazy moon zen center, how to meditate, Karen Maezen Miller, meditation, mothering, self-care, spiritual practice

Go Ahead, Walk Away

May 23, 2012 By Jenni 1 Comment

It’s Wishcasting Wednesday over at Jamie Ridler Studios. This week she’s asking, “What are you walking away from?” I have walked away from my yoga mat when the chatter in my mind got too loud and mean. I have walked away from my children when my heart started to blacken with anger that threatened to seep toward my hands. I have walked away from my husband when neither of us could find words that would do anything other than pierce our hearts. And I have returned to each with greater and deeper gratitude. Thank God. That's my prayer and my wish: Thank the heavens and her … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bodymind Bliss, Mindbody Practices, Motherhood, Self-care Tagged With: Jamie Ridler, marriage, mothering, parenting, wishcasting wednesday, yoga

What does Attachment Parenting look like for you?

May 22, 2012 By Jenni 2 Comments

A dynamic group of moms here in Nashville joined together a couple years ago to create the outdoor-loving Bambino Brigade. They’re a running, hiking, zoo-going, nature-center-loving bunch of mamas of young kiddos. They also connect over some great parenting conversation on their Facebook page and web message boards. One conversation in particular caught my attention last week, and the mamas gave their blessing to share it here. On the heels of the shocking “Are you mom enough?” TIME magazine cover –which looked to be exclusively about breastfeeding, but also took a broader look at … [Read more...]