Four simple words. That’s all it took to start the tears streaming down my face this morning at the end of my weekly grocery run with the kids. Read more
Author: Emily Pike
Well, I’m Not Going Back to Sleep After That….
It’s Sever
e Weather Awareness Week here in Minnesota, so it was somewhat appropriate timing for an unintentional activation of the tornado sirens in Hennepin County at 6:10 am today. It turned out to be a software malfunction, not an actual threat, but what a way to start the day! I have a bit of an obsession with tornadoes after living through the Night of the Twisters in Grand Island, Nebraska, when I was three; our house was spared, but hearing the sirens go off always gives me a little flashback to that night and the storms’ aftermath.
While I am not excited to have been so abruptly awoken from a deep sleep in my warm and cozy bed, after I calmed down I did realize that I learned a few things this morning: Read more
Review: Pouch Sling by BlueBerriest
One of the baby-related items I have used the most over the last six and a half years was actually a gift from my doula after the birth of my first baby. At the time, I naively thought that a Baby Bjorn was the only hands-free baby device anyone would ever want or need, but I am so thankful that Megan introduced me to the simplicity of the pouch sling, especially the Minnesota-mama-made ones by BlueBerriest. Read more
Emily Pike: Margaret’s Birth Story
It was early morning of February 17, and, at 38 weeks 3 days, I was one day more pregnant than I had ever been. I had fully expected to have a newborn in my arms at this point; I had assumed that the last of my progesterone shots would have worn off nearly a week earlier and was shocked when I wa
s still pregnant into the Valentine’s Day weekend. I was uncomfortable and very ready to be done, though I hadn’t quite hit the mental brick wall of *needing* to be done with pregnancy. I just really wanted to be able to sit with my knees together again and to be able to sleep without some limb falling asleep.
Things I’ve Found in the Toilet: Episode One
My husband plays board games with a group of guys at a friend’s house once a month, leaving me home with the kids for a night after a long day of, well, being at home with the kids. This is typically a Friday night, and, in most months, this night of solo parenting seems to coincide with the end of a week of insanity … but that’s not surprising since most weeks are weeks of insanity at our house with three kids age 6 and under plus another on the way! Read more
The Dreaded C Word
Our Crunchy Granola Mama Doc Emily Pike takes on the c word.
No, not *that* “C” word! This one has five letters, not four, and brings fear to the hearts of new parents everywhere.
COLIC.
Now, this is not a label that should be applied lightly. The official definition goes beyond just gassiness or fussiness. Read more
Review: Little Partners Learning Tower
Sometimes I wonder how we survived before we had a Learning Tower. I cannot say enough good things about this product to explain just what a game-changer it has been in our home! I was inspired to get one after seeing a friend from California post a picture of her daughter standing on one while helping in the kitchen. It looked so sturdy and safe compared to standing on a chair, which is just what my 18-month-old monkey had learned how to do, nearly giving me at least one heart attack per day … and usually more. (Even the knife block in the far back corner of the kitchen counter wasn’t safe from his reach!) Read more
Review: Chicco Capri Lightweight Stroller
My husband and I have traveled frequently by car and by air with our three kids since they were tiny. We purchased this Chicco Capri Lightweight Stroller (an umbrella-style stroller) over five years ago on the advice of a friend when preparing for our first airplane trip after our oldest was too heavy for me to wear comfortably for long periods of time, and it has held up amazingly well.
Other than its durability, it has two major advantages in my mind: Read more
Emily Pike: Ellie’s Birth Story
Emily Pike: Timothy’s Birth Story
It all started at 7:20 p.m. when my water broke (conveniently just as I was finishing up going to the bathroom!). I shouted down the basement stairs at Rob, who was in his office, that my water just broke. He came running up, saying, “Really?!?” I looked up the clinic number and called the answering service to notify them that we were heading in. Read more