It's been seven months since we became a family of four, though we still appear to be a family of three because our baby won't be born for another two months. However, when you experience extreme, extended morning sickness, the baby makes his or her arrival sometime between week 4 and week 7 of pregnancy rather than after 9 months. This means that, for my only child, things began to change almost immediately after she heard the news that she was a big sister.

The swing is from Walmart and is well worn with a tattered green canopy and faded upholstery, but it's heaven to me and the girl who is the love of my life. For who knows how many brief moments, we lay there, her gangly knees pulled up close to my body and her spindly little arm thrown casually over my shoulder and we sway back and forth to the rhythm of the creaky swing.

My three year old does chores. She does. She's been doing them since she was about 2 ½ , actually. It all started when a friend of mine came over to watch her for me and I got home to find out that my little Bunny had picked up all of her toys by herself thanks to my friend's kind but firm instruction. It was a “duh” moment for me. Of course she was capable of picking up her toys but being her Mommy since she was incapable of doing anything, somehow her development had brought her to a place of being capable of new responsibilities without my realizing it.

When I got pregnant with my first child, my little Bunny, I didn't know much about labor and delivery. I mean, my mom had always told me the stories of her births--seven of them, which were all vaginal, but not without interventions--but that was the extent of it. I also watched my share of "A Baby Story" and a TV show that I can't seem to find anymore called "House of Babies" about a midwife and the adventures she and her team encountered at their birthing center. I felt like I was educated in the matter, but there's nothing like going through labor and delivery yourself to discover what you wish could have been different.

I didn't know anything about attachment parenting, natural parenting, or being a crunchy mom when I gave birth to my daughter. I hadn't even fully committed to using cloth diapers at that point. But in the warm, low lighting of the hospital room where my daughter was born a friend gave me three bumGenius! diapers and my crunchy journey began.

I'm about 17 weeks pregnant now and so the gender of the growing babe inside of me remains a mystery for a couple more weeks. My husband and I have been tossing around names for boys and girls and we've been narrowing down our choices on both ends of the rainbow. As some of you may know, we have a three year old daughter already. As we await the news of whether or not shell have a new roommate, or whether we will be making a nursery out of our guest bedroom, a new question has entered my consciousness, and one I never had to think of before as a mom: circumcision.

I absolutely love breastfeeding. I do. I love it. I remember the wonder that came with discovering an amazing bond that happened each time my daughter and I met at my breast--how our eyes locked, how I was so in tune with each suckling noise and wiggle, how sometimes her soft little hands would reach up next to her mouth and grab my skin, gripping me tight. I was spellbound by this magical thing God created to fuse a mother's heart to her child.

So, I’m pregnant, about thirteen weeks along now and thankfully my severe morning sickness is starting to slowly fade. But I gotta say, the parenting skills that I have have not been displaying since about week five of my pregnancy make me shudder and give me a terrible case of mama guilt.

Christmas with the Mother-in Law

My mother-in-law might be the primary reason that QVC and The Home Shopping network have survived the recession. Let's just say that she is at least paying some exec's yearly salary! They probably notice a little bump in sales on a certain day in December - that is the day that she buys Christmas...for her version of our family.

Tummy Pain in baby is usually pretty obvious. The arching back, the tooting, the excessive burping/spitting up and the high pitched scream are all good indications that something is amiss. Breastfeeding moms have the daunting task of wondering about too little milk, too much let-down and that extra cup of coffee. In most cases, gas is the culprit but before you put down that broccoli, consider all of the possibilities.

It’s the holiday season and most families look forward to spending time with loved ones and friends. However, for families with children with special needs, the holidays aren’t always so carefree and jolly. Changes in routine, lots of company and even diet changes can create a perfect storm of challenges during the most wonderful time of the year. If you will be spending time with a toddler, child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sensory Integration Disorder, ADHD, Bi-Polar Disorder or developmental delays, here are some dos and don’ts that will help make the holidays brighter for everyone.

Everyone is shopping away so I thought it would be the perfect time to review one of the great natural baby care products on sale this weekend here at Diaper Junction. CJ's BUTTer Spritz is the liquid version of the popular CJ's BuTTer Diaper Cream and this little bottle is full of AMAZING.

Skin, particularly baby skin, is most likely to become irritated when its either missing an essential component or being exposed to things that remove essential components. New baby skin is protected from amniotic fluid by vernix but once its exposed to dry air, changes occur on the molecular level that makes it vulnerable. This is the root of most baby skin conditions like baby acne, cradle cap and diaper rash. If skin is the problem, CJ's is the solution - read here to find out why.

As I am preparing for Thanksgiving and all of the chaos associated with it, I am also thinking about whether or not my boys really understand what it is to be thankful. Sure, "please and thank you" manners are easy but have I actually gotten through to them with lessons about thankfulness and gratitude? Am I setting a good example, as I grumble about the logistics of the holiday? My house, in addition to be being a loving and comforting environment, is a training facility. I am responsible for them becoming kind, loving and gracious men. Thank goodness I keep my 25 parenting books on the same shelf as my cookbooks.

If there is one truth about having children, it’s that you will never know how much your life will change until it happens. No one can explain the joy and no one can explain the fear. Leaving a baby for the first time is no different.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and, if you are like me, you are already pondering over turkey dinner. Thanksgiving is not really what I would call a "holiday". While I give thanks, enjoy spending time with my loved ones AND truly think about all of my blessings, I also work my butt off in the kitchen preparing the infamous turkey dinner. This year I want to shake things up a little bit and I think I'm up for a challenge. Turkey "Surprise" anyone? Click here to get the skinny on some alternate turkey preparation methods courtesy of lifehackery.com.

This is a good start but we want to hear from you! Share your own turkey cooking method or trick for getting that perfectly roasted bird? Comment below - we will select some of the most unique recipes/ideas and post them on facebook this Sunday!

We outgrew our first little house real fast and moved into our current home. You could call it a house, but it’s really a mismatched-combat training zone-boys bathroom-bacteria laboratory– Work. In. Progress. I love it and here is the story.

Breastfeeding wars with the MIL.

My mother-in-law and I have a very special relationship that involves colossal amounts of passive aggression (on her end) and patience (on my end). My husband is an only child from rural NY and I come from a huge family of eccentric French-Cajuns from New Orleans. You do the math.

He's just FUSSY! My adventures with Sensory Processing Disorder.

Let's start at the beginning. My oldest son was the fussiest baby on earth. I'm not sure that it's a scientific fact but it certainly seemed that way at the time. Looking back almost 7 years, I wish I knew then what I know now. He had all of the signs of SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) however, just seven years ago, this disorder was way under a normal pediatricians radar. As an infant, his fussiness was attributed to reflux, colic and allergies. As a toddler his rough play and excessive tantrums were attributed to his frustration with delayed speech. At the age of 4, he had seen numerous developmental pediatricians and child psychologists and the only answer was SPD.

She's a psychiatric nurse and thinks everyone is crazy.

My mother-in-law and I have a very special relationship that involves colossal amounts of passive aggression (on her end) and patience (on my end). My husband is an only child from rural NY and I come from a huge family of eccentric French-Cajuns from New Orleans. You do the math.

She thinks cloth diapering is for hippies.

My mother-in-law and I have a very special relationship that involves colossal amounts of passive aggression (on her end) and patience (on my end). My husband is an only child from rural NY and I come from a huge family of eccentric French-Cajuns from New Orleans. You do the math.