Motherhood
'Your Son Will Be Fat, Lazy and Sick'
When my cousin Rachel switched to formula, a close friend warned her son would be fat, lazy, and sick. Years later, he's thriving — and the friendship still bears the scars.
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Thoughts on faith, motherhood, grief, writing, and the stories that shape us.
Motherhood
Got Milk? Breastfeeding's Not Free--or Easy
Breastfeeding carries real economic and social costs, from lost earnings to public scorn. Moms deserve support — not judgment — no matter how they choose to feed their babies.
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The Bright One
I finally learned the gender of the baby I lost between my two children — a girl. Naming her Lena Karen gave her a wholeness that grief alone could never provide.
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A Time for Everything
On my son's third birthday, I returned to the Chicago neighborhood where he was born and reflected on how motherhood dismantled my old life — and slowly built a new one.
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Raising Children is Like Writing Stories
A day of field reporting reminded me how much I love journalism — and revealed that the skills of chasing a story aren't so different from the work of raising children.
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What Not to Say to Pregnant Women
From 'Are you carrying twins?' to 'Your life will never be the same' — a catalog of the thoughtless remarks people lob at expectant mothers, and why they need to stop.
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Motherhood: It's About Rhythm, Not Balance
We chase balance like a unicorn we'll never catch. What new mothers really need is rhythm — a grace-filled way of moving through each unbalanced season of life.
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Doing What Requires the Most Faith
A hospital tour sent me spiraling back to my son's traumatic birth. As my daughter's arrival nears, I'm learning that the path requiring the most faith is exactly where God wants me.
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I Write, Therefore I Am
Writing is how I make sense of the world, and the pain of my son's traumatic birth is what set me on a new path — using journalism to honor God and help other women through motherhood's hardest seasons.
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The Dog Daze of Pregnancy
The final weeks of pregnancy are a slog of crushed lungs, swinging hormones, and relentless monotony — but inside the discomfort, a daughter is coming to life, and she is worth every ache.
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The World, and Not Enough Time
A press secretary and mother of two young girls shares the daily struggle of being perpetually on call — at work and at home — and wishing for more time to simply enjoy her children.
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