Hi everyone! Changes are coming to this website. Please bear with me as we work to update.
Under Construction!
(sophie fan) mom with a blog
Earlier this week there was an article published on Good Housekeeping.com about a mother who cut open her son’s Sophie the Giraffe teether only to find black mold inside.
I am a huge fan of Sophie and have been since my daughter was born six years ago. I was not happy to hear people bad-mouthing her in this way. After all, something like this could happen to any toy that water could possibly get into. I also felt that not all Sophies were filled with mold and that it probably depends a lot on how they were cleaned and cared for. So, I decided to do a little investigating and said good-bye to our Sophie toys in the name of science. (Note: My children have outgrown Sophie. I’m not a monster.)
I wrote about my thoughts and “research” in an article for Her View From Home. *Spoiler alert – My Sophies were clean as a whistle!
Check out my article below. You owe it to Sophie.
“Mold In Sophie the Giraffe? Let’s Not Panic.”
(new year) mom with a blog
Happy New Year, everyone! I have lots of goals (let’s not call them “resolutions” LOL) for myself this year when it comes to my website and my writing in general. I am very excited about the year ahead!
The first thing I need to do is overcome this writer’s block I have been struggling with. I have TONS of ideas for articles, but have to find time and focus to sit down and write them. I did write two articles this weekend, so I’m hoping that’s a good sign. Looking forward to sharing new pieces with you in the near future. Please continue to check out my “Published Work” page to see my latest.
Wishing you all the best in the year ahead! Here’s to an amazing 2017!
What are some of your goals this year?
(funny?) mom with a blog
With all the tension buzzing around us leading up to today, I figured we could all use something to lighten the mood.
Well, I am thrilled to announce that I was chosen as one of the 11 funniest parents on Facebook this week by Sarah Maizes for The TODAY Show! Crazy, right??? I can’t believe it either!
I am honored to be selected alongside these other funny parents this week. Not sure if I am worthy, but I’ll take it. Check out my post and all the other funnies from this week here!
“Like” me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/miacarellawriter.
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EDITED TO ADD: I am proud/honored/shocked to announce that since this post I have been included on this list of funny parents again! Thanks, Sarah Maizes and The TODAY Show!
Check out the other lists below!
(long time, no write) mom with a blog
It has been a while since I have posted on here, and for that I apologize. If you know me or have read my most recent published articles, you know that September was kind of a big deal for me and my family.
My oldest child started kindergarten on September 1st, after months of planning and prepping and IEP-ing with the school district. This was not an easy day for mama. As I watched that bus pull away I was so proud, yet I felt so vulnerable. My “heart” rode off with an anxious smile on her face, ready to embark on a new adventure.
She had a great day and has had 41 more great days since then. Together, we have adjusted into a new routine. Although there is always work to be done as a special needs parent, things are going very well.
Less than a week after my “baby” girl started kindergarten, my actual baby boy turned one. How did this happen? It has been a whole year since I labored my little man into the world on Labor Day 2015?!? Time really does fly. It is truly hard to believe. It is so rewarding, but a little sad, to watch him get so big so quickly. Even though he is on the verge of toddler-hood, I will keep him as my baby as long as I can.
Now, you can probably see why I have been little distracted and a lot emotionally exhausted over the past few months. As we have settled into our new normal, I have started submitting more articles for publication and hope to post here more regularly.
I would love to hear from you in the comments! Knowing someone is actually reading this will be great motivation for me to keep on writing.
See you all again soon!
(mom hair) mom with a blog
The term “mom hair” is often used to refer to a very short haircut, as it is stereotypically assumed that most women chop their long locks off after having a baby in order to be lower maintenance. This implied phenomenon was even the topic of a frivolous, and somewhat offensive, article in the New York Times back in June. However, this is not what “mom hair” means to me.
To me, “mom hair” means hair that is way too long and far too neglected. I have not had a haircut since before my second child was born. He is a year old now. To be exact, he is 54 weeks old. My haircut is about 56 weeks.
To me, “mom hair” means no style, no blow out, no color or highlights. It is just a collection of air-dried, boring tresses that keep my head warm.
To me, “mom hair” means a pile of this long, boring (and often unwashed) hair tied up into a messy bun atop my head in order to avoid the tight grip of little baby fingers.
To me, “mom hair” means not being treated with keratin or moisturizing masks, but with an occasional application of dried baby cereal or spit up. Or worse.
So, even though at first glance you may not think I have “mom hair” by the universally accepted definition, I most definitely do. And I wear it proudly, as we should all wear our “mom hair” no matter what that means for you.
#redefinemomhair
(not ready for pumpkin) mom with a blog
“Ode to the Pumpkin Spice Latte”
by Mia Carella
September is here,
and now you are, too.
You warm our mouths and our bellies
with your spicy goodness.
You remind us of crisp sweater weather
and curling up under a blanket by the fire.
The joy you bring us is boundless,
and we anxiously await your arrival each Autumn.
But, alas, my beloved PSL, to you I say,
It’s still technically summer for 3 more weeks, so back off.
♥
(kindergarten) mom with a blog
In just a matter of days, my baby is going to become a kindergarten student. I cannot believe where the time has gone. I am still in a little bit of denial, as we still need to complete school supply and school clothes shopping. Maybe if I stick my fingers in my ears and say “la la la” loud enough, I won’t have to accept this inevitable truth.
Today on Parent.co I have shared a letter to my daughter about my thoughts and feelings on this huge milestone (for both of us). I hope you enjoy it. ♥
“To My Baby Girl, As She Begins Kindergarten”
Dear Daughter,
It’s hard for me to believe, but in a few short weeks you’ll be starting kindergarten. You’ll be packing up your little Pottery Barn Kids back pack and climbing the stairs onto the yellow school bus that will take you to your next big adventure.
I will not let you see it, but I am having a hard time. Mixed with the happiness I feel for you are pangs of sadness and nostalgia for times past.
You see, daughter, you are my baby. I know, I know. Baby brother is here now to take that title, and yes, you are a big girl. But, to me, you will always be a baby. My baby.
You are my first born. Many sleep deprived nights of new motherhood were spent rocking you. The first panicked call I made to the pediatrician was about you. My first time planning a preschool play date was with your best buddy. All your firsts are my firsts as a mommy.
Now, as we prepare for the big day, I am also thinking about all the new firsts to come…
To read the rest of my letter, please visit Parent.co here.
(grateful heart) mom with a blog
You may have seen the headlines. Last Friday, Jeni Stepien married her fiancé Paul Maenner in a beautiful ceremony near Pittsburgh, PA. Sadly, Jeni’s father could not walk her down the aisle because he had lost his life tragically years earlier. According to a New York Times article, Mr. Michael Stepien was shot during a robbery one night in 2006, and the Stepien family made the difficult decision at that time to donate his organs. Now, ten years later, Jeni requested to be accompanied down her wedding aisle by the man who received her father’s heart, Mr. Arthur Thomas, from New Jersey.
The New York Times reported that Mr. Thomas received the donated heart just in time to save him from the congestive heart failure he had been experiencing. The two families have kept in touch over the years through letters and phone calls, as they share an invisible and indescribable bond. However, Jeni had never met Mr. Thomas until the day before her wedding.
Reading the article about this story was emotional, and watching the ABC News video of the first time the two met made my eyes fill with tears. The moment when Jeni first feels her father’s heart beating in Mr. Thomas’ chest was captured, and it was overwhelming. The miracle of life and the magic of medical advancements merged to create this beautiful moment in time. Perhaps the most touching and tear-jerking sentiment of it all was the fact that a part – such an important and symbolic part – of Mr. Stepien was able to be there for his daughter’s special day.
As the mom of a child with a serious congenital heart defect (CHD), this story hit even closer to home. When my daughter was born on Christmas Eve 2010, she was immediately rushed to the NICU, and only a few hours later was transferred to a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit in a children’s hospital in another state. Her heart problem made it impossible for her tiny newborn body to do what it needed to do. She was hooked up to tubes, wires, lines and a ventilator to make up for the organ’s structural flaws. My heart was broken for hers.
My daughter is now five years old, and to date has had two open heart surgeries and many other procedures to keep her heart functioning the best it can. We know as she grows more intervention will be needed and there will most likely be at least one more open heart surgery in her future. For now, our daughter is doing beautifully, and we are grateful. This is something we will not take for granted.
Throughout our journey, I have seen what other CHD families have gone through. I have read and heard of countless stories of babies, children and young adults needing heart transplants for a second chance at life. In fact, during her second open heart surgery, my daughter received a donated human heart valve as part of the procedure. Being touched by our experience and those of others has opened my eyes to understand the fragility of life and to appreciate the true generosity of organ donation.
Jeni Stepien lost her dad tragically, but he was able to give the beautiful gift of a heart and life to Mr. Thomas. Thank you to Jeni and the Stepien family for their difficult and selfless decision to donate Mr. Stepien’s organs that night years ago. You have made a difference for more people than you know.
[This post has also been published on Sammiches & Psych Meds and The Mighty.]
(beach-going) mom with a blog
In honor of my son’s first trip to the beach…
What a difference a year makes.
Last year this time I was sweating by the ocean, my belly round as a beach ball, with you kicking and rolling inside me. This year, I am sweating by the ocean as I try to keep you contained from rolling across the sand.
Last year this time I was exhausted from merely walking the steep incline of the sand dune as a pregnant lady. This year I am exhausted from lugging the piles of beach equipment that have increased exponentially since last summer.
Last year this time all my attention was focused on one little person as she splashed in the water. This year I watch as that little person plays alongside another who is enjoying the sand and salt water for the first time.
Last year this time I was mommy to one little spitfire with a contagious grin. This year I am mommy to that little spitfire plus a round little cherub with a smile for days.
Last year this time I thought my heart was full with mommy love. This year my heart feels stretched to its limit.
Last year this time I didn’t truly understand what I had been always missing. This year I realize that what our family needed was you all along.
What a difference a year makes. ❤️
Mia Carella, Writer 