Mommy Musings

Five years ago today I was a young new mom, with a four month old baby.  I was the first of my friends and family to have kids, and my new role as a stay-at-home mom was more amazing than I ever dreamed...though also most lonely than I thought.  A few friends from high school had started blogs, and I decided to follow in their footsteps.  I was looking to connect with other new moms to share our stories, and veteran moms who would impart their wisdom. I had no idea the path this blog would take, and am forever grateful for the community and friends I have found in the blogging world.  I also will be forever thankful for the memory keeper that this blog has become. I don't know where this blog, or I for that matter, will be in the next five years, but I am thankful for every post, every reader, every comment of the past half-decade. Now I probably should have done some huge giveaway or something, but as I honestly forgot about it until this morning, you'll just have t...

Yesterday was my four year blog-iversary.   Wow .  I started blogging after the insistence of my big sister.  She thought I should blog all things football, since I'm always spouting facts and opinions on the subject.  But I wasn't sure I could talk exclusively about football.  What would happen in the off-season? But I kept thinking about blogging.  And one day the title "Mommy Musings" came to me.  I took it as a sign, and from that moment on, my blog was born.   I thought blogging would be a fun way for me to connect with some other moms, and share my story as a brand-new mom myself.  I never once fathomed the amount that I would immerse myself into the blog world.  Four years ago I didn't have a Facebook fan page and I hadn't joined twitter.  I wondered if someone other than my family and friends would ever read what I wrote.  I had no idea I could review products or ever make a little money off my blog. ...

Before I go any farther with this thing, I should probably explain who I am.  My name's Mandy and I turned 26 in October (though I still like to think I'm only 23!) I have two sisters who are more like best friends and live only three blocks away from my parents.  My family is very close and we always have a great time together.  I have been married for 3 1/2 years and love my husband, Skip, more than anything.  (more on him and our relationship later!) I was a middle school teacher for three years and even though it was often challenging, I loved it and miss it still.  However I "retired" at the end of last year after finding out I was pregnant with my first child.  It is very important to Skip and I that I stay home with our little girl, Meredith  It has taken some time, but I am adjusting well to my new role as stay-at-home mom and wife.  I love getting to stay in my pajamas all day if I want to, and never having to venture out in the snow....b...

For years now my older sister has been trying to convince me to blog about football.  I am completely obsessed with the Giants, and she thought it would be interesting to read my thoughts every week.  I never did however, as I get way too emotionally involved in the games and knew it would be too difficult to translate those feelings into words.  However, I recently had my first child (my beautiful baby girl....more on her later!), and I was the first of my friends and family to have a baby.  This meant that I was blindly paving the way for everyone else; trying to figure out this whole pregnancy/mommy thing on my own.  My mom is a huge help, but she last gave birth 23 years ago, and things have changed just a little.  And there are just some things you don't want to talk to your mom about!  It got me to thinking though and I have now decided to give one of these blogs a go, in the hopes of maybe giving some guidance to someone who is in the same lost ...