I guess I’m a slow learner. It took me lots of babies and births to finally start figuring it out. Our baby #1 (born in a hospital in Virginia) was in the NICU for a week, I had mastitis for a month, and then we packed up our apartment and moved across the country. WHAAAAT??! After baby #2…
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Q&A: Staying Steady Through Transition
In the recent Reader Survey, this question came through. It’s one I get asked from time to time, given our history of having lived abroad, in 14 different homes in 14 years of marriage, and doing all of that as a young, growing family: Q: You have been in various states of transition over the past…
50 Things I Love About Newborns
Last week, I had baby #7, and 7 babies in, I can say this: newborns are AMAZING. Each and every one. Here are some of the things I love, in no particular order: How they smell. The way they punch themselves in the face with both fists when they sneeze. Their little noises— coos, sighs, satisfied…
Thoughts on Day One (with a New Baby)
Our 7th child, Luke Ebenezer entered the world Wednesday night (2/11) at 7:19 pm. It was my fastest labor yet (4 hours, start to finish), and he’s our biggest baby yet (9 pounds, 8 ounces & 22.5 inches long). He is sweet and strong and much-adored. We’re all loving getting to know him. I had…
10 Ways We Make Time for Our Marriage (Amidst the Chaos of Large Family Life)
It can be difficult for parents in any season of life— with a newborn, with two or three little ones, with the time commitments of little league, with teens, or (as in our case) with a large family that bridges many of these “seasons”– to prioritize marriage amidst all the “busyness.” Here are 10 ways Doug and I purposefully work…
How Do You Get Quality Time With Older Children While Also Raising Younger Children?
Recently a reader wrote in with this question: “How do you get quality time with older children while caring for younger children?” This is something I intentionally think about on a fairly regular basis… how to work in time with them. As a homeschooler, it probably comes easier than it might if we were all running in different…
Is Sex a Priority (or an Afterthought?) in Your Marriage?
Have you ever walked through a beautiful garden? The forethought and planning is self-evident. Plants have been put in certain places because of factors like sunshine, soil drainage, water, and access. From the first week on earth, when Adam was placed in the garden, humans have known that a garden needs planning and CARE in order to be beautiful,…
Most Popular Articles of 2014: Year In Review
2014 was my first year of writing at JessConnell.com. Since we’ve nearly reached the year’s end, I thought I’d do a quick “year in review,” to give you the opportunity to read any articles of interest that you may have missed. In January, I released my first book, One Thing: Top Tip (From a Mom of 6). It’s…
Convictions & Choices, part 1: Don’t Do It Because “They” Do
We recently talked about not doing something “just to prove them wrong.” Today I want to talk about the flip side: Don’t embrace a conviction just because others do. Just as the world often goes along with lifestyle decisions because of the people around them, Christians sometimes take on the convictions of others around us without…
Don’t Do It To Prove Them Wrong
Over the years, I’ve heard something offered occasionally that I think is a terrible motivation for living life and making choices for yourself or your family, and it is this: “You get out there and show ’em. Do it well and prove them wrong.” It can play out in a wide variety of ways in our…