Los Porchs

It's not lost on me that when Charlotte came into our lives, I started using "Mama Porch" and abandoned the good old fashioned "Mrs. Porch." This is an issue for me as a mom, a wife, and a human being. I have many official titles to go with the roles I have in my family and work life.  I don't know why I feel I have to use Mama like it's my only role. I struggle so, so much, friends, with the idea that I am something other than (more than?) Charlotte's mom. I love my Mama Bear status, there's no denying that, but I can't help but feel like it has cast a shadow on other, equally important roles. How do you all balance the roles? I'm not talkin' "get a good organizer" or "have a date night" -- to me, this is a deeper conflict. Maybe this doesn't make sense; maybe you're reading it thinking Damn girl, go grab your coffee and get yo' shit together .  Or maybe, just maybe, you're reading it and wonderi...

I saw this online the other day and at first, thought how appropriate it is for what Porch & I have been attempting lately (lots of running) but after some deeper thought and revisiting, I've come to think of this as being more fitting for our story on the road to making a tiny human. I think it's appropriate, meaningful, and inspirational all at once.  A great reminder that no matter how slow we move, how many baby steps (no pun intended) we take, as long as we keep moving forward, it's better than giving up in frustration.  I once had a colleague tell me that it was only important that we "keep moving forward, no matter what."  That mantra has stuck with me for years and I've come to apply it personally and professionally.  It's okay that this is taking time.  It's our story and it will never be the same as anyone else's story. Likewise, I am not a runner.  I honestly don't even know why I started running, but damn it.  It feels so ...

While waiting at Dr. TK's office yesterday, I had the pleasure of observing three couples in their process of waiting.  The first that caught my eye ear was a woman who arrived at the same time I did.  She was waiting for her husband to arrive and none too pleased that he was 10 minutes late.  She called him and ripped him a new one... in the middle of the waiting room.  It went from "Where the hell are you, you're late" to "Why did you bother coming?"  The latter was upon his arrival to the office.  I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  Seriously?  Can you just let him sit down for a hot minute before humiliating him -- or maybe not do it at all?  You're obviously having some struggle with fertility or you wouldn't be here (unless you have an odd enjoyment of torture).  I had to start texting Porch at that point because I needed to reaffirm our desire to never be that couple.  Infertility makes you feel like you're losing your mi...

Well folks, I think I did well this year.  I think I saw a look of genuine surprise on his face when he opened his anniversary gift.  This man is near impossible to shop for and it gets a little stressful since his birthday is coming up next month...  but alas!  I win! This year, to celebrate our 3rd anniversary, I bought Porch a wooden relief map of the Great Lakes.  This is especially meaningful to us for two reasons:  we're both from the Midwest and grew up with a love of the lakes and we've admired a similar map in different stores and different forms for the past year and a half.  I knew he was into this wooden one we had seen but when we went back, it was gone and the store wouldn't tell us the artist (trying to maintain middle-man status I assume).  I did some Amazon shopping (omg, if I could just buy everything on Amazon, I would) and found something that looked comparable.  Wasn't sure what to expect when the box arrived.  Did...

Wow.  Feeling the love today as we celebrate crossing the 10,000 visits threshold.  So many of you have been with us from the beginning, creeping with an insane amount of dedication.  We enjoy sharing our story with you and finding support in your emails, texts, and comments.  As you may know, we are on a new adventure as we seek to expand our family and become one of those annoying blogs that's only about children and how hard life is with a child.  ;)  You know we already rely on coffee to keep us going... imagine our lives with children.  Yikes.  Perhaps we should invest in Starbucks now and cut to the chase. We are so thankful to have your love and support (and your creepage). Cheers to 10,000 more, xoxo

My dearest Porch, If you had told me back in college that the man I forced to watch The Notebook over and over would one day be my husband, I would have laughed.  Like, right in your face .  Because I had no clue what was coming for me in life.  Your patience amazes me.  I'm not really sure I was worth the wait, but there's something you should know -- you help me be Danie.  When I graduated college, I felt really lost and alone and just ... lost.  When we started hanging out again, I felt like Danie again, I felt understood, and most importantly, I found my happy thought.  It was you. I think about all of our adventures since we started dating and in our three years of wedded bliss and I can't help but smile.  I recently realized that my memory is starting to fade.  Not in a "Notebook" kind of way, but rather in the way that I can't remember my life without you.  Without you making laugh at inappropriate things.  Without you th...