Of all the stories I’ve held close to my heart in the time it took to get Truett, this one is my favorite. It happened about a year ago now, and as I stare at my sleeping baby, I can’t help but be overwhelmed with gratitude for her life and for the ways God grew me in the season of waiting, trying, and losing other babies before she came along. I also want to be delicate as I tell this story because I know many women find themselves in a similar place, and obviously, I can’t guarantee that the outcome will be the same. We do nothing to deserve or earn our children, and I don’t pretend to know why God sometimes says yes and other times says no. But, her life is one of the clearest reminders to me that God listens, He speaks, and He makes good on His promises.

MotherhoodGriffin HillMarch 24, 2024motherhood, miscarriage, infertility, baby, new baby, pregnancy, healthy pregnancy, faith, hearing from GodComment

Lessons I've Learned in Waiting for a Baby

Woof. Just the title of this post makes me cringe because it’s a story I don’t want, didn’t want, and tried with all my power to avoid. In the exhaustion of feeling completely over social media and tired of trying to compile the things I’m walking through into a succinct caption, I decided to lean in. I started this blog at 19 years old for me, and at 30 years old, I’m taking some of that back. My deepest desire in sharing my writing, especially through challenging seasons, is that it helps someone else. Ultimately, I write because it’s my way of processing my feelings, connecting to God, and making sense of the things I’m learning.

MotherhoodGriffin HillJanuary 6, 2023miscarriage, infertility, baby, new mom, encouragement Comments

At a Loss for Words

This season has been so difficult to write about, which is ironic because something in me really wants to write. Maybe it’s a spiritual attack; maybe it’s just a battle between my mind and my fingers, constantly stopping myself from plunking out a sentence on the keyboard. Writing has always helped me feel better. It’s helped me process and tie a proverbial bow on my feelings, but I can’t figure out a good way to wrap any of my thoughts up lately. They wake me up in the middle of the night, crash into me when I’m just trying to make breakfast or take a shower. Every time someone mentions a new pregnancy, baby, or complains about their kids, I’m back there again. A prisoner in my mind, but a participant in the outside world: one in the same. “Will I ever be out of this?” is the daily plea from me to God. I’m still waiting on His response, unsure of whether the desire of my heart is the desire of His this time around.

Griffin HillMarch 4, 2022Comment

Sick Baby Protocol: Supporting Immune Systems for the Whole Family

Having a sick baby last week was nothing short of traumatizing for a new mama - it is just SO sad and hard to see your little one under the weather! When Sul first started running a fever, I didn’t sleep for a solid 24 hour stretch because he only wanted to be held, and he would cry out “mama mama” anytime I put him down. Cue the waterworks. The house was revolting, and I was covered in sweat, tears, and baby spit up; very reminiscent of our newborn days. But after 7 days of torture, Sul is all better, and I want to share with you some of the things we did to help support his body through his first sickness!

Everything I Wish I'd Known About Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is an unbelievably sensitive topic. If you’re not a mom yet, that may sound over-exaggerated, but it’s just such an intimate, emotional, and tricky process for most women and their new babies. I want to acknowledge that and also preface this post by saying that I am not writing this to invoke feelings of shame for anyone reflecting on their breastfeeding journey. If you desired to formula feed or exclusively pump, you are no less of a mom than any breastfeeding mom for making that choice. If you had to switch to formula or exclusive pumping somewhere along the way, that decision is also in no way reflective of your status as an amazing mom. There is too much mom shaming out there, and that is not my heart behind this post. I know how emotional it is to want to feed your baby the way you want to feed your baby and how difficult it is to make changes within that process.

I Pray My Kids Won't be Popular

When I was a preteen, I vividly remember my mom saying that she prayed my sister and I wouldn’t be in the popular crowd. When I interpreted those words at my young age, the statement sounded a little bit harsh. “Thanks, Mom,” I thought, “It would be so much easier to fit in with everyone.” I rolled my eyes, thinking it wouldn’t be a big deal if I was or I wasn’t, I’d still be me. As a nerdy and outspoken middle schooler, I dealt with my fare share of teasing, but I also had wonderful friends. However, when given the choice between popularity and lack thereof, the grass seemed a bit greener on the other side.

Daily Life, RelationshipsGriffin HillJuly 1, 2020parenthood, popularity, new parent, mom blog, boy mom, faithComment

A Letter to My Baby, When the World Feels Hard

Dear baby,

You woke up today chatting with yourself again. I think it’s my favorite sound in the world, you just peacefully greeting the day and waiting for me to snatch you up with kisses. What I would give for that kind of peace right now.

Daily LifeGriffin HillApril 2, 2020motherhood, baby, coronavirus, pandemic, parenthood, new momComment

An Honest Look at My Postpartum Experience

Throughout my pregnancy, almost everyone “warned” me about postpartum, or the fourth trimester, if you will. Most of these warnings were well meaning, and some of them (mostly random followers on Instagram who could have just not spoken up) were fear mongering and drenched in a trauma perspective. I get it - there are some horrific birth and postpartum experiences out there, and many women have valid reasons to carry baggage from their season as a new mom. While I firmly believe that it is important to be prepared for a change in plans or the potential of a rough start to motherhood, I also believe that we need to be careful about the way we speak to new moms about something they haven’t experienced yet, and something that may or may not be full of negative experiences.

Daily LifeGriffin HillFebruary 13, 2020pregnancy, postpartum, postpartum journey, fourth trimester, new mom, new babyComment

Sullivan Wilder's Birth Story

I’ve always loved reading birth stories because each woman has such a different and beautiful experience. It’s been just over a week since our son, Sullivan Wilder Hill, was born, and it’s important to me to capture his story while it’s fresh in my mind. I’ll start by saying that so many things took me by surprise during my labor and birth, and I hope that sharing an honest look at a natural birth is helpful to those who want to experience a similar miracle.

My Favorite (and Least Favorite) Parts of the Second Trimester

The first few months of pregnancy dragged by, but the second trimester honestly flew. When I reflect, I guess a lot has happened in the past 14 weeks, but creeping up on the end of this pregnancy definitely seems a bit surreal. I think it’s so important to read posts like this while remembering that everyone’s body and pregnancy journey is so different, but it’s interesting to see how our bodies respond and change, nonetheless.

Daily Life, HealthGriffin HillOctober 16, 2019pregnancy, second trimester, pregnant, healthy pregnancy, sleeping while pregnant, boy mom, gender revealComment

The Good, the Bad, and the Carbs of My First Trimester

Long before I even wanted to be pregnant, I’ve always enjoyed reading about other people’s pregnancy experiences and how their lives and habits changed because of them. I will say upfront that I do not write this point from the standpoint of being a medical professional, an expert on pregnancy (LOL), or anything of the like. I just wanted to share my first trimester with the world and answer your all’s most asked questions from my Instagram! So, here goes:

The Day the Test Turned Positive

Pregnancy. It’s a topic that I have felt eager to avoid for the majority of the past 4.5 years. When Ross and I got married, I was 22 and about 6 weeks away from opening my Pure Barre studio. When people asked me when we wanted children, I widened my eyes at them in desperation thinking, “Do you not see everything else I have going on right now?!” I felt like my entire life had been uprooted, and a baby felt far too mature and adult-like to wrap my head around. I’ve always wanted children, but I was the girl who never saw herself marrying young, so the thought of a baby in my early twenties sounded worse than the ice bucket challenge on repeat.

Griffin HillJuly 5, 2019Comment