Susan Schade is a Mother of three young boys and writes stories of pregnancy and parenting. She grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and currently lives with her husband and sons in Arizona. She graduated from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. Her professional background includes marketing, advertising and media buying.
My Story
I work full time, raising my three boys, trying to keep my sanity and maintain balance in my life. My experiences as a Mom are such a humorous and enjoyable part of my everyday. I am grateful to be able to share my stories with others. It is a dream of mine to one day publish the children's books that I have written.
As parents, it is our job to teach our children but there is much to learn from them as well. Each day I am reminded to slow down, open my eyes and notice the things that I take for granted as an adult. Enjoy life. Laugh often. Experience new things. It is amazing what you can see through someone else's eyes.
Each time I was pregnant, my body gave off signs that I didn’t always read. It is not the same for everyone but here were some of my first signs of pregnancy.
Thinking back to my first ...
February 7, 2012 - 8:43pm
Breast-feeding was not my favorite thing in the world. I couldn’t relate to the mothers that immersed themselves in the joy of the private time with their baby while nursing. I just didn’t feel ...
January 31, 2012 - 8:32pm
The continuous beep from the alarm clock attempts to wake my husband and me at 5:00 a.m. He sits up and gets going right away. I cover my head with the warm blankets hoping to steal a few more ...
January 30, 2012 - 9:40pm
There comes a point for every parent when they glance around their home and realize, “My kids are growing up and we don’t need all this stuff!”
Most of our baby stuff has been passed along to ...
January 29, 2012 - 10:56pm
I tend to keep my eyes open for accessories that add length to the body, essentially slenderizing in any way possible. Many of us know the tricks -- wearing dark colors, choosing non-tapering ...
January 24, 2012 - 5:52pm
After the birth of my son, I was in for many changes. My body was healing and adjusting to the lack of sleep.
My chest ached from the milk that was constantly being produced, and the rest of ...
January 22, 2012 - 5:08pm
During a daily conversation with my cousin, she stumped me with the question, “Guess what I did today?” Being that we are both stay-at-home-moms, the possibilities of answers were endless.
Ten ...
January 17, 2012 - 10:26pm
With each new year comes the realization that I will soon be another year older. When I was in my teens, I couldn’t wait to get older. As I started college, I was on the countdown until my ...
January 12, 2012 - 1:57pm
Most parents will tell you that they love each of their children equally. Of course, the oldest child may get certain privileges over the others but that is most likely based on age and birth ...
January 10, 2012 - 1:22pm
When I was pregnant with my first son, I knew nothing about labor. So, I did what many expectant parents do and read (or at least skimmed the important chapters) as many books on delivery and ...
January 6, 2012 - 8:44pm
As a single ray of light pours in through the one crooked slant of the mini blinds in your bedroom, it ironically shines directly onto your face making your head hurt from the brightness. You try ...
December 31, 2011 - 10:15am
It is that time of the year again. For many, New Year’s Eve is a night of celebration, the beginning of something new, and the search for a New Year’s kiss.
Maybe you already know who you ...
December 31, 2011 - 8:25am
Many people make New Year’s resolutions but a large number of them don’t keep them. According to Shape Magazine, “about 40 percent of Americans make a life-enhancing vow on January 1st and half ...
December 29, 2011 - 8:01am
There will always come a time when you are missing someone special during the holiday. This was our first year without our beloved cat.
It was a difficult time when he died suddenly six ...
December 27, 2011 - 11:20pm
A famous dark-haired girl once said, “There’s no place like home.” She may not have been referring to the holidays but she might as well have been. For me, there is no other feeling like coming ...
December 25, 2011 - 5:45pm
Last weekend, my sister and brother-in-law, gave our family my favorite kind of gift, an experience. They reserved a day and time to take us to do something that we had never done before. So as ...
December 21, 2011 - 7:12am
I am quite certain that my husband did not marry me for my cooking skills. Sure, out of necessity for my family, my ability to make meals has improved but it is not one of my favorite household ...
December 13, 2011 - 10:39pm
You may want to consider giving the gift of a magazine subscription this year to the person on your list that has everything. It gives me a boost each time I find my current magazines have ...
December 10, 2011 - 9:09am
I was happy, as usual, to see my latest copy of Shape magazine waiting for me in my mailbox. It was a simple pleasure to flip through as I sipped my afternoon iced coffee and supervised homework ...
December 6, 2011 - 9:59pm
With the holidays come a lot of travel, added stress and shorter fuses. People can be rushing around more than ever and everyone seems to have someplace to go.
Picture yourself as you drive ...
November 29, 2011 - 10:18pm
As I searched for the mate to one of my favorite holiday socks, my fingertips brushed a small plastic bag at the back of the drawer. I sifted through the items that were not so carefully folded ...
November 27, 2011 - 5:56am
My husband sent me the link to an article that he came across called, “The Worst Reason to Work from Home.” It was geared towards working parents and I found myself intrigued.
The article ...
November 24, 2011 - 8:59pm
When my husband and I were going to be first-time parents, we knew enough to know that we knew nothing about what to expect when the baby arrived. We bought plenty of informative books, which I ...
November 22, 2011 - 3:59pm
Ask any stay-at-home mom what the single most important thing they need to get through the day is. I would be willing to bet the majority would say a shower. It's not that all adults don’t find ...
November 18, 2011 - 10:07pm
I was born with dark brown hair. All my life I wanted to have blonde hair. As a child, I longed to have the light-colored curls of so many girls that I knew.
When I was a teen, my friends ...
November 16, 2011 - 8:42pm
As parents, we strive to provide entertainment, education and social fun for our children. When I became a mom I found out the importance of a playdate. Not only is it an opportunity for your ...
November 12, 2011 - 11:05am
It’s a vacation day and my boys don't have school and my husband is off from work. My husband suggests a family road trip and everyone cheers. The excitement builds as we pack snacks, drinks and ...
November 12, 2011 - 10:19am
In a world where most days are rushed and many people are dependent upon electronics and technology, I long for some time to slow down, take a step back and remember what it was like before, when ...
November 5, 2011 - 8:23am
Expecting parents have many things to consider as the day gets closer to their baby’s arrival. Picking the perfect name can be at the top of the list. There are many resources to help like ...
October 31, 2011 - 5:15am
I love the fun and relaxation of a vacation but always find myself dreading to step on the scale when I return. We have a bittersweet relationship, my scale and I. It doesn’t lie to me. ...
October 29, 2011 - 6:50am
On a seemingly normal day, an eleven-year-old left her house and started off for school but along the way, was forced onto a path that would forever change her life. She was kidnapped that ...
October 26, 2011 - 10:04pm
I love this time of the year, which our family celebrates with many traditions. We love dressing up for Halloween in themed costumes, look forward to annual pumpkin festival gatherings, choose ...
October 23, 2011 - 6:24am
One morning I was rushing off to work. I grabbed a stack of paperwork that I had brought home with me the evening before and dashed to my car, determined to get an early start on my hour commute. ...
October 20, 2011 - 7:42pm
I love to go on vacations. The hard part, for me, is preparing and getting there. Traveling is the worst part. Airports, airplanes, rental cars, shuttles and more. These are things that I ...
October 16, 2011 - 8:59pm
It’s 6 o'clock on a Friday night. I am standing at the sink hand-washing dishes. It’s almost dinnertime but we have no clean forks because I neglected to load the dishwasher last night.
The ...
October 7, 2011 - 11:04pm
It hardly seems like weeks ago I was still buying pull-ups for my youngest son and stressing about when and if he would ever show any interest in using the bathroom instead of a diaper. After a ...
October 6, 2011 - 8:49pm
About 80 percent of women are wearing the wrong bra size. That’s not only uncomfortable and can look bad, but it can actually affect your health.
“Ill-fitting bras can contribute to chronic ...
September 30, 2011 - 4:17pm
Do you ever feel like you gain weight during your period? You are not alone. Many women experience a weight gain of one to six pounds (some even up to 10 pounds) during the time of their ...
September 28, 2011 - 10:48pm
My morning is busy. I have three kids to get to school. I am racing around my kitchen with lunches, water bottles and plates with a healthy breakfast to feed my boys.
My house is a mess. I ...
September 25, 2011 - 11:26pm
I know, diet is a horrible word. I try to eat well for my health but I have to admit that nothing tastes quite as good as sliding into clothes that used to be too tight. I don’t really diet but ...
September 25, 2011 - 8:22pm
It’s 5 a.m. My husband gently kisses my sleeping cheek to wake me. I smile without opening my eyes as he says, “Good morning.”
He whispers, “It’s five, you wanted to get up early so you ...
September 21, 2011 - 4:52pm
I was away on a weekend trip when I woke up one morning to find that I had blurred vision and an irritated eye. It felt like something was stuck in it and I convinced myself that it was my ...
September 16, 2011 - 8:10pm
The Internet can be a wonderful research tool when used correctly. But if you have ever had a health problem and have been tempted to sit at your keyboard instead of seeing a doctor, you may want ...
September 15, 2011 - 9:55pm
There was an internet video circulating a few weeks ago that was an unbelievable example of the maternal instinct in animals. A female dog from a rescue shelter had recently had puppies, all of ...
September 8, 2011 - 1:08pm
Pregnancy can be a time of joy, excitement and for many expectant mothers and fathers, fear. In particular with my first pregnancy, I was cautious about eating certain foods and participating in ...
August 30, 2011 - 1:42pm
Did you know there were online pregnancy tests? Upon searching for an “online pregnancy test,” I find pages of results. The first one that I connect to only asks for my name. “Meg Ryan” I ...
August 29, 2011 - 10:45pm
I was familiar with taking “the Pill.” I currently had been taking it over a year. My husband and I already had two little boys ages 4 and 2 ½. It wasn’t difficult for me to remember to take it ...
Susan Schade commented on Susan Schade's post I Became Pregnant While Taking Birth Control Pills