If I write a sponsored tweet...

I hope you will forgive me. I know these personal blogs are meant to be safe places to write, create, and connect, not to sell you something. Mine has been an outlet I never would have dreamed. I've been able to document every moment of a new life starting with my ladies. It'll be amazing to show them everything some day.

Speaking of outlets...

BlogHer has been an INCREDIBLE platform to jump beyond myself. They gave me a voice so much louder than I could have created for myself when talking about sexual abuse and mental disorders. I think a lot of that site and those fine women behind the scenes. Anything I can do to help their brand I will.

Everything that I share will be things that I like and/or believe in, so I promise I'm not a TOTAL sell out. Plus, I'm a WAHM who needs a little help sometimes. SO I hope you guys understand and check out some of the things I share.

Thanks bunches, my lovelies :)

Here's a kitten gif:

I've never actually wished death upon someone...

I've never come right out and said, "I wish he would die" before, but for the first time yesterday I said it would be better if he did... or if any of the three did.

Bad things come in threes, right? My dad, my stepdad, and my brother. *They all have their own sweet little clickable links. They've all had some sort of purpose to serve but that purpose is long gone and now all they give to this world is danger and pain.

Like I said, I won't come right out and wish it, but dammit all if it wouldn't be better.

I've written extensively about the Dickface Trifecta on BlogHer and how they've affected me and tortured my mom, and many have enquired about her view of it all. After all, it all began with her long before I was born.

She's finally had enough and is stepping out into the light to see what she can find here. BlogHer has given me a voice that I wouldn't have had otherwise and I've suggested using that space for her journal. I'm hoping the large community of abuse victims there will embrace her, encourage her, and lead her further out of the dark.

Please visit her. Support her. Share her. Let's build her a virtual village.

Is My Spouse Verbally Abusive and Controlling?

Did you know that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month?

I'm so proud of BlogHer for featuring my story today. It needs to be talked about. It needs to be shared. It needs to be stopped.

Owning my beauty

I have been reading the posts on the BlogHer "Own Your Beauty" wall and, like it's intended, got me thinking about my own "beautiful moment."

After I had Athena I wasn't expecting to leave the hospital looking like I was still a good 7 months pregnant. I was in so much pain, struggling with breastfeeding, and hating my body. Mix that with postpartum emotions and you've got yourself a hot mess.

I was sitting in bed across from my husband, using my breast pump, and praying to God THAT MILK WOULD JUST COME OUT!!! I looked down at my pump, my stretch-marked boobs, and swollen stomach and started to bawl. I began blubbering things like "Please don't look at me!" and "How can you stand to see me like this?!"

My husband's eyes filled with tears and he said "Never have you looked more beautiful to me than you do right now. You just had my baby and now you're going to feed her yourself."

That right there was my moment.

Here I am in all my beautiful glory:

As photographed by my 3 year old, I'm stuffing my face and using my breast pump in my baby-stuff-jammed house.

And I look great.