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parenting is hard.i always swore i’d be a chil

parenting is hard.i always swore i’d be a chill mom. but dude. 4 year olds are freakin smart and know how to push buttons!i lose my cool. i get frustrated. i apologize and try again.i try to remind myself that he didn’t ask to be born. that his brain is going a million miles a minute. that he’s navigating this thing called life. that i can still be a great mom and occasionally lose my patience.so deep breathe. start again. apologize - i always own up to my mistakes with Parker and he thanks me for it. it’s good to see that grown ups mess up too and take responsibility.no one is perfect. life isn’t always easy. but they sure make it worth it. give yourself grace today, friends 🌸💜

one of the best feelings as a parent is when your

one of the best feelings as a parent is when your child finds pure joy in something. to see wonder and amazement through their eyes is just magical. it really reminds me to bask in the moment and stay present. (ad)besides a day at the spa, mamas really want their kids to be happy + entertained every day but especially on Mother's Day so we can relax and enjoy some peaceful moments to ourselves (perhaps, actually finish a coffee in one sitting??).GUND Plush Toys are an awesome gift for mama - child bonding. Both Parker + Josie have been obsessed with these Sweet, Joyful + Playful GUND musical animals. Josie stares at them with wonder and loves to dance and engage with them. And with GUND, it's quality that will last a lifetime.so mamas - plop down with some breakfast in bed (or sleep in!) while your kids stay entertained with the song + play function on these adorable animal friends.@gottagettagund @spinmaster#GottaGettaGund #SpinMaster

Growing your family as an LGBTQ+ individual or cou

Growing your family as an LGBTQ+ individual or couple isn’t exactly a straightforward path. In celebration of #InternationalFamilyEqualityDay @bublywater has partnered with @familyequality - an incredible non-profit organization that advocates for equality and provides resources, support and guidance for LGBTQ+ individuals and couples who are looking to grow their family. #bublyPartner
We typically need a third party to help us out (sperm, eggs and / or uterus) and that can get really overwhelming, not to mention reallllllly expensive as a lot of insurance policies have exclusions for same sex couples. On top of that, there are a lot of legalities involved when growing your LGBTQ+ family - and unfortunately, not a lot of education or awareness on the things we need to know to protect ourselves.
When my wife and I wanted to start our family, we hit a lot of bumps in the road. Ultimately, we ended up doing reciprocal IVF (her eggs and I carried), which was a magical process that allowed us both to be really involved. Now, we could both be on the birth certificate when our children were born but what most people don’t realize is that the birth certificate is NOT enough to grant full legal parental rights to a same sex couple (and yes, in every state). So in our case, and based on where we delivered, I was considered the legal parent since I carried our children and my wife - the biological mom - had to adopt her own biological children. It was insane. But we wanted to ensure that we both were fully protected regardless of whatever could happen down the line.
I am so excited to be partnering with @bublywater on this campaign. Their intention is to raise awareness of the issues our community faces and raise money for Family Equality’s mission. Together, we can all share our stories and hopefully drive change. Check out my link in bio to see how these organizations are working together to benefit our community.
How did you grow your family? IUI, IVF, adoption, surrogacy?

genetically not connected but i am certainly their

genetically not connected but i am certainly their REAL mom 💗🌸

how to be a better ally - a bit of education on IV

how to be a better ally - a bit of education on IVF and ART.as a visible face on Instagram, I get a lot of opinions - and I am well aware that by sharing my life - especially my life as a member of the LGBTQ+ community - I'm going to get hateful comments / messages. it shouldn't be that way, but it happens.they don't usually affect me - like I don't get upset, I usually just eye roll and block. this message, however, inspired me to write this post. I was not at all upset by her message - again, was a BIG eye roll - but it really opened my eyes to the need to educate others on how to use proper language. I have pointed out her ignorance in numbers and will address each point.1. RIVF doesn't confuse a child. In fact, I think it's pretty darn cool to explain that our children started out in their mama and then grew in their mommy. We are BOTH part of the process of growing our kids. Pretty sure kids conceived through intercourse have questions about how they were conceived - I know I did - and when I found out how it happened, I was grossed out LOL. when children are taught something from a young age and learn that there are different ways to make a family, it's just normal! so normalize it.2. ummm how are my children deprived of ANY LOVE. In fact, I would argue that children conceived through assisted reproduction are even MORE loved and wanted. Do you know how much we have to go through to grow our family? do you know how many children are accidentally conceived and really are NOT wanted?3. actual parents - that would be me and my wife. a parent is defined as an individual who cares for a child. not one who conceives a child.4. twisted science ... it's actually the coolest science. 1:8 people suffer from infertility. they often rely on fertility treatments (science) to grow their family. some go through IUI, some IVF, RIVF, donor sperm, donor egg, donor embryo, surrogacy. guess what? regardless of the method of conception, that child(ren) belongs to the individual / couple who bring that child home and care for them.
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© GENAVIEVE SHINGLE LLC
WEBSITE BY FELICITY & DESIGN INC.