Crazy Normal

Michael hosts his first episode as he welcomes the Husbands of the Women of the first round table! Haru (Alanna's Hubby), Cody (Natalie's Husband), Oscar (Haylee's Hubs) and while we weren't able to get Scott (Michelle's husband) we did get BRODY, a best friend of Michael and Sarah's that is currently in the hard journey of infertility. So take a break and listen to some much needed real-talk from the all-to-often forgotten partners of the pregnant human! They get silly, awkward and REAL about infertility, guilt, love, relationships, hardships of fatherhood and how to help their partners in the pregnancy, fertility and parenting!

Join my husband Michael and I while we share how we met, our fertility journey, what our relationship was like before and after kids, what we struggle with and how we plan to resolve our relationship woes...all in dramatic and adorable fashion! We hope that in sharing our personal story and relationship journey as parents of two helps anyone else struggling with similar issues to feel NORMAL AF! Take a listen!

In the finale of the first series of relationship training, Sarah talks with Dr. Nancy Grass about Dialectical Tensions; the push and pull of needs and wants between people and romantic partners. They also talk about Love Languages and how to identify what your and you partners are! Both in how you want to FEEL loved and how you SHOW love to others! Definitely don't miss this one as it is a precursor for next weeks episode about Sarah and Michaels Relationship journey from before kids to after kids!

Sarah welcomes back Nana and Nancy to finish their conversation about Defense arousing behaviors! We discuss how to find empathy, how our romantic relationships change after having children, gender roles and have fun giving real-life scenarios that we aren't ashamed to share! 

Sarah welcomes her Mother, Nancy Grass and Grandmother, Virginia Downie to speak about Romantic Relationships and how they change after having children! Three generations of Communication Studies Professors break down unhealthy relationship actions and communication and give you healthy relationship goals! This is just the beginning of what will be  several parts of relationship training discussions to help parents feel more connected to one another, understand the in's and out's of their relationship and how it is affected by not only the introduction of children but also friends and family around us! 

In this short episode we talk to Aunt Jamie again about the importance of voting in this years election! The general election is coming up fast (November 3rd) Have you voted? Do you know what your plans are to vote or where? Do you know the deadlines or what to bring with you to the polling place? If not, we got you covered!

Sarah welcomes fellow Halloween fanatic, Jamie from the Bronx to discuss safe alternatives for fun this halloween (and Dia De Los Muertos) with your family! You don't want to miss this episode!

Here is the Meals on Wheels West site where you can get tickets (donate) to this years Monster Bash where my uncles band "The Rembrandts" (the band who created the Friends Theme song "I'll Be There For You") will be playing!: https://britesiders.com/mowwestmonsterbash

In this episode, Sarah welcomes 9 months pregnant Amanda (who had her baby 1 week after talking with us!) and live in Temecula and Erin who is 24 weeks pregnant living in Puerto Rico! We discuss the new experience first time and second time moms are having in their pregnancies during a pandemic ranging from lack of baby showers, losing jobs, miscarriages, loneliness and fear! Come join us as we laugh through the pain but find optimism in the face of it all!

Poem at Start:  "Mother is a Hero (Fearless)" by Ashleigh Evans, "The Constant Wonderer"
https://youtu.be/XRPdwzkXan4

We welcome back cousin Natalie to discuss her journey to adopting her 4 babies. She discusses the foster care system, how the adoption process works, white privilege and the white savior complex as it relates to adopting children of a different race or ethnicity, relationship changes with her husband and more!

Research Studies Mentioned in this podcast: 
1. Journal of Critical Thought and Praxis-2017, Vol. 6, No. 3, 36-54
"The White Savior Industrial Complex: A Cultural Studies Analysis of a Teacher Educator, Savior Film, and Future Teachers" by Brittany A. Aronson*
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1138&context=jctp


2. Journal of Affective Disorders-115 (2009) 62–68
"Post-adoption depression among adoptive mothers"
Yehuda Senecky, Hanoch Agassi, Dov Inbar, Netta Horesh, Gary Diamond,
Yoav S. Bergman, Alan Apter.
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.183.2800&rep=rep1&type=pdf

3. "Supporting SpecialNeeds Adoptive Couples: Assessing an Intervention to Enhance Forgiveness, Increase Marital Satisfaction, and Prevent Depression" by Thomas W. Baskin,
 Margaret Rhody, Shannon Schoolmeesters, and Colleen Ellingson. 
https://www.apa.org/education/ce/adoptive-couples.pdf

We welcome Haylee, Michelle, Natalie and Alanna to a round table discussion about all the questions, none of the answers. All the frustrations, feelings and queries we've had or still have about motherhood, fertility/infertility, pregnancy, delivery, adoption, sex, relationships, Covid, schooling for kids, parenting during civil rights movement, fears, struggles, mental health and more!