In this episode, I explain why I’m wearing glasses after dealing with a lingering stye that’s turned into a chalazion, what I’ve tried so far, and what the eye doctor may have to do next. We also talk about how May has felt overwhelmingly busy, including dance recital weekend, end-of-school chaos, graduation season work stress, and a last-day-of-school scare when Henry threw up in the middle of the night. We share how burned out we both feel, what we do (and don’t) do for ourselves to rest, and some summer realities like neighborhood kids, pool safety concerns, and snack boundaries. To reset, we’re taking a summer break from weekly episodes while staying active on social media and posting occasional updates.

00:00 Glasses And Stye Update

01:14 Eye Doctor And Chalazion

04:25 Maycember Recital Chaos

07:47 Burnout And Overwhelm

09:13 Summer Break Schedule Shift

10:06 Midnight Throw Up Scare

13:05 What We Do For Ourselves

15:13 Velcro Kid Moments

15:47 Outdoor Kids in Any Weather

16:47 Cool Rainy Spring Talk

17:53 Pool Setup and Safety Worries

19:46 Neighbor Kids and Snack Chaos

23:22 Lunch Skipping and Work Schedules

25:11 Graduation Week Overwhelm

26:48 Burnout and Summer Break Plans

28:53 Stay Connected This Summer

Late-night Mom Talk episode we cover Savannah Chrisley’s IUD complication and leads into Victoria's Mirena experience—why she got it for pregnancy prevention with pulmonary hypertension and why she now wants it removed despite limited alternatives. She also shares a pulmonary hypertension med-dose update after splitting her dosage in half. Then we react to TLC’s Unexpected with an extremely young teen couple, discuss a cruise ship virus situation near Africa, comment on a few Met Gala looks, and end with an update on my daughter Emma’s knee injury and pending MRI results.

00:00 Late Night Mom Talk

00:26 Savannah Chrisley IUD Scare

01:50 Why She Got Mirena

04:16 Periods and PAH Symptoms

05:42 NuvaRing Horror Story

07:08 Wanting the IUD Out

12:18 PAH Med Dose Update

15:42 Teen Pregnancy TV Shock1

7:53 Mom Chasing Fame

19:08 C Section Shock Talk

20:17 Mom Boyfriend Obsession

21:27 Custody Fallout

22:01 Pregnancy Scare Update

22:47 Cruise Virus Quarantine

24:00 Hantavirus Panic Debate

25:50 Met Gala Outfit Roast

28:58 Blake Lively Beef

29:48 Emma Knee MRI

31:59 Confessions And Wrap Up

In this Mom Talk episode, we talk about the chaotic first week of May and how the month’s mental load piles up for moms. I share Mason’s “golden” 7th birthday plans plus upcoming recital and graduation conflicts, Mother’s Day plans, Henry’s new flag football schedule and Remi’s daycare graduation and party. We wrap by acknowledging we can be both stressed and grateful during a busy season.

00:00 May Mom Chaos

00:57 Mason Turns Seven

01:23 Kids Height Talk

03:45 Birthday School Plans

05:25 Lunch And Takeout

06:45 Golden Birthday Decor

09:59 Birthday Morning Traditions

10:53 Mom Guilt Flashback

12:03 Sky Zone Party Plans

12:29 Graduation Weekend House

14:09 Dance Recital Commitment

14:43 Kids Look Alike Genetics

16:36 Recital Day Marathon

17:33 Kids and Age Gaps

18:24 Teen Drivers

18:48 Mother's Day Trip

21:22 Flowers and Gratitude

22:25 Plans and Traditions

24:35 Missing Mom Sunday

25:33 Contacts and Appointments

28:27 May Chaos Season

28:49 Flag Football Fridays

29:42 Graduations and Parties

31:36 Summer Countdown Wrap

32:44 Thankful and Stressed

33:38 Final Thanks and Follow

In this episode, We discuss our experiences using ChatGPT for various everyday tasks. We explore using it in making grocery lists, planning weekly menus, and even resolving disputes with your significant other. The conversation shifts to serious topics, including AI's role in mental health support and the ethical implications of relying on AI for companionship and educational assistance.

00:00 Introduction: ChatGPT for Dinner Decisions

00:13 ChatGPT for Meal Planning and Grocery Lists

00:46 Kid-Friendly Recipes and Grocery List Details

01:46 ChatGPT for Everyday Queries

02:26 ChatGPT for Disputes and Text Analysis

03:58 Fun with ChatGPT: Trends and Roasts

04:47 ChatGPT for Plant Identification

05:50 Tech Gadgets for Parenting

09:43 AI in Education and Homework Help

13:15 The Role of AI in Daily Life

15:04 AI Companions and Ethical Concerns

16:48 Unusual Addictions and AI Confidants

17:06 AI's Dark Side: A Tragic Story

18:17 Casino Robots: Convenience vs. Job Loss

21:22 Language Oddities and AI Assistance

26:05 Medical Queries and AI's Role

29:09 AI in Everyday Life: Invitations and Intuition

30:59 Conclusion and Social Media Plugs

Victoria shares an update on her PAH after months of worsening shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations, and fatigue. Even though her January echo looked promising and labs were normal, her specialist ordered a right heart cath with a nitric oxide challenge, and she was a responder. Her doctor called with great news: her pressure is 27, and her heart shows no signs of heart failure, and she thinks Victoria may be overmedicated, so she's cutting her tadalafil dose in half. She's grateful but still anxious because her symptoms haven’t fully improved yet, with a two-week nurse check-in and a follow-up appointment in June.

00:00 Welcome and Update

00:26 What PAH Means

02:41 Diagnosis Delays

04:59 Stabilizing on Treatment

06:13 Right Heart Cath Explained

08:17 Vasoreactivity Breakthrough

09:23 New Meds and Low BP

10:31 Symptoms Creeping Back

13:35 January Tests and Monitor

15:44 March Labs and Cath Scheduled

17:57 Spiraling Before Procedure

19:22 Mom Guilt Morning Prep

20:00 Heart Cath Setup

20:21 Awake Neck Procedure

22:42 Nitric Oxide Results

24:34 Discharge And Sick Ride

26:21 Great News Med Cutback

27:25 Symptoms Vs Numbers

31:16 Faith And Advocacy Call

33:41 One Week Update Next Steps

35:50 Closing Thanks And Follow

We’re Back: Grief, Life Updates, and Finding Our Way Again

We’re back after a long break, and I’m sharing honestly why recording stopped—grief has come in waves, and once the busy “to-do” list for my mom started wrapping up, it got harder instead of easier. We catch you up on what’s been going on: dance competitions that felt full of signs from my mom, spring break highlights and the emotions of Julianne’s baby shower. We also celebrate my niece LJ coming home from the NICU, talk about perimenopause and how grief has shown up in my body, and chat about Remi’s kindergarten kickoff as the kids keep growing up fast.

00:00 We Are Back

01:15 Break And Grief03:06 Handling Mom Tasks

05:16 Signs At Dance

08:08 Spring Break Recap

08:26 Discovery Park Trip

12:16 Food And Mall Stops

15:52 Home Projects And Pool

17:21 Niece Comes Home

18:41 NICU and Heart Surgery

19:29 Feeding Tube Fears

20:32 Spring Break Recap

21:17 Kindergarten Kickoff

23:43 Teachers and Transitions

25:54 Kids Growing Up Fast

27:21 Baby Shower Emotions

29:55 Grief in the Body

32:40 First Holidays Without Mom

35:05 It Is What It Is

35:42 Wrap Up and Follow

Welcome back to Mom Talk! Come hang with us while I spill the tea on Emma’s first dance competition of the season in Gatlinburg—Friday traffic, Waze miracles, trio jitters, and some much-needed “redemption” dances. We also squeezed in an escape room (yes, I survived), talked about doing it all the first comp without Mom, and looked ahead to Nashville and Louisville comps. Then it’s the usual Mom Talk whiplash: church D-Now drop-off anxiety, wrestling season finally ending, new neighbors keeping the kids outside, a sweet NICU update on baby LJ, and Victoria casually daydreaming about “just grabbing a baby off the shelf.”

00:00 Welcome Back Setup Chaos

00:17 First Dance Comp Recap

00:58 Gatlinburg Travel Game Plan

01:26 Friday Traffic Waze Win

02:29 Trio Nerves Redemption

03:16 Escape Room Adventure

05:12 Missing Mom Weekend

06:04 Next Competitions Ahead

06:57 Church DNow Weekend

08:49 Life Update Wrestling Ends

09:26 New Neighbors Outdoor Play

10:51 Holding Baby LJ NICU

12:32 Julianne Car Accident Stress

13:46 Bring Julianne Back

14:17 Baby Fever Talk

14:54 Adoption and Hard Limits

16:46 No More Daycare Countdown

17:20 Summer Schedules and Childcare

18:11 Spring Break Plans

20:15 Pool Dreams and Noodle Delivery

21:26 Sports Camp Signup Details

24:09 Kid Free Week Plans

25:04 Food Plans and Podcast Logistics

25:58 Next Episode Lucy Letby Case

27:15 Wrap Up and Socials

We recap our rare night out at a belated work Christmas party at Varsity Pins (food, frozen margaritas, duckpin bowling) and then a late stop at The Bent Wrench. We talk surviving two weeks of ice days, Mason’s wild “shark tooth” dental visit, a tearful taxes moment that brought up memories of Mom, and Mason accidentally making Good News Club think he’s not fed or allowed to read his Bible—plus a quick update on Henry’s Wizards basketball games.

00:00 Mom Talk Kickoff: A Rare Moms’ Night Out

00:19 Work Christmas Party in February (Plus-One Drama & Timing)

01:14 Food, Potluck Vibes & Frozen Margaritas at Varsity Pins

02:39 Duckpin Bowling + When Can the Kids Handle It?

03:36 After-Party at The Bent Wrench (Staying Out ‘Til Midnight)

04:19 The Next-Day Reality: Sleep, Kids, and Feeling Human Again

05:39 Two Weeks of Ice Out: Cabin Fever, Slips, and Surviving at Home

08:26 Back to School Whiplash + Mason’s Wild ‘Shark Tooth’ Dental Visit

11:46 Kids’ Anxiety Styles: Stoic vs Worrier (and the ‘Liquid Relaxer’)

13:28 Adulting at 41: Paying Taxes Without Mom’s Help

14:21 Paying County vs. City Taxes… and an Unexpected Connection to Mom

15:15 Emma’s Heart-to-Heart & Being Forced to Grieve in Real Time

17:42 Compartmentalizing Grief: The ‘Switch’ and Avoidance Talk

18:10 Quiet Car Rides & the Podcast That Finally Broke Through

20:38 Theresa Caputo, Mediums, and Faith: Is It ‘From God’?22:34 TLC Rabbit Hole: Baylen Out Loud, Tourette’s, and Why She’s So Funny

23:32 Mason’s ‘$100’ Answer + Good News Club Homework Drama

28:18 Henry’s Hoops Update: Game Nights, Team ‘Wizards,’ and Wrap-Up

Welcome back to Mom Talk! In today's episode, Victoria hilariously recounts relatable gripes with Jarrett's drinking habits, and the overwhelming wrestling schedule that turns parenting into a solo sport. We dive into Victoria's accidental slip and fall leading to a knee injury, followed by her painful dental visits. Meanwhile, Remi takes center stage, quite literally, dancing on coffee tables and living her best life. Join us for an episode filled with laughter, real talk, and navigating the chaos that is parenthood!

00:00 Introduction and Greetings

00:10 Victoria's Annoyance with Jarrett

03:13 Wrestling Schedule Woes

09:31 Victoria's Injury Story

18:51 Knee and Wrist Recovery Update

19:58 New Dentist Experience

21:35 Dental Work Challenges

27:27 Mason's Dental Issues

30:57 Remi's Dance Adventures

35:29 Research Study and Walking Challenges

37:59 Podcast Wrap-Up

In the final part of this series, I'm talking about what comes after—the grief, the signs, and somehow moving forward.

After losing my mom on December 1st, my body crashed. Then my sister had a baby at 24 weeks on Christmas Day. Then a woodpecker showed up at Henry's window. This episode is about processing the impossible, recognizing the signs my mom is still here, and figuring out how to keep going one day at a time.

0:00 - The day I couldn't get out of bed
1:30 - Julianne's baby arrives at 24 weeks on Christmas morning
3:00 - The "gift-wrapped" miracle baby named after mom
6:30 - Baby LJ's health scare and the PDA diagnosis
9:45 - How Julianne and I text each other when feelings hit
11:20 - The grief theory: the box, the ball, and the pain button
13:00 - "I should go eat lunch with mom" - when it hits you
15:30 - Why nobody cares about your birthday like your mom
17:00 - Henry's woodpecker visit: mom came back as a bird
19:45 - Our telepathic friendship and knowing when something's wrong
22:00 - Taking it one day at a time and staying in motion
24:30 - Thanks for listening and where to find us

Content Warning: This episode discusses grief, loss, premature birth complications, and the ongoing process of learning to live after losing a parent. Still coping with dark humor.

This is Part 3 of 3.

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