Motherhood

Eight years ago, Coco came to us as a mystery. Up until her birth, her adoption was closed. Before we met all 5 lbs 7 oz of her, we only knew she was part Hispanic, part Native American, and part Caucasian.

She was born about a week after her due date with dry, wrinkled, peeling skin. That’s when we started using Aveeno baby products: gentle, fragrance-free, with effective ingredients.

Eventually, her outer layer of skin peeled off, but her skin conditions persisted. Around 2-4 months she came down with Infant Eczema, Atopic Dermatitis.

Since we didn’t know much about her family history of allergies, eczema, or asthma, we experimented until we found a routine that seemed to keep her symptoms in check.

Her nails had to be trimmed short, especially when she was too little to understand the damage scratching could cause. Her baths needed to be warm, never hot, and we stopped bathing her every day.

Over the years she’s had fewer and less extreme flare-ups. We learned that the heat of Arizona summers could cause an outburst, but since we moved to Utah, we also became familiar with winter rash. Now we apply Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream at least once or twice daily and always immediately after a bath when her skin is still moist.

Luckily, we were also introduced to a convenient routine of oatmeal baths with Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment, Hydrocortisone Anti-Inch Cream, and richer Eczema Therapy Itch Relief Balm for behind her knees, elbows, and under her chin. It’s no wonder Aveeno is the #1 dermatologist recommended over-the-counter eczema moisturizer brand in the US.

The rest of the family also benefits from Coco’s Eczema awareness. Since we became disciplined about lotioning Coco regularly, the rest of the family adopted the habit with Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion as well.

Lotioning the family after baths and before bed has become a ritual we all look forward to. Because snuggles are even more decadent with silky, soft skin.

This post is sponsored by Aveeno

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When is your family complete? Or how do you know when you’re done having kids? In case you’re new to my scene, I have 4 children age 6 and under. Showcased above from left to right: Oscar (3), Fitz (9 months), Levi (5), and Coco (6).

My spouse Andrew says you know you’re done when your husband is curious as to who the father of future children will be, because he, is done. But watching my Fitz Winters reach his 10 month marker this Mother’s Day makes my heart hurt. What will I do when there are no pudgy thighs to squish or toothless mouths to kiss or roll filled necks to smell?

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Once again, my Andrew would interject that he is willing to stand in for all those activities. But I almost wish my ovaries would fall out at age 35 leaving me without a choice, clean of conscience, rich with closure.

I searched for my children through deserts of infertility for more than half a decade, I finally found my daughter through adoption, and my biological sons came miraculously in the years following. I feel like this is my life’s work. So how do I gracefully abandon what I believe is the most important thing I’ve ever done or will do? How do I graduate from my child-bearing years and move on to whatever is next?

And what is next? If my family is complete then I’ve already met the most important people in my life. I have my husband. I have four beautiful children. Are there no more babies to name? No more faces to conjecture over? No one else to fall in love with?

Don’t get me wrong, I really don’t want to endure nine months of body invasion, add 3-4 thousand diapers to a landfill, and potty train another bottom. Raising kids is hard, mostly thankless, and every additional soul leaves me with less and less capacity for anything else. I can barely complete a sentence after 6 pm most days. My brain has been shot with so many verbal ejections of Mom or literal screams for my attention, that you’d think I was trying to recover from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder once the kids are tucked safely into their beds.

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I guess the big question I need to answer is “Do I want another baby or another child.” Because those are two different things.

While I ponder on these questions, maybe Andrew could help me celebrate (aka bribe me) this Mother’s Day with these Shane Company Threader style dangle earrings or an Adjustable Popcorn Chain Bracelet or a Pave Filled Diamond Anniversary Ring. I can’t promise it will convince me to stop adding to our family, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

ShaneCo_AVE_Mothersday_165 (1) Trina Turk White Paltrow Floral Lace Pencil Skirt and Pretti Scalloped Lace Top from Alixandra’s Collections

Riley Poplin Shirt & Holland Heeled Sandals from Banana Republic

Photography by Rennai Hoefer of Ten22 Studio

Discovering Eczema after Adoption

How to know when your family is complete.