I don’t have a lot of friends. I’m the one who is often looking in from the outside, the friend who is sometimes invited, sometimes after the fact. I’m not part of the neighborhood texts or the get-togethers to chat about life. I’m a homebody, the one who people make small talk with, but isn’t... Read Post The post I don’t have a lot of friends, but it’s all about quality over quantity appeared first on Stacey Skrysak ..read more

“Have you discussed plans for Baby A? She is downstairs in the hospital morgue.” It’s a moment I’ve never really talked about, yet it’s an unfortunate reality for those of us who have experienced the loss of a child. As new parents, my husband and I were supposed to be planning our nursery and picking... Read Post The post Finding help after the death of a child appeared first on Stacey Skrysak ..read more

Alright, friends…can we have a little chat? We need to start lifting each other up, not tear each other down. A stranger recently came up to me and was shocked by how I looked. “WOW! People say the camera adds 10 pounds, but it adds so much more! You look good in person, but boy,... Read Post The post If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all appeared first on Stacey Skrysak ..read more

Exactly 12 weeks after I delivered my triplets, I received a phone call from HR. They were wondering when I was coming back to work. I remember my heart racing, the anxiety building, as I burst into tears. Just 12 weeks earlier, I delivered three children more than 17 weeks premature. In that time, I... Read Post The post Bereavement leave is not enough: something needs to change appeared first on Stacey Skrysak ..read more

Repeat after me: You are so much more than the number on the scale. It’s something I’ve had to remind myself of lately. Between the pandemic weight and the last few pounds from that baby weight, I found myself obsessing over that number on the scale. But here’s the thing, our bodies change over the... Read Post The post Repeat after me: You are so much more than the number on the scale appeared first on Stacey Skrysak ..read more

My heart was racing, my hands shaking, as I carefully took the shadow box off the wall. One by one, I took down my children’s keepsakes, some of the only tangible items of my son and daughter who are no longer alive. Abby, Peyton, Parker. Those three shadowboxes have been a staple of our nursery... Read Post The post Sometimes it is hard to let go appeared first on Stacey Skrysak ..read more

I found myself crying today in the school drop off line. And again, as I sat on the couch at home. Grief shows up at the most random times, and today it hit me: the holiday season is here. As you gather around the table to celebrate, please be kind to those whose hearts may... Read Post The post It’s OK to be sad during the holiday season appeared first on Stacey Skrysak ..read more

My daughter raced in her first ever swim meet. She was the girl who stopped midway to fix her goggles, the one who was a full length of a pool behind the other swimmers. My daughter was the one that the crowd cheered for, not for winning a race, but because she was the last... Read Post The post My daughter may never be the best, but she is teaching an important life lesson to others appeared first on Stacey Skrysak ..read more

When the world shutdown in March 2020, I honestly didn’t think 15+ months later, we would still be wearing masks. But that’s our reality, and according to CDC recommendations, children two and up should be wearing a mask. My toddler, Piper, turned two this month, and I’ve been on a mad dash to find a... Read Post The post The Best Masks For Young Children appeared first on Stacey Skrysak ..read more

This is the face a grieving mother. The sadness in my eyes, met with uncontrollable sobs.  Even eight years later. It doesn’t matter whether you have living children, or reasons to smile and celebrate, the loss of a child is part of you forever.  I’m not showing this picture for sympathy. It’s not a “woe... Read Post The post The is the face of a grieving mother appeared first on Stacey Skrysak ..read more