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Growing with Mike

Unfiltered Parenting. Real Chaos. Unbelievably Funny.

Growing with Mike
Unfiltered Parenting. Real Chaos. Unbelievably Funny.
  • food diversification with newborn mike
    Lessons & Reflections

    Why We Chose Local, Simple Foods When Starting Solids

    ByAndy P January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

    When it came to food, we made one decision early on, as we started solids with Mike – and stuck to it. We chose to introduce, whenever possible, local fruits and vegetables, foods that grow naturally in our country or in climates similar to ours. Not because we were following a trend.But because it felt…

    Read More Why We Chose Local, Simple Foods When Starting SolidsContinue

  • mike starting solid food
    Parenting Struggles

    Baby Food Allergies vs. Normal Reactions: How We Learned the Difference

    ByAndie P January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

    One of the hardest parts of starting solids is not knowing what’s normal. Is this an allergy?Is this just a reaction?Should I stop everything? I wish someone had explained this earlier. Not Every Reaction Is an Allergy The word allergy is terrifying when it comes to your baby. But not every physical response means your…

    Read More Baby Food Allergies vs. Normal Reactions: How We Learned the DifferenceContinue

  • andy holding little baby mike
    Lessons & Reflections

    What No One Warned Me About Starting Solids With a Baby

    ByAndie P January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

    When people talk about starting solids, they usually make it sound exciting. A milestone.A sign that your baby is “growing up.”Something fun. What no one warned me about is how mentally exhausting it can be. Starting Solids Isn’t Just About Food When we reached the diversification stage, I honestly thought this part would be easier…

    Read More What No One Warned Me About Starting Solids With a BabyContinue

  • todler mike in baby chair eating
    Parenting Struggles

    Starting Solids With a Baby: When Diversification Feels Harder Than You Expected

    ByAndie P January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

    When you reach the diversification stage, you think you’ve made it. You’ve survived the newborn phase.The sleepless nights.The feeding anxiety.The constant “Is this normal?” questions. So when it’s time to introduce solid foods, you expect things to finally get easier. For me, they didn’t. Diversification Looks Simple. Until You’re Actually Doing It On paper, starting…

    Read More Starting Solids With a Baby: When Diversification Feels Harder Than You ExpectedContinue

  • andie with mike and andy going for a walk
    Lessons & Reflections

    Dividing Newborn Responsibilities: How We Survived the First Months as a Team

    ByAndie P January 17, 2026January 17, 2026

    No one really tells you how much newborn care is about logistics. Not love. Not instinct.Logistics. Who feeds the baby.Who changes the diaper at 3 a.m.Who remembers when the last feeding was.Who pumps. Who washes bottles.Who holds the baby when both of you are exhausted and crying a little inside. When Mike was born, we…

    Read More Dividing Newborn Responsibilities: How We Survived the First Months as a TeamContinue

  • newborn mike sleeping with eyes wide open
    Parenting Struggles

    Newborn Sleep Myths: What’s Normal, What’s Weird, and What No One Explains

    ByAndy P January 17, 2026January 17, 2026

    And yes, newborn sleep is not what you expect – in fact, nothing is during those first weeks when you bring your baby home from the hospital. Newborn sleep looks strange. Not “cute strange.”Just… strange. They sleep a lot.They wake often.They sleep deeply, until they don’t. And no one really prepares you for what you’ll…

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  • first 3 months with mike
    Lessons & Reflections

    Newborn Bath Time Anxiety: Why Washing a Tiny Baby Feels So Scary at First

    ByAndy P January 17, 2026January 17, 2026

    Or, why newborn bath time is so stressful for new parents. No one tells you how terrifying it feels to bathe a newborn for the first time. You’ve just brought your baby home.They’re tiny. Fragile. Their head doesn’t stay up.And suddenly, you’re supposed to put them in water. Warm water. Slippery skin. A body that…

    Read More Newborn Bath Time Anxiety: Why Washing a Tiny Baby Feels So Scary at FirstContinue

  • newborn mike with pacifier
    Parenting Struggles

    The First Weeks With a Newborn Feel Like a Trial Run (Until They Don’t)

    ByAndy P January 17, 2026January 17, 2026

    When you bring your newborn home from the hospital, nothing really prepares you for how sudden it all feels. One moment, there are nurses, monitors, schedules, someone checking on you every few hours.The next moment, you’re home – and it’s just you, a tiny human, and a thousand questions you didn’t know you had. Everything…

    Read More The First Weeks With a Newborn Feel Like a Trial Run (Until They Don’t)Continue

  • andie holding newborn mike with a smile on her face
    Milestones & Growing Up

    New Mom Anxiety: I Panicked First. Then I Learned I Could Do It Alone

    ByAndie P January 16, 2026January 16, 2026

    The first thing I did wasn’t breathe deeply.It wasn’t remind myself that “millions of women do this.” I panicked. Quietly. Internally. Constantly. And for a long time, I thought that panic meant I wasn’t ready to be a mother. Panic Is Often the First Honest Response We talk about maternal instinct as if it magically…

    Read More New Mom Anxiety: I Panicked First. Then I Learned I Could Do It AloneContinue

  • first day home with a newborn
    Milestones & Growing Up

    When Your Partner Goes Back to Work and You Stay Home With a Newborn

    ByAndie P January 16, 2026January 16, 2026

    No one really prepares you for the moment your partner goes back to work and you stay home with the newborn baby for the first time. People talk about logistics.Schedules. Hours. Routines. What they don’t talk about enough is what happens inside you when the balance suddenly shifts. For us, it happened three months after…

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