Samantha K Schmidt

I’m probably one of the most laid back first time moms. Especially in this millennial, organic, non-dairy, peanut-allergy ridden world. My approach to parenting is that somebody is always doing a worse job than I am. That sounds like a free-range parenting disaster, but don’t worry I’m not headed down that road. In fact I’m a hands-on discipline approving mom, but I’m also not willing to live in a world where I’m never good enough. Don’t get me wrong I’ve spent many nights googling all the side effects of the many mistakes I’ve made as a parent. In fact, I’ve googled so many things I could probably write a book. Yesterday’s search was “What to do if your baby eats a leaf.” Someone actually posted that their kid ate a dead bug, so my mission statement stands true… someone’s always doing worse. First time moms often fall trap to the heart wrenching reality that how they parent this little being will ultimately have life-changing effects, and while that’s true I want those effects to in...

     Disclaimer: I wrote this post months ago, and never published it because it sounded so selfish, but I do think it's important that women see the reality of motherhood, not the filter that instagram provides. So here is a real look into motherhood, not an attempt for you to feel sorry for me, but in an attempt to show you authenticity. I have probed the internet for all the wisdom I can gather in regards to motherhood. Everyone just seems to be doing a stellar job with stellar children that have stellar temperaments. It's all nonsense. How these women manage to work from home and go to the gym astounds me. I can't seem to get my hair done without overlooking the wailing in the background. Let's be real, motherhood is tough. Here's just a glimpse into motherhood lately: 1. I can never manage to wake up early enough.  JW is the only necessary alarm clock in the house. Despite my attempts, I can't seem to get ahead of him. Once this week though, he gr...

I truly believe that I was predestined to be a mother. I've had a longing in my heart since I was a young girl. My mother often called me the child-whisperer because I frequently caught eyes with babies in restaurants and grocery stores. My role as teacher gave me the opportunity to be part-time mom to dozens of kids who I like to believe I helped grow into better people, but nothing prepared me for the transition into actual motherhood. Over the past month I've realized that motherhood is a balancing act that years of child development training and personal research could never truly prepare me for. The Balance between Research and Instinct I had spent 9 months researching breastfeeding tips, sleep schedules, and parenting techniques. After compiling article after article, I even put together a daily schedule for my newborn who hadn't even entered the world yet. It is a trademark of my personality. I thrive off of routine. Everyone laughed when I told them I already...

No, this is not a biographical story about the late, great western actor. It's the story of how our son came into this world. At my 38 week appointment my doctor reluctantly told me that statistically speaking I would probably go past my due date. I knew that first babies often come late, but I kept hoping that my physical health prior to pregnancy (and the excessive amount of squats I'd been doing) would lend themselves to an early birth. As the week went on my husband and I were on a roller coaster of selfish desire. He had been gone several weeks and weekends over the past 2 months, and we were approaching the only uneventful week all summer. Not to mention I was counting the weeks left until school started knowing that taking time off would be an act of congress. On Sunday, July 16th, Eddie and I lay in bed discussing just how much we'd like our little man to make his debut. Not only would the timing work out nicely, but we felt ready. (Whatever that means.) We he...

Life has been crazy! As you can probably imagine. My husband has been in and out traveling and spending overnights with students. Our in-laws came down briefly for our 2nd baby shower which was a lot of work! Over 80 people came to celebrate our little man and my mom, in-laws, husband, and my mom's best friend worked their butts off. I helped where I could, but tried not to overexert myself. My emotions have been on a roller-coaster ride. I wake up some mornings incredibly motivated and joyful, but can switch to melancholy by the end of the day. These emotions are not all that new to me, but the rapid switching back and forth is a more recent challenge. Friday, I spent the day with a previous student and her mom at Disney. It was an awesome day, but my feet were throbbing by the end. I topped it off with a day of last-minute shopping and organizing for the nursery on Saturday. The nursery is 99% complete. Meanwhile, the busy weekend taught me that my body is running out of fu...

This week begins my third trimester of pregnancy. For me, it's all seemed to go by so fast. My belly seems barely big enough for a tiny human to live, and it's crazy to think our little man will be here in 3 months. Ahhh! Panic! I'm actually really excited for him to get here, but there's just so much left to be done. Meanwhile, my body is still experiencing all the unusual things associated with pregnancy. If you missed my First Trimester update on my YouTube channel you can check it out for an introduction into my many pregnancy symptoms, but today I'll walk you through the good, the bad, and the ugly of my 2nd trimester. SECOND TRIMESTER SYMPTOMS Acne : Although switching to oil cleansing has helped my skin a lot, I'm still experiencing breakouts. Part of this is due to the less than healthy foods I've been eating. The other part is just one of the many lovely side effects of extra hormones. Leg Cramps : This new symptom has been the most bruta...

A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to announce to the people we love that we were expecting our first child. Those people just happened to be nearly 100 high school students. My husband works full-time with students and I've volunteered as a mentor since we began dating 2 years ago. Although we have a few close friends, those kids make up the majority of our lives. It was amazing to see their faces light up when we made that announcement. It brought me so much joy knowing that they were so joyful for us.