My psychiatrist is currently titrating my medication and it's just this waiting game of me waiting to feel less bad. Meanwhile...

Today feeling especially overwhelmed with #motherhood. This is that part where the invisible labor is so hard and I don't get any recognition or breaks. Just complaints and tantrums.

If I could just have an actual break, every day, that would probably save a significant part of my sanity. Currently can't even pee alone. 🙄

The Lily Cafe Weekly Highlights – March 27, 2026

At Home

I missed last week because life has been insane lately. I’m pleased to report both of my kids successfully turned in decent projects, but it was kind of crazy during the building of them. We used the hot glue gun so much I was dreaming about it. And I swear the smell of it was stuck in my nose for days.

We also had a lot of other things going on that required a lot of time and attention. We had Open Houses this past week on consecutive days. It was kind of chaotic, but it was nice to see all the things the kids have been working so hard on. Next year sounds like it’s going to be a bit different than all of us expected, so I’m a little apprehensive to see how it’ll actually play out.

Next week is Spring Break, and I’m looking forward to not having to do pick up at two schools. We do have some appointments, but I think both kids are ready to collapse. This year has been a bit more intense than we all expected. I’m not sure if I’ll be posting at all next week, but I should be back the following week.

What I’ve Read

I thought it took a while to get through Nettle & Bone, but I think it took me even longer to finish The Photonic Effect by Mike Chen. It’s not that I didn’t like it, but I really didn’t understand the science. I was also distracted a lot because I could see how Star Trek influenced him and that made me nostalgic a lot. As expected, there was a lot of heart, but everything felt kind of passive? There’s one character I really wanted more from, so I was disappointed he wasn’t utilized as much as I would have liked. It’s not a terrible story, but it felt like it was trying to be a cross of his previous novels and hard sci-fi. And, unfortunately, I frequently got bogged down in science I really didn’t understand, so that decreased my enjoyment.

In progress: First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston

So far, I’ve only read the prologue and a few pages of the first chapter. I’m a little reluctant to read more sci-fi considering my experience with The Photonic Effect, but, as I understand it, this is a fantasy take on the space race. I’m intrigued to see how it’ll be handled, but I’m also feeling a little scienced out.

Kids’ Reading Corner

The 6th Grader: I really don’t know what he’s reading these days. But, as far as I know, he’s supposed to be reading the third Percy Jackson book for school

The 3rd Grader: She’s been checking out an odd assortment of books from the school library. She’ll read part of one, but doesn’t really seem to enjoy them. But, as it’s Spring Break, she didn’t get to bring any books home this past week, so I think she’s reading a fairy book she owns. We’re planning on going to the library later today and picking up whatever Humphrey books we can find.

The Kitchen

So, one of the things we were dealing with last week was a broken knob for our oven. That means we haven’t had a working oven in over a week. Thus, no baking. I haven’t done any no-bake baking, either, mostly because I’ve been busy rewriting.

The Writing Lounge

This is where I’ve been for the past couple of weeks, curled up here in the Writing Lounge. I’m rewriting the entire manuscript, and it’s kind of been a fascinating experience. There are some parts that mostly feel like torture because I’m just going word by word. But other parts are getting overhauled, chopped, or expanded, and it’s been quite a process. I was looking at my very first draft yesterday, and it was kind of fun to see how much has and hasn’t changed.

Featured Posts From the Cafe

This past week I shared my thoughts on religion in fantasy, why I want to read Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank by Elle Cosimano, and my review for Steel Gods by Richard Swan.

Blog Stats and Other Interesting Things

As much fun as this section has been, I’ve decided to retire it for the time being because 1) it’s kind of a pain to do and 2) I’m currently in my “I don’t really care about stats” phase (I cycle back and forth, so this section might return one day).

Featured Blog Post

Each week I aim to share my favorite post of the week. But, as my brain is increasingly cluttered with manuscript-related things and I’m getting increasingly sidetracked by my backyard as it’s gone from dead to wildflowery to I’m worried it’s overgrowing, I’ll be taking a break from this section.

If you would be so kind, one of my best friends is an artist and recently opened her online store. If you like LGBTQ art, take a look: Sunlight & Sky.

See you next week, and thanks for reading!

Can you guess which TV personality BabyYumYum recently interviewed? 👀💛

One of SA’s most recognisable faces is opening up about her journey of healing, how motherhood changed everything, navigating divorce and creating a safe space for her children.

Share your guesses below 👇🔥 before the interview goes live on Friday at 14:00⏰!

#BabyYumYum #BYY #GuessWho #MzansiCelebs #Motherhood #Exclusive #WomenEmpowerment

Before the Crib, Before the Labor, Before the Push—There Was Her

A lot of times when people talk about pregnancy, they jump straight to the baby—the gender reveal, the shower, the due date, the first outfit, the nursery, the name. Everything starts centering around the child that’s coming, and that’s beautiful.

But somewhere in all of that, people often forget there was Her.

There was a woman whose body was shifting, whose emotions were shifting, whose mind was shifting, and whose life was beginning to change in a way she could not fully explain.

Pregnancy is not just about preparing for a baby. It is also about a woman becoming a mother. And God gives her that process. For some women, it feels beautiful right away. For others, it feels overwhelming. And for many, it feels like both at the same time.

When we become mothers, it is not just physical. The emotional, mental, and personal side of it can stir joy, worry, depression, and even old wounds we did not expect to come up or were not prepared to encounter.

Sometimes pregnancy can bring up things we thought we had buried. Sometimes it can bring up things we remembered, but now they feel different because we are preparing for life in a whole new way.

And that is where the grace of God can meet a woman—not just in the birth, not just in the blessing, but in the becoming.

Because while she is adjusting to what is changing around her, God is strengthening what is changing within her. He can calm fear, settle uncertainty, and minister to the parts of her that nobody else can see.

I remember when I found out I was pregnant with my first son. I was 21, on my own, and I had no idea how to be a mother because technically, I never had one.

For me, this journey was never just about having a baby. It was about facing the reality that I was stepping into something I had not been shown how to do.

There was no manual, no perfect example, no step-by-step guide that could prepare me for what motherhood was going to require of me emotionally and spiritually.

People can give advice, and sometimes that helps. But for me, it was deeper than advice.

It was prayer.
It was the grace of God.
It was God loving me, leading me, and building something in me during those nine months that I did not yet see in myself.

That is why I know pregnancy is not only about the child being formed. Sometimes it is also about prayer forming the mother.

Sometimes before the baby even gets here, God is already teaching a woman how to trust Him, how to lean on Him, and how to draw strength from Him in a way she never had before.

Before the crib, before the labor, before the push, there was Her.

And She matters too.

What do you think a woman needs most while she is becoming a mother—support, honesty, prayer, guidance, or something else?

She fought her body a lot, and ate Aleve like M&Ms. She tried pain creams with emus, bees, and tigers. She read up on reflexology and acupressure. She tried teas and supplements. #survivor #mother #motherhood #family #blog

https://survivorliteracy.com/2026/03/22/22-mom-3/

Maria Murphy: "Yoga is not one size fits all. You have to tailor your classes to the people in front of you." From teaching in closets to owning The Yoga Patch, on accessible yoga, motherhood's wisdom & creating spaces that feel like home. New Podmasana episode!
Audio: https://tinyurl.com/podmasana10
YouTube: https://youtu.be/huXaEFRDO-I?si=_EC_l8QKK2qOjr6j

#podmasana #podcast #spirituality #wisdom #yoga #motherhood

[NEIGHBORS] The cost of daughters

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.rappler.com/people/neighbors-cost-loving-daughters-fear-war-violence/