*Long post ahead. Please bear with me and stick it out until the end… I have a couple of questions for you.**

I’ve been keeping a web log – aka blogging – for almost six years. I began writing online mainly as a way to stay in touch with one lovely friend who moved far, far away. This friend begged and pleaded with me and, after nearly succumbing to the excuse that I had not the time, I logged on to homeschoolblogger.com and chose the username and blog ID YoungMommy.

Occasionally I would talk about products and services that I loved, but I wrote mostly about what was going on in our family, life with four kiddos (all under the age of four), my pregnancy with baby #5, our homeschooling and travel adventures, and anything else that struck my fancy. Poems, short quotes, personal stories and pictures graced the virtual pages of Organized Chaos.

Never did I imagine that, after only a few short months, not only did my beautiful friend check in often, but I had many consistent readers and would eventually be sought out by companies to help create buzz around their products. I snagged the handle YoungMommy on Twitter and thus began my venture in to product reviews and the new world (for me, anyway) of social media.

After much thought, and a few reviews on Organized Chaos, I made the decision to begin From Dates to Diapers – A blog that would house my product reviews, details about contests that I found around the blogosphere, and perhaps even host a contest or two of my own. After all, I didn’t want to inundate my Organized Chaos readers with “a bunch of commercials,” since they were, in fact, reading to hear about the next brilliant thing one of my kiddos said and not to hear about the diaper ointment I was using.

A couple of months went by. Many blog posts were written on both Organized Chaos and From Dates to Diapers. More than a few diapers were changed and a only few dates were enjoyed. I realized that keeping up with two sites was near impossible with my commitment to quality and dedication to my family. So I made the decision to merge the two blogs. And, now we have From Dates to Diapers as you know it.

You’ve seen me through two more pregnancies, rejoiced with me over the birth of Noah and the birth of Timothy, heard about birthday parties, vacations, bad days and good. I’ve shared our school schedules and lamented with you over the fact that I am so not crafty and hate to cook. You’ve seen bits of blog trips, squeed with me over meeting celebrities and faithfully watched my appearances on news programs.

I’ve blogged because I love to write, I love to talk about my family, and I love the connection I have with other women on and offline. It’s been fun these last five-and-a-half years and I have met some amazing people… people who have become some of my best friends. I am indebted to you for making From Dates to Diapers what it is today!

My love for blogging hasn’t changed, necessarily, but now I feel stuck. These last four months have been spent enjoying my new little baby and watching him grow and interact with his siblings. My older kiddos and I have had long days of school and spent lots of time just being together. Even though most of my writing took place after my kiddos were in bed before, I guess you could say that I got out of the habit of spending time virtually composing my thoughts mainly because I needed every bit of sleep that Timothy would allow me.

But, while I was spending almost all of my “free” time catching up on sleep, I fear many of you gave up on me. I know I could publish a post about what we did on any particular day, I would still like to write out Timothy’s birth story for posterity, and I have a plethora of products I need to write about, but I’d love to hear what you want to see and read here on From Dates to Diapers in the next few weeks. Do you have any pressing questions for me? Something you’d like for me to talk about?

It’s time for me to find my bloggy groove again.

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