Not the most uplifting way to start the new year, but this is a topic that we both have been wanting to talk about for months now. Every family will be touched by death at some point - whether it's a friend, a pet, or a close family member (which in our minds PETS fall into of course). But the task of talking about "death" with a child is a tricky one. Do you bring in a religious aspect? Do you sugarcoat it? Is it best to just rip off the band-aid and dive in? On this episode of Pick Your Battles, we share stories about recent deaths we have experienced in 2026 and how we talked about it with our kids.

We celebrated Atlas' birthday by taking a multi-family trip to Chicago, and BOY did we learn a lot. From schlepping 5 children ages 6 and under through the snowy streets of Chicago, through exhibits and tanks-gallore at the Shedd Aquarium, and in the halls for a giant hotel, we are all still recovering from this group trip!

TRIGGER WARNING

1 in 4 women suffer from infant and pregnancy loss and October is the month that honors those losses.

We welcome back our best friend and sister-in-law, Kelsey, to the show to talk about her journey with infertility, IUI, IVF, and ultimately losing her baby at 10 weeks pregnant. This is HER journey and HER feelings on how she and her husband Zak are navigating these times. We all hope that this allows people who are going through this season of life to know that you are not alone. And for those who have never experienced this kind of hurt and loss, there are unfortunately many in your life who are - so just be kind.