to top

Missing My First Baby

Despite my protests, I became outnumbered by J and my parents. According to J, he does not have the energy to take care of me, the baby, and a dog. According to my parents, a dog will only bring added stress to our new life as parents. As a result, Comang has been staying at my parents' since Claire's birth and will stay there for at least another few weeks. My sister is back in NY for the year, so Comang has a friend — my sister's dog Dante — to keep him company. I know that he is probably happier there than in our cramped apartment with a new baby and J's parents visiting daily (they do not like dogs much)....

Continue reading

Motherhood: The Most Difficult Journey Yet (Part 3)

Motherhood: The Most Difficult Journey Yet (Part 1) Motherhood: The Most Difficult Journey Yet (Part 2) Before I begin, I wanted to thank everyone for the supportive and helpful comments and advice. It really is encouraging to know that I'm not the only one who feels this way. At the same time, I couldn't help but notice that not one person has stepped in to say, "It's okay to formula-feed. Not breastfeeding your child does not make you a bad mother." Isn't it funny the tremendous pressure and guilt-trips put on new mothers these days to breastfeed? There is a whole generation of people who were formula-fed, and they seem to be doing fine. I personally know many babies, children, and adults who were...

Continue reading

Guest Post: Geeky Halloween Costumes for Babies

I had considered dressing Claire in a fun geeky costume this year for Halloween (this Yoda costume comes to mind) but a newborn who can't even support her own head takes some of the fun out of the process. Luckily, Stephanie came to the rescue — last time, she enthralled us with geeky Halloween costumes and she returns today with geeky Halloween costumes for babies. The only problem that remains is which costume to choose! With a new geek coming into the world (plus at least 3 babies among my friends and family) I thought that a collection of sweet and/or awesome baby and toddler costumes would be fitting. Though you could take the Martha Stewart route and turn your baby into some sort...

Continue reading

Guest Post: Walking a Fine Line

I've found that most of my readers, or at least the ones who comment regularly, tend to be women. As such, I was THRILLED to receive an email from Nick who expressed interest in submitting a couple of guest posts. Even better, Nick is an extremely talented writer (just check out his bio — wow!) whose blog I find thoroughly entertaining and subscribed to almost immediately. Here, Nick writes about his new role in life as a new dad and the ever-changing relationship he experiences with his 4-month-old daughter. (And I would be lying if I were to say that it didn't bring a tear to my eyes.) Enjoy! There is a fine line to walk with this little girl of mine. Abby...

Continue reading

Motherhood: The Most Difficult Journey Yet (Part 2)

Motherhood: The Most Difficult Journey Yet (Part 1) Breastfeeding. I always knew I wanted to breastfeed. "Babies are born to be breastfed," La Leche League tells us. Breastmilk is chock-full of nutrients and antibodies that can't be replicated with formula. It is linked to less health problems for the baby later in life. It helps the mother bond with the baby, ward off post-partum depression, and even assists in post-partum weight loss. It is free. It is natural. Breast is best. Breastfeeding came naturally and relatively easy to my mother, and since so many of my pregnancy symptoms had mimicked hers — in addition to the fact that I have her body type — I had figured that it would come easily to me...

Continue reading