Monthly Archives: June 2014

Top five unexpectedly good things about having babies close together

When Ruth was five months old, we found out we were pregnant with Rose. When Rose was about seven months old, we found out we were pregnant with Wren! Having children this close together is not for the faint of heart, but it does come with some unexpected perks. For example,

1) None of your baby stuff is in storage. That’s right! No need to send your husband up to the attic for all that baby junk that has been up there for a few years and worry about cleaning off the mold, dust and spiders. It is all still out! In fact, there is still a baby in it. Don’t get too comfortable in that exersaucer, baby. I’m counting on you learning to walk in the next few months. And soothe a newborn. read more

When are you going back to work?

I get asked this all the time. I usually stammer some awkward explanation about being on perpetual maternity leave because I feel like “I AM working, and when the kids grow up and leave the house, I will be enjoying my well-deserved retirement,” isn’t quite the answer they are looking for.

As an aside, I feel obligated to mention that if you are looking for a discussion on whether “working” moms or “stay at home” moms are better or have a harder life, then look elsewhere. I have never been a working mom, so I am not going to presume to speak on something about which I have no knowledge. read more

When mama is sick

I woke up with a fever of 102 racking my whole body. I staggered into the girls’ rooms to change their diapers and get them dressed. Putting out two bowls of Cheerios and two sippies of milk, I turned on Sesame Street and promptly (and accidentally) passed out on the couch.

I was awoken from sleep by a kiss. My eyes snapped open, horrified that I had fallen asleep. I was staring into Ruthie’s enormous eyes. “Mama, you sick?,” she inquired. “Yes, baby,” I answered. Before I could stop her, she planted another big kiss on my lips. “I make it all better, mama.” “Thank you, baby.”, I told her, realizing how the whole “kiss it and make it better” thing had really backfired on me from a hygienic standpoint. read more

How to survive three under three

I have three babes, all under three years old. I get a lot of comments like, “you are brave,” or “how do you do it?!,” or “I could never handle that.” It always puzzles me, because it really isn’t all that impossible. And “brave” is certainly not a word I would use to describe raising babies. Anne Frank was brave. Joan of Arc was brave. Martin Luther King, Jr. was brave. I’m just a woman with a lot of mysterious substances on my shirt and pants. read more

Why we should experience the moment instead of capturing it

I am writing this post more for myself than anyone else. I struggle with this daily. In the age of camera phones and social media, we have become obsessed with trying to document our lives and forget that sometimes we need to just put the phone down and experience the moment.

I am guilty of this with my children. As anyone who follows me on Instagram can attest, I take a ridiculous amount of photos of my children. If Wren starts calling my camera phone, “Mama,” I’ll know that I’ve gone too far. I know I’ll never regret documenting their childhood, but sometimes the camera can become too much of a distraction for me. I’m so focused on trying to capture that perfect photo that will be Pinterest worthy and get a million likes and comments on Instagram (still haven’t caught that white whale), that I neglect to just put the phone down and enjoy these moments with my children and take delight in every stage of their lives. read more

That time my humble blog post went viral

I have a very humble blog, which before I wrote this post had about four readers, one of which was my mother. But a few days after I wrote that post, my email inbox was flooded with notifications that people had commented on it. I was floored. I had no idea such a post would resonate with so many families. Apparently that lady in the elevator and I were very much not alone in having to bear rude and impertinent comments from (sometimes well-meaning) strangers about our very personal decisions regarding our families. read more

Why it is important to take our littles out in public

I realized the fatal flaw in the waitress’s placement of the girls’ booster chairs right next to each other when I witnessed Ruth’s hand shoot out to wave around in her sister’s face. Rose immediately emitted an ear splitting shriek that only children with older siblings know how to do. The eyes of the entire restaurant were on our table as I panicked and attempted to resolve the problem before the girls drew any more attention to us. Ruth, pleased that her hand waving had produced such a satisfactory response, waved her hand in front of Rose’s face again as I dived toward them to separate them. Too late! Rosie’s second shriek rent the air. The lady at the table next to us turned toward me and exclaimed, “God Almighty!” Tears welled up in my eyes as I picked Rosie up and took her outside to walk around. I felt as if the eyes of the entire restaurant followed me as we left the room in shame. read more