Strangers say a lot of weird stuff to you when you’re a mom of young kids. Actually it starts when you’re pregnant, the license of all people everywhere to comment freely on your size, your birth plan, your future parenting strategies. What?! You’re knocked up and no STRATEGIES?! Well, girlfriend, no sweat, it’s all grand, because that odd man in Nordstrom will give you some. ... View Post
It’s Time to Talk about Baby Weight
This picture is dear to my heart. It’s my last moment with Emerson as only a mama to her. Minutes later, Doug picked me up and we jammed to the hospital where we’d soon welcome little Hadley. Here I am telling my firstborn daughter how much I love her. How she’ll always be the one and only baby who made me a mama. How things were about to change, in a REALLY big way, but that she didn’t have to worry because there ... View Post
An Easter Post: The Valley of NO’s
What’s not to love about Easter? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t giddy about the festive traditions we’ll live out this weekend: the fancy outfits, outdoor church service, extravagant brunch, Easter egg hunt, and new bedazzled baskets I recently purchased for Emerson and her coming sister. All that stuff’s GOOD; so good! But clearly, it’s not the point. It’s simply our way of celebrating the biggest day in all of ... View Post
Almond Joy
It’s amazing how we can plot out a day to the last detail only to have our plans utterly wrecked by the smallest incident. A flat tire, a phone call, a detour. Oh, your two-year-old aspirating an almond. Tuesday, last week, was supposed to be totally fabulous. Some of my life goals are more selfless and substantial than others, and let’s just say eight days ago was supposed to be one BIG SHAMELESS CHECK off my ... View Post
Dads Will Be Dads (If We Let Them)
Last Saturday, at that magical time of evening when the ocean just starts to pull down on the sun, Doug and I thought it would be fun to take Emerson walking around Balboa Island. We LOVE Balboa Island, and I was feeling the need to exercise. This baby weight: DANG. This baby weight. And so we did. We walked and talked and laughed along the boardwalk lined with the dreamiest houses, our daughter nestled in the BOB ... View Post
Happy New Year: Casting, Reflecting & Reading
To be honest, I never used to care much for New Year’s. For me it ranked low on the list of holidays. The sparkles and cheers and midnight kisses were fun, I supposed, but the night often felt a little anticlimactic, forced. A sad follow-up to the BEST holiday only one week before; the cruel reminder that returning to school or work was just around the corner after a glorious break; a calendar date that made me feel ... View Post