Back when I worked in the animal shelter, I encountered a new concept: sometimes, when someone who frequently fostered animals in their home reached out to see if they could foster another, we'd talk about their "Capacity for Care." Meaning--did that person have the time, space and energy to properly care for an additional responsibility? … Continue reading On Capacity for Care
Category: Kids and Parenting
On the Poignance of Pregnancy
To start, a disclaimer: I am not currently pregnant. I'm writing this post for a dear friend, who asked me to show her the lovely parts of pregnancy and childbirth, instead of just the hard parts, as they prepare to grow their family. I also want to be clear that pregnancy is 9 months of … Continue reading On the Poignance of Pregnancy
On Letting Yourself Go
This post was written in 2021, after our second child was born, and never published, but I figured it deserved to see the light of day. I'm aging. My skin is beginning to sag and wrinkle. The first lines of silver gleam against the dark brown of my hair. Of course, I've been aging my … Continue reading On Letting Yourself Go
On Foregoing a Nursery
Note: I wrote this post while pregnant with our first child, L. It's funny to look back on it years later, with three children sleeping upstairs and an overflowing toy bin in the next room. We've continued to try and be somewhat minimalist in our philosophy about stuff for kids, even while our lives are … Continue reading On Foregoing a Nursery
Cute things L says, May 2021
This kid's language is blossoming, and he cracks us up daily with the funny ways he puts concepts and words together. Some highlights: With my pregnancy, I've been extra exhausted lately, and as a result of picking up my slack, Jordan is also tired. It seems that L has noticed our fatigue. The other day … Continue reading Cute things L says, May 2021
No Particular Wisdom
(Written April 2021) Life feels very hard right now. Both on the small scale, and on the large scale. We're coming off of three days of little sleep, with a sick kid who has alternated between lethargic, screaming, and hyperactive. Linden had to go to the ER this weekend, and I couldn't come, because of … Continue reading No Particular Wisdom
Hollis and the twinkly lights
Tomorrow will mark one month since the newest member of our family, baby Hollis, was born. When Linden was born, we went simple--we packed our bags with the bare minimum, and forewent many of the items that were listed as necessary on the hospital bag lists that I found. This time around, we knew what … Continue reading Hollis and the twinkly lights
On Being Raised by Two Developmental Psychologists
When I was eighteen, my dad invented something called "slack leashing." Slack leashing is a sport involving one human, one dog, and a leash. You clip the leash on the dog like you're going to go for a walk, but instead of the human setting the pace, you have to allow the dog to set … Continue reading On Being Raised by Two Developmental Psychologists
On Being a Working Mom
My first weeks with L were blue skies and rainbows and sunshine. I loved everything about our life together under the roof of our little brick house--the midnight snuggles, wispy baby hair, long, lazy mornings all curled up in bed as a family. But there was a storm cloud looming on the horizon--I only had … Continue reading On Being a Working Mom
On Giving Birth
[Written about two weeks after L was born. Warning: this post is kinda graphic. Like mucus-plug graphic. Read at your own discretion] I’m sitting here with a snoring baby on my chest. He is warm and soft and heavy—the sort of soft, warm, heavy that is meant to be snuggled close. It’s one of the … Continue reading On Giving Birth