MUSINGS ON LIFE AND WRITING WITH SARAH BUCKLEITNER
As a culture, we're obsessed with how much (...or how little) babies sleep. Babies who sleep a lot are pronounced good babies. Babies who wake frequently are thought of as difficult. And the first question new parents are asked--after divulging the weight, length and name of their new arrival--is "Are you sleeping?" Depending on your … Continue reading On Sweet, Sweet, Sleep
Being a parent is not what I expected. The word parent is so boring. So blasé. Commonplace, even. Before becoming one, I pictured ill fitting jeans, responsibility, and the exhaustion of serving up mundanity to my children day after live-long day. As far as words go, parent was the opposite of romance in my brain. It was … Continue reading On the Sweeping Emotions of Parenthood
When I was growing up, I loved to ask my parents questions about their lives. I was curious about everything: how they'd met. What adventures they'd gone on before we were born. If they knew they'd get married the first time they laid eyes on each other. Mostly, I was fascinated by their stories. But … Continue reading On the best day of my life
Right now I’m sitting at our kitchen table, and a baby is sitting on my lap, strapped to my chest by a carrier. He’s warm and soft and solid all at once, and his wispy hair tickles my chin--distracting me--as I type. We’ve been parents for over a month now, and I’m still trying to … Continue reading On Parenthood
From the time I was sixteen, I pictured having a daughter. Somehow it had never occurred to me that I might have a boy--it just didn’t seem like an option. Boys were for people who had brothers growing up. I have a sister. When I used to ask my mom whether she’d wanted girls or … Continue reading On Having a Boy
I’m sitting at our old wooden table right now. There are wine stains on it, and flour has been permanently scoured into its surface. The cats use its legs as scratching posts. This table had a generic start: in an Ikea store in Minneapolis, but over the years it has collected memories. I kneaded my … Continue reading On Minor Miracles
So last weekend Jordan and I got married. And it was amazing and perfect and better than I ever could've imagined. But, a baby cried during our ceremony. Curious about whether there was any folklore around crying babies at weddings (and suspecting the Google gods would tell me it signified fertility or some such), I … Continue reading On Crying Babies at Weddings
Feathery Thoughts 