I remember the weeks and months after giving birth as being exhausting, doubtful and enchanted. Quite the mish-mash of emotion! Muscle development and attention to myself were the last things on my mind, and yet they should have been front and centre, because other people’s needs fall so much more easily into place when a Mom has inner and outer strength. Having a daily mentor to boost me up without judgment would have been magical! More than that, though, would have been being able to tap into this confidante at any time of day or night, while holding and playing with my baby. I was clearly missing Safe and Strong by Nordic Fit Mama.
Food allergies and sensitivities can be the underlying causes of many childhood illnesses and symptoms without parents even being aware. However, there are certain steps that can be taken to minimize, and in some cases even prevent, the onset of an allergic response.
Besides them happening super-fast (both under 5 hours) I had two perfectly ‘normal’ births. This term is relative, of course. While scary and new and a tad painful, it’s hard to imagine how my experience would have changed with just one complication. In contrast to my own, so many new mothers are unable to hold their babies right after birth. Many don’t get a chance to follow a carefully thought out birth plan. And thousands give birth, unexpectedly, to premature babies.
My kids are big and active, but it seems like not so long ago they were just babies. I listen to their excited voices talking about the holiday season and I remember before they could speak, when I would delight in holding them close and rocking them in my arms to help them off to sleep. Bedtime can still be challenging some days, but I remember how they felt in my arms, how their skin smelled, what it felt like to feel their chests expand and contract as they breathed deep in slumber. I recall looking at their perfect little faces and thinking, “I want to remember this.”
As parents, we experience an abundance of “firsts” while raising our children. As new guardians especially, the “firsts” seem to pile on top of one another so quickly that it feels like you are collecting winning tokens in an exciting new casino game. The first sonogram. The first time hearing baby’s heartbeat, first kick, and eventually the first trip to the hospital. Every moment is a milestone to be cherished.
These hip baby gifts will not only make the kid look cool, but mom and dad will seem like rockstars who are oh so cool and collected. Even if they are not. Because, well… baby.
It’s true. On the surface, I do look very much like your typical crunchy-granola attachment parent. I breastfeed, make my own baby food, buy organic, wear the babies, redirect rather than punish (or try, at least), and even do a little bed sharing. Letting my baby cry it out would be the last thing a mom like me would do.
You might assume I’d be one of those moms who pops up in your Facebook newsfeed, all sanctimommy in my choice of shares, doling out judgment and unsolicited advice—but you’d be wrong. You won’t find me mom-shaming anywhere. My philosophy is ‘we’re all in this together.’ And try as I might, living with my headstrong 3 ½ year old daughter leads to considerably more yelling and empty threats than I ever thought would be in my mommy wheelhouse.
We all know/love Aden + Anais for their delicious muslin swaddles, made famous by everyone—from just about every baby-toting celeb on the planet, to every mom in the know—but now they’re batting it out of the park again with their new muslin clothing line. With kimono tops, strategic snaps and covered zippers, I’m wishing they came in mommy sizes.
“Here should be a picture of my favorite apple.
It is also a nude & bottle.
It is also a landscape.
There are no such things as still lifes.” ~ Erica Jong
Dear Mr. Whitten,
You probably had no idea.
Spring is here, and with it the almost audible hum of energy that comes from children who have been cooped up inside too long. We all know the importance of limiting screen time, but did you know that letting a child experience nature can help alleviate anxiety, depression and attention disorders? The lure of laptops and tablets can make it hard to sell today’s children on the great outdoors. Sometimes they need a little help stimulating their imaginations. Here are seven books to do just that.