When does babyhood end and toddlerhood begin? It’s a question I find myself asking a lot lately as our daughter defiantly dumps her yogurt on the floor, issues a declarative chorus of “no, no, no,” and attempts to open the door to make a break for her sandbox. The markers of babyhood are still all […]
Toddling Toward a Cusp Read More »
Somehow it happened: our baby turned one. Which is also to say that my husband and I survived our first year of parenting. And what a year it was. So much has happened since February 2025, when our daughter’s challenging birth landed us in the Dartmouth-Hitchcock NICU. The three of us weren’t together in those
Happy birthday, baby! Read More »
I’ve always liked the cheerful chaos that children’s toys introduce into a space. But lately, it feels like my daughter’s toys are taking over. Her playpen, strewn with stuffed animals and stacking rings and teethers and colorful scarves and god knows what else, has taken over our entire living room. When I climbed into bed
Before I had a baby, I’d scoff when people would tell me how disregulated their kids were after the holidays. These routine-bound parents struck me as rigid and uptight. Everybody deserves a little fun, right? Extra treats, running wild with cousins, playing fast and loose with bedtime – it seemed like the frothy good stuff,
The holidays are chaos Read More »
A couple weeks ago, we took our baby to the pediatrician for her nine month check-up. It was a routine exam: height and weight, peering into the baby’s mouth and nose. Our daughter, who is the type of kid who likes to show off her new tricks, decided it was the perfect moment to debut
A round of applause Read More »
When our daughter started saying “dada” before “mama,” I told myself I wouldn’t get worked up about it. Language acquisition is a moving thing. Her dad, who does the hard work of watching her every day while I’m at the office, deserved a win. “Mama” would eventually come, right? Well, maybe. Our chatty baby has
Baby’s first word: Dada, of course Read More »
One of the many things I did not anticipate about parenthood is how much time I would spend sorting through clothes. Kids, of course, grow. I knew that. But I didn’t realize it would mean pawing through my daughter’s dresser drawers every month or two, evaluating what still fits and what’s still in season. I
Last weekend, I decided to take the baby to Burlington. It was a glorious September day, warm and breezy. Several weeks prior, a friend of mine had dropped off some high-ticket hand-me-downs for us – a stroller, swing and baby hiking backpack – at another friend’s house. I was itching to get hold of this
Somewhere around 5.5 months, our baby started lunging for the food on our plates. She’d watch us eat and start to salivate. Was she ready to try real food? We decided she was. My husband and I were both spoon-fed baby food from jars. He was a picky eater; my mother recalls a period when
