Infants

My almost 10 month old has crazy hair. Crazy adorable hair. Crazy long, gets-stuck-in-the-bib-velcro hair. It curls just a bit in the back, and sometimes sticks out on either side of his head. And most strangers think he is a girl. They swing by with their grocery carts, stop, and say, “What a happy baby! How old is she?” Sometimes I don’t even bother correcting them. When I do correct them, they apologize profusely and say, “He is a pretty boy! He’s going to break some hearts one day!” Honestly, it doesn't bother me that people think he’s a girl. You can’t really tell at this age. Babies look like babies. But, it has started to annoy my husband. (I...

I could probably write about a hundred posts about lessons I have learned since my son was born over 9 months ago, but one has stuck out in my mind lately: I’ve learned to say “No” without guilt. Well, without much guilt anyway. Being a well-raised Southern girl, my first inclination whenever I get an invitation, or a request to do something, is to say yes. I get it from my mother. I am a people-pleaser and hate feeling like I have let anyone down. It drives me crazy. For my whole adult life, my inclination has been to always agree to as much as possible. Generally, I think this is a good policy. I miss out on less and...

I'm a researcher and planner by nature. I genuinely enjoy it! I like being prepared and informed and knowing as much as I can before something comes my way. So of course when I found I was pregnant, it was ON. I consumed every article and blog post I could get my hands on like a crazy person. "How to Survive Your First Trimester" turned into "Breastfeeding Basics" and then to "What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag" and "What You Need to Know About Labor & Delivery". I was ready and waiting for labor. I knew that there were things I couldn't prepare for, but I honestly felt like there wasn't much that was going to be able...

Every mom knows that mornings + kids = organized (sometimes) chaos. Today, several of our contributors give you a peek into their morning routines. Kristen: I am not good at mornings. At the getting out of bed part that is. I usually have to be forced by either my husband or my son. And while our mornings are never really the same, we have found something of a routine. Our alarm goes off at 5, but we snooze until 5:30—unless our other alarm has gone off and is crying (which is usually between 5 and 6 am).  I get out of bed, put on my robe, and head to Sam’s room.  My husband gets up, feeds the dog and cats, and takes a shower....

While I was pregnant with my now almost-9-month-old son, William, I of course had lots of expectations for what life would be like once he arrived, but I really think that you can’t truly know what it’s like to have a new baby until you experience it. Many of my fellow bloggers have either recently had babies or are currently expecting, and that has me thinking about my own experiences when my son was born. I sat down recently and made a list of some things that I will remember most about being a brand-new mom. Everyone’s experience is different, and these are a few things that I will remember about having my first baby: There was a lot of...