A Mom's Life

I love spring cleaning. No, not the spring cleaning that involves washing windows, scrubbing the crisper in the refrigerator or raking the lawn. I like cleaning out closets and reorganizing stuff. One of my favorite places to shop is the Container Store. I could walk up and down the aisles for hours, browsing and drooling over the multitude of storage options. I'll confess that more than one indulgent summer afternoon has been spent swinging in the hammock, flipping through a Pottery Barn magazine, imagining what I would put in the wicker baskets and canvas boxes or thinking about what note I might write on the chalkboard kitchen storage organizer. Oh, how much lovelier my belongings would be if only they were nicely and neatly organized in color coordinated, easy to tote but sturdy enough to be furniture, storage containers. If I'm having a stressful day I find that at the root of the problem is an area of the house that needs to be organized. While daunting at first, th...

If I found a bottle and in it happened to be a genie, my first wish would be for Andy to experience pregnancy and childbirth. The first time around I credited ignorance for Andy's inability to empathize with me. How or why would anyone understand the trials and tribulations of creating and growing a human if you've never been around a pregnant woman or been one yourself? While Andy can now speak volumes about being a witness to childbirth and an active member of a parenting team, unfortunately, he still has absolutely no clue what it is like to "take the ball and run with it" when it comes to the nine months leading up to a baby's birth. I always say that a couple can talk all they want about when is the right time to have a baby but come on, the woman has the power to seal the deal and with that power starts the hard work. She really decides (or her body decides) when the magic moment should occur. The poor, naive man spends maybe five minutes doing his part an...

There are many preparations to be made when a family is expecting its first baby. There's all the reading that must be done like What to Expect When Expecting, the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and The Expectant Dad's Guide to Pregnancy. There are the websites to sign up for to track the growth of mom and baby and to compare the size of the baby to various vegetables. There are the monthly, then bi-weekly, visits to the doctor or midwife that must be attended by the couple. There are ultrasounds and glucose tests and genetic tests and parenting, labor and breastfeeding classes. Lamaze, yoga and prenatal massage are all options that become requirements as not to miss out on anything that might later impact the birth of the baby. And let's not forget the shopping! Hours must be spent online or in-store searching Babies 'R Us for the perfect matching crib, changing table and glider. Websites must be consulted to determine the safest and cutest stroller/car seat combo ...