Dear Priya: The ugly truth about those bamboo childrens plates
Dear Priya from six months ago. You're currently scraping dried avocado out of the grooves of our dining room floor with a butter knife. Your son is screaming because his water is too wet. You're exhausted. I know you think...
The ultimate onesie romper debate and why baby clothes confuse me
I was exactly 34 weeks pregnant with Maya, standing in the baby aisle of Target wearing maternity leggings that smelled vaguely of stale coffee, holding a tiny mint green garment and legitimately crying. My phone was aggressively vibrating in my...
Surviving unique baby blanket crochet patterns and SIDS anxiety
I'm currently staring at a magnificent, sprawling web of pastel acrylic yarn that has somehow managed to completely mummify my daughter’s left foot. It’s 3:14 am, the rain is hammering against our London window, and I'm sweating profusely while trying...
Dear Past Jess: The Truth About That Perfect Babyglück Shirt
Dear Jess from six months ago. You're currently standing over the changing table in the guest room, sweating straight through your only clean nursing bra while desperately trying to peel a rigid, zero-stretch denim-look button-down over Leo’s abnormally large head....
Surviving Newborn Winter Clothes Without Freezing Your Baby
The wind was whipping off the Willamette River, cutting straight through my flannel shirt, and I was standing in the hospital parking lot sweating profusely. Sarah was sitting in the discharge wheelchair, vibrating with postpartum exhaustion, while I tried to...
Debugging the Playroom: An Honest Dad's Guide to Toy Wooden Toys
My mother-in-law was standing in our kitchen holding a neon plastic command center that apparently taught conversational Spanish through flashing LEDs, while my neighbor from the Portland farmer's market was actively telling me that anything other than raw, untreated birch...
Which Yarn For Baby Blankets Will Actually Let You Sleep
Dear Priya from six months ago. You're currently sitting on the floor of the nursery in your sweatpants. The Chicago radiator in the corner is making that rhythmic clanking noise, and you're sweating. You're surrounded by twelve different baby blankets...
Why suction bowls are actually about motor skills, not clean floors
I'm currently scraping dried avocado off the baseboard with a plastic pediatric tongue depressor I stole from my old hospital ward. People think the whole point of a suction bowl is to prevent this exact scenario. They assume it's just...
What Size Are Preemie Clothes: Former NICU Nurse Explains
You're standing in the fluorescent glare of the hospital gift shop, staring at a rack of doll-sized onesies. Your breast pump is humming quietly in a bag on your shoulder, vibrating against your ribs. You hold a standard newborn outfit...