Magazine

Marcus looking confused at a basal body thermometer while holding a tiny bamboo blanket

Decoding the Spirit Baby: A Tech Dad's Unscientific Parenting Pivot

The smoke alarm in our Portland apartment started screaming at exactly 9:14 PM on a Tuesday, completely interrupting my attempt to build a predictive Python script for my wife’s basal body temperature. I leaped over the coffee table, ripped the...

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A messy toddler eating shredded smoked pork ribs on a bamboo blanket in the grass.

Toddlers and Smoked Baby Back Ribs: My Messy Survival Guide

It was the Fourth of July, 2021, and I was wearing a white linen Zara sundress because I'm apparently an idiot who likes to tempt fate. Leo was just barely fourteen months old, sitting in his high chair on the...

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A vintage plush dodo bird sitting safely on a high nursery shelf away from the baby crib

Why You Should Never Put a september 25th beanie baby in a Crib

It was 2017, it was roughly 3:14 in the morning, and I was wearing Dave’s old college track sweatshirt that had a mysterious, permanent yogurt stain right on the collar. Maya wasn't even a thought yet, and Leo was exactly...

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Pediatric nurse Priya organizing an emergency infant go-bag with baby carrier and helmets

What Is A Tornado Baby Medical Truth I Wish I Knew

You're sitting in the windowless interior hallway of our Chicago apartment right now, sweating through a t-shirt while the sirens blare outside. The dog is pacing, the power is flickering, and you're frantically scrolling through your phone trying to figure...

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Messy baby crib with a single safe sleep sack instead of loose blankets

When Is It Safe to Give Your Baby a Blanket?

I was exactly three weeks into this whole motherhood gig when I almost gave myself a heart attack. My oldest son, Carterβ€”who exists mostly now as a walking cautionary tale for everything I did wrong as a first-time momβ€”was born...

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A baby laying on a playmat reaching for their bare toes

When Do Babies Discover Their Feet: A Letter to My Anxious Self

Dear Priya from six months ago. You're sitting on the nursery rug at 3 AM. The glow of the humidifier is casting weird shadows on the wall, and your kid is lying flat on his back, staring at the ceiling...

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Tired mother practicing front cross carry with a woven baby wrap and a stuffed bear in her living room

How to survive a woven baby wrap without losing your mind

I was standing in the hallway at two in the morning. Maya was screaming the kind of red-faced scream that sets off your fight or flight response. I was holding a five-meter strip of linen like it was a giant...

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Toddler in a dragon costume surrounded by wooden blocks and plush toys in a messy living room

When Baby Dragon Saves the Dukedom: Surviving the Fantasy Stage

Listen, trying to negotiate with a toddler who has currently identified as a mythical fire-breathing reptile is a rookie mistake. I know this because I spent three full days last week trying to apply clinical logic to my two-year-old's sudden...

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A tiny silicone open cup sitting on a messy high chair tray next to spilled water.

The Great Sippy Cup Betrayal: Finding A Safe Baby Cup That Works

I was sitting on my sister's beige sofaβ€”and really, who buys a beige sofa when they've a toddler and a dog?β€”at Thanksgiving a few years ago when the great cup wars began. I was holding Leo, who was exactly six...

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