Navigating infant developmental timelines without losing your mind
We were sitting around a cramped dining table in Rogers Park when the unsolicited advice started rolling in. My mother-in-law casually mentioned that my husband was walking independently at nine months, heavily implying my ten-month-old was somehow defective for still...
A Letter To Myself About The Baby Humidifier Situation
Dear Jess of last November. You're currently standing in the baby aisle of Target at two in the morning, staring bleary-eyed at a wall of plastic water-blowing machines while your four-month-old sounds like a tiny, asthmatic pug in the shopping...
The messy, entirely sleepless reality of baby growth spurts today
My mother-in-law was entirely convinced he was cold. My neighbor looked over the fence and diagnosed him with early teething. The lactation consultant at the clinic told me my milk supply was probably dipping and I just needed to eat...
What I Learned Googling the Rosemary's Baby Cast Late at Night
It was 2:14 AM, the exact ambient temperature of our Portland living room was 64.2 degrees according to my heavily customized smart home dashboard, and my 11-month-old was finally asleep on my chest after what felt like a critical firmware...
The reality of raising a newborn and a kitten at the same time
There we were at three in the morning. My newborn daughter was asleep in her bassinet, her mouth hanging open like a tiny, toothless baby catfish. I was half-asleep in the glider, holding a cold cup of tea. Then a...
The Reality Of The Baby Box Trend (Cardboard Beds To Alarms)
I once had a first-time mother in the maternity ward ask me if she should throw out her expensive solid wood crib because a parenting blog told her infants only thrive in cardboard boxes. She was holding a beautifully printed...
Dear Past Priya: The Truth About the Diddy Baby Oil Situation
You're standing in aisle fourteen of the Belmont Target right now. Your toddler is actively trying to consume a cardboard price tag she peeled off the shelf. You're holding a familiar pink bottle of mineral oil because you thought it...
Baby Crying: The Absolute Truth About Fussy Newborns
I'm just gonna be real with you: my oldest sonβs newborn phase is the reason I've a permanent stress-induced twitch in my left eye. I vividly remember standing in my dark pantry at two o'clock in the morning, aggressively rocking...
The Completely Honest Survival Guide to Your First Baby Bath
I was sitting on the freezing cold hex tiles of our master bathroom, wearing a nursing bra that smelled strongly of sour milk, crying. It was 2017, Leo was exactly eight days old, and my husband Dave was holding him...