The contradictory truth about bambus decken and infant sleep
My mother-in-law told me I needed to wrap him in three layers of thick wool or he'd catch pneumonia in the middle of a Chicago July. The lactation consultant told me to use absolutely zero fabrics, stick to skin-to-skin only,...
Dear Past Marcus: Troubleshooting the Great Baby Mat Matrix
Row 47 of my "Baby Infrastructure" Google Sheet is where my sanity finally encountered a fatal error. It was 2:14 AM. The ambient temperature in the nursery was exactly 71.4 degrees, I had logged 11 wet diapers for the day,...
Wie groΓ sollte eine Babydecke sein? A dad's troubleshooting guide
The left rear wheel of the stroller locked up with a brutal clicking noise right in the middle of a crosswalk in Portlandβs Pearl District. It was raining, obviously, because we live in Oregon and taking an 11-month-old outside requires...
The Truth About the Toy Blanket (And Why Your Baby Needs One)
My older cousin stared at the graying, spit-up-stained square of muslin clutched in my toddler's fist and let out a long, theatrical sigh. We were at a family dinner, and she felt the need to inform me that letting my...
How a Simple Ribbed Onesie Saved My Sanity During a 3 AM Blowout
It's 3:14 AM on a Tuesday. I'm dealing with Diaper #284, and containment has been fully breached. The biohazard has traveled up my 11-month-old's spine, past his shoulder blades, and is currently threatening his neckline. I'm sweating through my t-shirt,...
Surviving The 3 AM Swaddle Breakout And Other Newborn Nightmares
The radiator in our Chicago apartment was clanking like a dying engine, and it was three in the morning. My son had somehow managed to free his left arm from his wrap and was currently punching himself in the face...
How a simple swaddle blanket saved my sanity with newborn twins
It's 3:14 in the morning on a Tuesday, and I'm standing in our minuscule London kitchen holding a square piece of fabric, desperately trying to remember the origami sequence the NHS midwife showed me a week ago while one of...
The Massive Infant Merino Lie That Cost Me Months of Sleep
It's precisely 3:14 am, and I'm standing in a dimly lit nursery holding what feels like a highly agitated, damp jacket potato. Maya, the twin who's currently screaming directly into my left ear canal, is wearing a polyester fleece sleep...
Why Our Family Bed Needed a Giant Organic Cotton Blanket
It was 3:14 AM on a random Tuesday, and I was pinned to the extreme left edge of my own mattress by a sweaty, aggressively kicking toddler foot. Maya was three at the time. My right arm was completely numb...