My honest guide to receiving blankets versus swaddles at 2 AM
I was aggressively stuffing those white and pink-striped hospital blankets into my duffel bag while my husband stood by the door acting as a lookout. I was a pediatric nurse for five years before having my son. I knew exactly...
What I Wish I Knew Before Knitting With Bernat Baby Blanket Yarn
Dear Sarah from six months ago, You're currently standing in aisle four of the craft store. Itβs raining outside, youβre wearing those black leggings with the mystery yogurt stain on the left thigh, and you're staring blindly at a mountain...
The reality of personalized blankets with names for your baby
I was standing over a donation bin at three in the afternoon, aggressively stuffing a neon pink minky fleece throw into a plastic bag. It was a gift from a distant relative, given to me three months before my daughter...
That Viral Crochet Leaf Blanket Pattern: What No One Tells You
When I first decided I was going to make something beautiful for my third baby's nursery, the opinions came flying at me faster than a toddler hopped up on apple juice. My grandma told me to just use whatever cheap...
The Great Swaddle Blanket Debugging: A Letter to My Past Self
Dear Marcus from eleven months ago. You're currently balancing on one foot in the semi-darkness of the nursery, holding a screaming, flailing seven-pound human potato against your chest. You're desperately trying to pause a YouTube tutorial with your chin because...
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...
A Penguin With Blanket: Safe Sleep And Sanity For Exhausted Moms
I'm standing in the freezing nursery of our drafty Texas farmhouse at three in the morning, holding my oldest son, Jackson, who's screaming like an absolute banshee. I'm staring in sheer panic at this massive, incredibly thick fleece blanket I'd...
Surviving The 3 AM Meltdown Over A Missing Blanket With Foxes
I'm currently on all fours under the sofa, using my phone's torch to illuminate a terrifying graveyard of crushed Wotsits, a rogue piece of Lego, and a dummy that has been missing since last Tuesday. It's 3:14 in the morning....
The Brutal Truth About Fox Pelt Blankets in Your Baby's Nursery
When my mother-in-law's sister visited right after my daughter was born, she brought a genuine silver fox fur throw in a massive garment bag. She told me real pelts were the only way to keep winter babies properly insulated, citing...