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baby showerbaby shower themesgift ideasgiftingparenthood
A dad staring confused at a blank baby shower card next to a coffee

Writing a Baby Shower Card When You Have No Idea What to Say

I was standing in the greeting card aisle at the local Portland Fred Meyer, holding a pastel yellow card featuring a deeply anatomically incorrect stork, completely paralyzed. I had solicited advice from three different people on what to write in...

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baby behaviorcommunicationfatherhoodfourth trimesternewbornsurvival
A tired dad looking at his swaddled newborn baby making a strange face.

What's That Supposed to Be About Baby? Decoding Newborn Quirks

I was holding my iPhone flashlight over my daughter's bassinet at 3:14 AM, trying to see if her tongue was vibrating. She was making this rapid-fire clicking sound that sounded exactly like a dying hard drive. I had my other...

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6-month-oldBabyfeedinghydrationinfant careparenting humour
Tired mother holding a silicone cup away from a reaching infant

When can babies have water: surviving the summer hydration wars

July in Chicago is a specific kind of swampy misery. Two years ago, the air conditioning unit in our third-floor apartment wheezed its last breath right in the middle of a heatwave. I was sweating through my nursing tank top,...

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milestonesmotherhoodpregnancy tipssurvival
Pregnant mom sitting on the couch waiting to feel baby move

When Can You Feel Baby Move? The Real Truth About First Kicks

I was seventeen weeks pregnant with my oldest, sitting in my Chevy Tahoe in the Target parking lot, aggressively jabbing myself in the stomach with two fingers. An app on my phone, which I really shouldn't have trusted to begin...

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baby behaviormilestonesmotherhoodorganic baby clothes
A mom looking exhausted holding a laughing six-month-old baby on an organic blanket.

The Honest Truth About When Do Babies Laugh (And Why I Stopped Trying)

It was 3:14 AM on a Tuesday, and I was standing in the middle of the nursery wearing a milk-stained nursing bra and sweatpants I hadn’t washed in a week, making aggressive, high-pitched monkey noises at my three-week-old son, Leo....

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baby healthdevelopmentearly developmentfourth trimesterinfant caremilestones
Baby practicing tripod sitting on an organic cotton playmat

When Do Babies Sit Up On Their Own? The Honest Truth

Last Tuesday, my mother-in-law told me I needed to prop my four-month-old in a corner with pillows or his spine would stay curved forever. The next day, a girl in my mom group swore her babie was doing unassisted crunches...

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90s nostalgiababy showerbaby shower themesorganic cottonParenting Guidetwin dad
A tired dad holding a wooden buffalo next to some Hundred Acre Wood decorations

The Accidental Winnie the Pooh Baby Shower Guide for Anxious Dads

Dear Tom from six months ago. You're currently hiding in the downstairs loo. I know this because I'm you, and I remember the exact texture of the bathmat you're presently sitting on while trying to escape the chaos of your...

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Babybudgetingearly developmentgearorganic cottonsafe sleep
Exhausted mom looking at a baby rocker chair in a messy living room

Surviving the Newborn Phase: The Real Deal on Baby Rockers

It was 3:14 PM on a Tuesday, and I was eating a cold, half-bitten Eggo waffle over the sink while my oldest, Leo, screamed like I was trying to sell him to the circus. He was exactly five weeks old,...

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6-month-oldbaby gearmotherhoodParenting Guidesafety tipstoddler
A messy minivan backseat with a booster seat and cracker crumbs everywhere

Figuring Out the Baby Booster Meaning Before You Lose Your Mind

It was 8:14 on a Tuesday morning, I was wearing my husband Dave's faded college sweatshirt that smelled faintly of stale Cheerios, and my third cup of coffee was already cold. I was sitting at the kitchen island filling out...

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