April seems impossibly far away in the dead of winter. As I spend my days walking to and from work in negative temperatures, trying to avoid slushy puddles and giant snowbanks while complaining about this city’s complete inability to make the roads passable, I can’t imagine that in a few short months I won’t be needing the…
Family Life
More Than I Can Handle
Monday morning. 7 am. I had already been up for an hour enjoying the only 60 minutes of my day that are entirely quiet, entirely alone, entirely mine. The previous night had been fraught with restlessness as we found ourselves awake and cleaning up toddler vomit. As the clock turned from six-fifty-nine to seven-oh-oh, I came…
Faces of a Family: Week 2: Sick Blessings
Fridays are tough for me. As the week draws to a close I find myself getting more and more exhausted and more and more ready for a break. I usually find myself trudging home tired and ready for the weekend to start. This past Friday was no exception. It was raining, my boots had all…
In the Delivery Room
I could talk about my childbirth experience all day long. It is probably the best story I have. It has everything a good story needs. Action. Conflict. Blood and Gore. Sweat and Tears. Pain. Hard Work. Agonizing Suspense. Climax. And finally, a perfect resolution. But if you’re thinking about having a baby any time soon,…
Decaffeinated
If you’ve been around me, either online or in person, for at least a year, you’d assume that I love coffee. And you’d mostly be right. I love the aroma of coffee. I love its warmth. I love its jolt in the morning and I love the mug it comes in. I love that taking a…
Faces of a Family: Week 1: My Baby
I am finding myself using the term “baby” quite often. This should be understandable considering I am pregnant and have absolutely no names picked out for my unborn child. But despite calling the little one growing inside of me “our baby”, I am actually using the term more and more when talking to my ever-growing…
The Big Reset
Last night, as we sat on the cusp of 2012, my husband asked me if this had been a good year. I teared up. There is one memory that hasn’t left me all year. One memory that was created exactly one year ago from last night. As the clock on 2010 started to run out,…
The Best Gift
I really wasn’t expecting much under the tree this year. Thankfully, I moved beyond worrying what I was receiving long ago when Christmas started to lose its magic for me. I realized that Christmas would always be disappointing until I learned to focus on the joy of giving and the blessing of those surrounding me….
What if Christmas: Embracing my Inner Grinch
Last year I shared how I would ideally like to teach my children about Santa. I grew up in an environment that focused on the birth of Christ, the gathering of family, and the kindness of Saint Nicholas. Santa was just a fun little game we played. I don’t ever remember believing in Santa Claus. I, of…
What I Have Gotten Myself Into
My daily commute consists of a trip on a ferry. This is a public transit, passenger ferry, so I walk to it and I walk off of it. Most* days I absolutely love it. I love watching the dawn turn to day against the cityscape. I love those fifteen minutes each morning and evening when…
Living Beats
Walking into the obstetrician’s office for the first time, I remember being so apprehensive. That step over the doctor’s threshold would confirm so much. A brand new life, yes, but also a completely changed life. A new phase that I was not wholly certain that I was ready for. I was 10 weeks, 3 days pregnant with…
