Jack, today is your first birthday. One year ago your daddy and I were on our way to Lutheran General Hospital so I could give birth to you. (You were in my tummy, but you decided it was time to come out!) At 8:05 p.m., when you finally took your first breath, we cried tearsContinue reading “The wonder of one”
A note to myself, before I became a mama
Jack’s first birthday falls at end of this month. The thought of this had me sobbing hard in bed last week while he slept peacefully in his room. (This seemed strangely ironic, given our sleep struggles.) Many of the courageous, creative mamas I follow have written notes to their pre-mom selves that IContinue reading “A note to myself, before I became a mama”
Highs, lows of 2017 + my 2018 intention
Happy New Year! As I write this, I’m hiding out in my bedroom while my husband entertains our 11-month-old. I have my laptop, my coffee, a cozy blanket and snuggly dog, and I’m feeling especially grateful to be indoors on this chilly day in the city. It’s heavenly. It’s been pretty quiet on this blogContinue reading “Highs, lows of 2017 + my 2018 intention”
Making peace with my post-baby body
It happened on a Tuesday morning. I stepped on the scale and it there it was, the number I’d been longing for—my pre-baby weight. Seven months had passed and finally all 50 (yes, 50…) pounds I’d gained via pregnancy were gone. This moment I’d built up in my head, this goal achieved felt strangely anticlimactic.Continue reading “Making peace with my post-baby body”
Six months and counting
One of my favorite authors, Gretchen Rubin, has this expression she often uses: “The days are long, but the years are short.” This idea has always resonated with me, but after six months as a new parent, it holds new meaning. Just a month ago my days began at 2 a.m. for a feeding andContinue reading “Six months and counting”
From boyfriend to husband to father
The fathers we know and love have back stories, lives that were once free of the weight of parenthood. Before bedtime routines and bottles of milk and early morning wake ups, there were probably more late nights out with friends, bottles of beer and lazy Saturday mornings spent sleeping in (the same could be saidContinue reading “From boyfriend to husband to father”
Motherhood is messy
It is 11 a.m. and I am laying on the floor of my newborn’s room, covered in a cold sweat. My teeth chatter as I wrap my oversized bathrobe tight around my body and watch my baby play. He is well but I am not. I am overtired and running a fever and the onlyContinue reading “Motherhood is messy”
Back on my mat
The studio is quiet, hot and dimly lit. Walking on tiptoes, I locate what seems to be one of the last open plots of space and unfurl my teal-colored mat to claim it. The flip of the mat hitting the ground feels weighty, and loud. I look around but no one else has noticed. IContinue reading “Back on my mat”
We gave up church for Lent
When our son was born in January, my husband and I, like many first-time parents, were so wrapped up in getting used to our new reality that we barely had time to eat or sleep or clean or think. Naturally many of our pre-baby commitments ended up tabled for a while – me, book club,Continue reading “We gave up church for Lent”
Why I’m being a little more selfish these days
It had been five weeks since our son was born, and I had a hair appointment with my favorite stylist coming up. I’d made it last December thinking this would be a good way to get myself out of the house. Glancing at the calendar that week, I remember thinking that it seemed rather ambitious toContinue reading “Why I’m being a little more selfish these days “
Erin Strybis 