Emily
Breastfeeding and The Sweetness of Second Chances
Getting pregnant is one of those life events that sets a lot of other things into motion, whether you like it or not. A lot of these things are obvious: you anticipate the purchase...
Motherhood and the Illusion of Balance
Last week, I got home from work after an overnight shift to learn that my daughter had thrown up just a few minutes prior. The nanny filled me in on all the details, and...
Parenthood: An Exercise in Humility
When we finally got our first kid sleeping through the night, we basically felt like parenting experts. We had read books together and followed them religiously. And it had worked. The night before we...
Ode to an Uptight Mom
From where you sit, the afternoon light beams in, pleasantly illuminating the flowers on your dining room table. Then your gaze drifts down to the floor, where tufts of dog hair catch the light...
Here’s to Strong Women: Timely Thoughts on Raising a Girl
When I learned my first baby would be a girl, I was nervous. Years of ups and downs in my relationship with my mother had left me with a great deal of apprehension about...
6 Life Hacks for a New Year
Welcome to another brand new year. This season is ripe with reflection and resolutions. Everyone I know is eager to wipe the slate clean and begin again with renewed vigor. Gyms are packed. Calendars...
The Empty Seat at the Table: Navigating Grief and the Holidays
Through the years we all will be together, if the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now
No matter where life took me, I always managed...
The Aroma of a Memory: Apple Crumb Pie
Like most basic white girls, I eagerly await the advent of fall. The crispness in the air is positively life-giving after a long, sticky summer. Everything feels fresh and new, which is the epitome...
Deploying as a Mom
It started with a boo-boo. She face-planted off a Costco bottle of laundry detergent. Blood oozed from her lip and tears poured from her eyes as she buried her face in my neck. At...
Learning to Juggle by Dropping the Ball
Our exchange started out innocently enough. The nanny was asking about a tiny detail in our baby’s morning routine; my husband had given her slightly different information than I had. She was asking for...
Impossible: A Tale of Going Back to Work
By some miracle, the house is quiet. My daughter sleeps hard as the shades in her windows block out the afternoon sun. In the room next door, I hold my son close, dancing him...