At about this time last year, I would often wonder if I were doing something wrong with Claire. Yes, every new mother has her moments of doubt regarding childcare, but the type of worry that went through my mind was of a different sort — I was concerned because Claire was such a serious, intense baby. […]
Motherhood, Summed Up in a Dream
Last night, I dreamt that J and I were childless. We dined out often. We frequently entertained, hosting epic game nights just like we used to. We traveled to places we have always wanted to visit together, but never got a chance to: Mexico, Hawaii, France, Italy, Germany…even Hong Kong and Korea! (Yes, we have […]
T-Minus Two Weeks
One of my ex-boyfriends is just 15 months younger than his older sister. When we started dating, he told me how, shortly after he was born, his parents sent his sister to go live with the grandparents for a year because taking care of two very young kids — one of whom was extremely colicky […]
Claire’s First Trip to the Liberty Science Center
First children are bound to feel neglected and resentful at times when a younger sibling comes along. So far, Claire has been doing splendidly with the addition of Aerin into our lives, but there are moments here and there where I can see the sadness in her eyes when we are preoccupied with Aerin. 🙁 […]
Walking Without Support
I am happy to announce that, at 15 months of age, Claire has finally started walking. Let me rephrase that. She has finally started walking without support. Because she has been walking with one hand against the wall or along some furniture, or one hand holding someone’s hand, for over a month now. We all knew […]
The One Where I Felt Like I Was Poisoning My Baby
Last week, I wrote that breastfeeding Aerin was going splendidly. Well, this just goes to show that anything can happen in the wild, crazy journey we call motherhood, because I am no longer breastfeeding. So what happened? I had mentioned earlier that Aerin was suffering from 3 different types of skin ailments: eczema, baby acne, and […]
My Apparent Lack of Separation Anxiety
Most of the moms I know can’t bear to be apart from their children. They tell stories of the bucketfuls of tears that were shed the first time they left their babies with a sitter, nanny, or at a daycare. They talk about how they refuse to spend more than an x amount of time away from […]
The State of the Milk Factory
They say that it usually takes about six weeks to establish a good breastfeeding relationship. Aerin turned six weeks old today. And aside from a couple of bottles of formula in the first week of her life, we have been exclusively breastfeeding her (about 60% straight from the boob, and the rest from pumped milk). […]
The Green-Eyed Monster
Disclaimer: I love my children. I am not suffering from post-partum depression. I am well-aware that my current life circumstances all stem from choices I have made. I know that there are tons of families who would kill to have two healthy babies. But everyone needs a gripe session once in a while, don’t you agree? […]
Thirty-One
On the eve of my thirty-first birthday, I wished that Aerin would go to bed easily for the night and stay asleep for at least three hours. But her witching hour had seemed to shift forward by about 3 hours. For at around 9pm, she became a whiny, crying, cranky mess… And stayed that way […]