Wherever you are, it is dark. That is the first criterion. It is dark, and, with any luck, it is quiet. Because this is the Wind-Down Time. Usually, you are at home, in your baby's room, or in your room; but sometimes, you are in your in-laws' study, or your sister's guest room, or your college buddy's bathroom (in the worst-case scenario, and obviously not speaking from experience, of course). In any case, the time has come for your child to Wind Down, so you find or create a quiet space to rock and soothe and see it through. If your baby is nursing, the breast does the work. If ... [READ MORE]
Finding the Center
September 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment
"Mommy," LittleMan said as we walked hand-in-hand from his school building the other day, rush hour traffic swirling all around, "I am just letting you know that I am going to be quiet for a few minutes now, because I'm feeling sort of tired. Quiet means you don't talk. Then when we get where we're going, I'll feel refreshed." "That sounds nice," I agreed. "I'll be quiet for a few minutes too." So we walked, and quietly watched the world trying to get home, by foot or bus or train or car, while the Bay Bridge traffic mounted and the Giants fans plowed towards the ballpark and the 5 ... [READ MORE]
Cold Beer & Conversation
June 20, 2012 by 1 Comment
If you are late to the Less on the Floor party, I might as well reiterate that Babyman is somewhat challenged in the falling asleep department. This means, almost four years in, that Babyman's parents (me being one of them) are somewhat challenged in the sanity department. You know that internet-sensation book, Go the F--- to Sleep, that everyone thought was SO FUNNY last year? I own that book in hardcover. I read it for solace. I take it as a sign from above that my husband and I are not alone on the barren desert of bedtime. Somewhere, not that long ago, someone else felt the way we ... [READ MORE]
Ladies Who Lunch
June 8, 2012 by 1 Comment
I thought last summer was the summer for babies, since half the women I know were pregnant (including me). But history appears to be repeating itself, as this summer the other half of the women I know are pregnant (and the first half have small babies, meaning no one -- but no one -- goes out for happy hour anymore. Boo.). The thing about knowing a lot of pregnant gals is that you find yourself attending a lot of baby showers. These take many forms. There are the ladies' only baby showers, often given by sisters or moms or aunts, where there is iced tea and a light salad lunch and ... [READ MORE]
Back on the Train Gang
March 7, 2012 by 1 Comment
I don't know if I've mentioned on this blog that for the past year or so my husband and I have been trying to cook about 2 vegetarian dinners a week -- our little version of Meatless Mondays. The CSA was the main inspiration behind this: we already have these great ingredients coming in, so let's make the most of them. Good for our health, good for our budget and all that. There have been some great successes, and some colossal failures. Honestly, I think my poor husband sort of dreads these nights because we don't always know what we're going to get. But still I persevere. My ... [READ MORE]
On Sleep, or the Absence Thereof
January 20, 2012 by 1 Comment
Babygirl woke up not quite crying at 2am last night (this morning?). She is nearly five months old and rarely wakes up in the night anymore, so we are always sort of indecisive on how to deal with it. (I should mention at this point that we are CIO people. It works for us. But it's not everyone's thing. I get it.) So last night we lay in bed and listened to the crackle of the baby monitor as she rolled around in her crib and debated just how badly she wanted us. You parents know the sound: whimper whimper...pause...whimper CRY! whimper...pause...CRY!...CRY!...whimper...silence. And ... [READ MORE]
The Babes and the Boobs
October 3, 2011 by 1 Comment
As mentioned in my previous posts, shortly before midnight on August 28th, my husband and I welcomed a daughter into our family. We had kept the gender a surprise and were both prepared for another boy, so when she emerged a little girl there was much joyful weeping and disbelief, followed shortly by a staggering parade of pink cotton clothing. YAY! She is, of course, perfect. Round head, little nose, all those tiny fingers and toes...and the simple fact that every night since her first at home she has slept at least one 5-6 hour stretch has us convinced that she is, in fact, made of ... [READ MORE]
