When Cordy was born, friends and relatives were all too eager to come visit and see the new addition. In fact, people we hadn't seen in years suddenly showed up on our doorstep, wanting to see the baby, and sometimes offering us their help. The help was especially appreciated. Some offered to help with household chores, some brought food, and some were there simply as emotional support.

What I remember most about that time was that we were rarely alone.… Read More

She took her time, but I'm happy to announce that baby #2 is here, and she now has a name! Miranda Ann ("Mira") was born Sunday, May 27 via a successful VBAC.

I went into labor Saturday night, after a long walk downtown and a spicy dinner. Around 7pm, I noticed the light contractions I was having were coming regularly, and so I started timing them. Two hours later, I called my doula and told her I thought I was in labor.… Read More

Before Cordy, my "kids" were my cats. I've had cats most of my life, and one of the first things I did after getting my own place after college was adopt two kittens of my very own. When one of them suddenly passed away at four years old from a genetic condition, I mourned his loss as hard as if he had been a human child.

During my pregnancy with Cordy, I was worried about how the cats would interact… Read More

My due date was on Monday, and yet, you'll notice there have been no posts announcing the arrival of the new baby. No, we're still waiting on her to decide it's time to grace us with her presence.

I thought the first nine months were a long time, but once you go past your due date, each day feels like forever. (And who are they kidding with "nine months" anyway? 40 weeks = 10 months) You hang on each and every… Read More

Yesterday we made the decision to force Cordy out of her crib. Choosing the gentler approach, versus just removing it from her room altogether, we removed the drop rail and installed the toddler guard rail in its place. Sure, it looks a little different, but it's the same old crib, right? We thought it would be a good transition step to giving up the crib for her beautiful toddler bed.

However, bedtime wasn't as easy as I hoped it might… Read More

This evening we decided to go out for dinner at CiCi's Pizza. For those who don't know of CiCi's, it's an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet, complete with salad, a dozen different kinds of pizza to choose from, and even dessert pizzas to round out the meal. It's very much a family restaurant, and on a Saturday night it's usually busy.

As expected, it was crowded when we got there. What we didn't expect was for Cordy to decide as we got to… Read More