And So It Was Blogged (14/52)

To say that I am excited about what’s coming down the line from Ms. Mary Mack is nothing but understatement. Fingers crossed, knocking wood, tossing salt over my shoulder (and whatever other random thing one does to court “luck”),  we’ll be debuting something new very, very soon.

Can’t wait to hear what you think!

In the meantime, let’s settle into something old and familiar: the Best of the Blogs from this week.

• This made me laugh. Blogger moves from the buzz of Brooklyn to the lull of the suburbs and makes news: Local Family Eats Breakfast at Kitchen Table.
• In his new book about happiness, parenthood and kids, economist Bryan Caplan tells it like it is: parents are actually happier than they think, as long as they follow a few key guidelines.
• The Mother Company tackles a rather prickly subject, one that most of parents don’t know how to address: When You Don’t Like Your Child
• While some of us are trying to decide how many kids we want to have, a new study has come up with not only the “right” number of children, but also the gender that will bring the most harmony to your family. Hint: Break out the pink dresses.
• As the antiquated saying goes, Happy wife, happy life. But now a new study out of the UK is saying, Happy Mama, no family drama.
• Working Mother‘s slideshow highlights the most powerful moms on TV. (We’re talking real women, mainly journalists. So, unfortunately, Clair Huxtable isn’t on the list.)
• WSJ‘s fantastic blog, The Juggle, had a few solid posts this week: One on how to make work-life balance work (basically, if it’s not working, it’s kind of your fault); this one about men believing that their “career potential” grows along with their family, while women see the window on their job opps closing as they have more kids; and then this piece on how much sleep you really need. The post links back to a WSJ health story about “short sleepers“<—When you read about these people, you will feel a wave of envy hit like a brick. Just let it happen.
• Hey, looking for a deal on a stroller? How about this one from Bugaboo for—wait for it—$1,500? Well, it is a double-stroller, folks.
• One Hungry Mama shares the disappointing news about the FDA and food dye.
• A Today Show senior producer demonstrates what we parents already know: We’re just minding the parrots. Cute, sweet, repeat-everything parrots.

That’s about it, friends. We’ll see you next week, yes? Have a good one.

And So It Was Blogged (8/52)

Just when we thought we were out of the winter woods, it pulls us back in. Back to Square One, it seems. Despite the ice and slush and cold of this last snow storm here in the Tri-State, it was rather pretty.

Unfortunately, now the white, fluffy snow is half-melted, dirty and only partially covering an awful number of dog “presents.” Nice while it lasted, right? On to new things … like the Best of the Blogs from this week:

• The NYT‘s Book Review just introduced a new online-only, weekly review of children’s picture books. (Wonder if this means QB will be “reading” the newspapers now too.)
• Speaking of books, Cool Mom Picks highlights a good one for the new parent: One Year to an Organized Life with Baby. It’s a week-to-week guide to help parents (actually it kicks off before le bébé even arrives)  calm down, organize and get to that un-stressed out/un-freaked out space they’ve heard about in folktales. This way they can have a “more enjoyable experience of being pregnant, bringing home an infant and raising a baby.”
• The wise Lisa Belkin has a solid piece in the NYT’s Magazine about mom bloggers—successful ones, making bank. She does this by talking primarily to the queens of the game: Heather B. Armstrong (Dooce.com) and Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman).
• In her WSJ opinion piece, Free-Range Kids‘ Lenore Skenazy looks at how parents have stripped the fun away from children’s toys. “Remember when a ball was just a ball,” she asks, “and not a tactile stimulating sensory aid?” Ha!
• On The Young Mommy Life, this guest post is called: “I Hate Being A Stay-at-Home Mom” No spoiler alert necessary there. Have a read through some of the comments, too. Very supportive. The post really seemed to hit home with many.
• ParentDish has a quick interview with funny mummy (and Canadian!) Samantha Bee from The Daily Show, talking about life, her childhood and raising three kids under the age of 5. I particularly like her answer to the usual “how do you it” question.
• Lordy. Here comes more stuff for the “Are You For Real?” file: TLC has a new “reality” show called Outrageous Kid Parties. It’s people spending crazy cash—obscene, wedding/new car amounts—on their child’s birthday party. One woman threw away $32,000 on her six (I said SIX)-year-old’s party.
• You don’t have to convince me that the American maternity/parental leave is lacking. (Canada gets a full year’s mat leave.) But HuffPo delves into the case anyway.
• The Juggle, the WSJ‘s smart blog for folks trying to balance work and family, looks at the dilemma of Business Travel While Breastfeeding.

And So It Was Blogged (6/52)

Two years ago today, I was walking (albeit slowly) around a baby store in New York City with my mother. She had flown in from Florida earlier that day and we were trying to pick up a few last-minute things. My baby, the little peanut, was on his way into the world!

Although my doctor pegged my due date for February 16, a Monday, the idea that we were mere days away from meeting this darling boy had not settled in my brain yet. It—becoming an actual mother—was just floating around between my imagination and dreams.

That night, after half-way watching Lost and a segment or two of Top Chef, I felt it: a contraction. It felt like a strong cramp, so I tried to breathe through it. Then more came, this time the squeeze-pull-push of it all was more vigorous. It was the wee hours of the morning now, and we put a call in to the doctor.

“I think this might be labor but—” and then I couldn’t say another word. The pain was too intense.

My doctor finished my sentence for me. “Yes, this sounds like labor,” she said with a chuckle. “Make your way to the hospital and I’ll see you there.”

So we did. And she did.

Then, almost a full day after I stood staring up at a wide display of onesies at the store, we met him. Quinn. Our Quinn. It was 1:42 p.m., February 12, 2009. And I, even after endured an emergency C-section, was falling in love with a little baby boy.

Happy Second Birthday, QB. I love you more than any letters could ever spell. You are magnificent. (And you were such a delight during your first haircut!)

________________________

Let’s keep this Best of the Blogs short, yes? We’re busy putting together a little man’s special birthday playdate taking care of a little guy with a bad cold. (The five-kid birthday party, sadly, is canceled. Good thing QB is too young for disappointment to register. Mum and Dad, however, are bummed. Big time.)

• New York Mag looks at women giving very live updates from the delivery room with Texting While Birthing.
• I’ve long been a fan of Ta-Nehisi Coates, a senior editor for The Atlantic. And after reading his recent post about how giving birth to their son nearly killed his wife, I feel like if I ever met Coates, a hug is in order.
• Motherhood Uncensored has a funny story about flying with a young baby in arms, and how  relieved people look when you keep walking past their row.
• There’s a rise in baby tooth decay and—no surprise— doctors are looking at the “sleepytime bottle” as the culprit.
• Good news for Wired‘s GeekDad: Hollywood’s come a-calling. The fun blog and bestselling book for tech-savvy fathers will be adapted for the big screen and the little one too.
• Over on Slate’s Double X, the question is: Are “mommy cards” (as in, Suzy Smith – Jake’s mom) cute and fun or downright ridiculous?
• Tina Fey is basically everyone’s favorite comedy writer, Palin impressionist and general smart funny chick. Her New Yorker essay, “Confessions of a Juggler,” will only win her more fans. Fey, with her trademark wry humor, talks about the second rudest question you can ask a working mother (Are you going to have more kids?) It’s a good essay, covering a few things—some might even say too many things. Definitely worth a read. Though it’s only available online to mag subscribers, this WSJ post about juggling family and career links to a summary of Fey’s essay.

That’s all for now, friends. Have a great weekend!

And So It Was Blogged (5/52)

Another storm. Man. I know I said that winter will do what it does, but I don’t remember it doing it so much last year … and with such a vengeance.  Let’s hope that by this time next week, we’re talking about hints of spring coming through the air. Until then, let’s get into the Best of the Blogs:

• You know you’re a mama when you do a little jig at the sight of the Amazon box containing your toddler’s potty. What—it arrived two days early, OK? Anyway, potty training, was in the news this week with this story out of Arlington, VA, about a 3-year-old girl suspended from preschool after having too many “accidents.” This prompted another story in the Washington Post highlighting how, these days, potty training and academic achievement have “become inexorably intertwined.”
• Oh, Canada. Looks like going green has some parents seeing red. (Didn’t that sound like the perfect local news sound bite?) A 6-year-old boy in Quebec was barred from participating in a win-a-stuffed-animal contest at school because he had his lunch sandy in an “environmentally unfriendly bag.” Oh là là.
• CNN and Parenting.com outline 10 reasons why playing will make your kiddo smarter. One big tip: turn off the TV and educational DVDs and pull out those cars, squishy balls and dolls.
• Ask a (especially new) parent about all their “free time” and you’ll likely get laughed out the room. From the moment those puffalumps bounce into our lives, the clock gets handed over to them. But have you ever wondered exactly how much of your time you give these kids? Well, put that abacus down. A survey in Britain has tabulated it all up and came up with an ugly number: working parents have 90 minutes “to themselves” every day.
• There’s a new show called One Born Every Minute on Lifetime giving viewers an in-depth look at what goes on in the delivery room. That’s 40 cameras rolling 24-7 to capture “the high drama.” (Pass! A video camera was never once in the plans for my son’s birthing story.) Then there was this article on the Today Show‘s site asking whether recording your kid’s birth is your right or a distraction to the doctors and “potential privacy nightmare.”
• Our friend The Thoughtful Parent is sharing some excellent resources. She’s compiled a short list of books, blogs and organizations with solid parenting information. Bookmark-able, indeed.
• And then there’s this cute video. The My Little Pony shirt adds another scoop of precious. (Hat tip: Nerdist.com)

Have a great weekend, friends. Stay warm.