We tried for almost a full two years to get pregnant before we found out Audrey was on the way. Since we conceived at a time when science said we shouldn’t have been able to conceive, we were never 100% on her timing. Her estimated due date was January 7, 2019, but she measured ahead … Continue reading A Birth Story for Audrey

It’s never been hard for me to accept Jesus as divine - I’ve always had an affinity for the fantastic, the unexplainable. But Jesus as a person stops me in my tracks. A real human, who walked real human steps on this real physical earth in real human cities we can actually visit today. This … Continue reading For Mary on Good Friday

I am 99% asleep when he leaves for work, grey light just beginning to sneak in through the cracks in the window blinds we’ve been meaning to replace since we bought the house this summer. I wake up half an hour later most days, when he is already on the train into the city, to … Continue reading Us, Together

My sweet baby girl is two weeks old today. Just fourteen short days on this earth and already Audrey Sophia is rocking our world. In some ways, these early days have been easier than they were with Ella. We’ve managed to keep up with the most basic household chores instead of becoming overwhelmed with dirty … Continue reading Two Weeks

It’s 7:15. I have an absolutely massive to do list for today, with Christmas only a week away. I probably should get a jump start on my wrapping and laundry while the house is still quiet, but instead I just snuck downstairs buck naked to pour my first cup of coffee and grab a phone … Continue reading Sleepy snuggles

My parents used to have a nightstand full of pictures next to their bed. It wasn’t organized in any way - just two drawers jam packed with several decades’ worth of printed photos from real cameras, polaroids, and, eventually disposables. My dad always liked to say that if there was ever a fire, that nightstand … Continue reading A Tale of Three Timehops

Ella recently made up some lyrics to the tune of that old “this is the way we wash our hands, wash our hands, wash our hands” song. Her alternate words go something like this: “This is the way I do everything, Do everything, Do everything. This is the way I do everything, With octopus arms.” … Continue reading Multitasking

When we were growing up, we had a Magic Book. I can’t remember what it was actually called, although I’m pretty sure my dad still has it on a shelf in his living room – “Treasury of Children’s Tales” or something like that, full of nursery rhymes and short stories. To my little girl arms, … Continue reading Magic and Mud

I’ve been thinking all day about how to tell you about the day Ella was born. This story usually works best when I’ve had a few drinks and can shout out words like MUCUS PLUG and CERVICAL CHECK and CROWNING. Ugh. Here are the main things you should know: I had promised my sister, who … Continue reading The Day We Got Ella June

Four years ago today I woke up in a Very Bad Mood. The baby who was Ella had dropped four days earlier, so I was feeling discomfort for the first time in my entire #blessed pregnancy. (Note to 2013 Danielle: subsequent pregnancies will be neither easy nor comfortable, enjoy this while it lasts.) I had … Continue reading The Day I Wasn’t in Labor