Moms & Family

My youngest daughter was born by emergency c-section on May 30, 2001. She was small and fragile and had breathing difficulties from the start. She was also the most beautiful baby in the whole world -- all red-headed and chubby and happy all the time. By the time she was 14 months old, we had spent several weeks in and out of the hospital for intestinal troubles and several bouts of pneumonia. She was on a constant stream of medications. Inhalers and hospital-grade breathing equipment became part of the furniture in our home.  Read more

My daughter Isobel started seventh grade only two days ago. The moment she stepped into her schoolyard, my heart started racing with anxiety, even though she was happy to go back to school and appears to be socially well-adjusted. She's a good student, and -- as far as I know -- a good kid and a good friend.  Read more

Over the past few weeks, it has occurred to me that my blog has become a very real space for me to inhabit. Now, when I'm in my car alone -- a rare occurrence -- I don't feel the same sense of freedom I used to feel. If I make my way through the supermarket or library without my children, I am content to have the moments to myself, but I don't feel as desperate for them. I crave them less often, and I think that's because I've found a portable space just for me.  Read more

Recently I "celebrated" 18 years of marriage. At a point when so few marriages seem to last for any significant amount of time, you may be hoping I can offer some insights into how I have managed this feat. I believe the key is thinking of husbands in terms of cars. You may wonder what brings about this unusual theory? Well, I have done intense research over these last 18 years, and by "intense research" I mean I have observed and heard my fellow wives' experiences, and I have found husbands all have similar factory defects. I think the secret to surviving marriage is in recognizing that all women discover these warps in their own husbands, no matter which style they selected.  Read more

A pregnant woman walks into a bar... It sounds like the start of a joke, but what actually transpired when an expectant mother ordered a glass of wine at a New Orleans' restaurant isn't a joke at all.  Read more