It’s already the 6th of January?
How did that happen?
It can’t be. The Christmas tree is still up. I haven’t really broken in my 2011 desk calendar (I’m still addicted to my Outlook one).
I haven’t made any resolutions (OK, I probably won’t).
There’s still wrapping paper strewn across my bedroom.
And I have a birthday party to prepare for since SIX YEARS AGO I gave birth to my middle child just a few days after Christmas.
Wait. How did THAT happen? (The six years gone by, not the birth. I think I got that …

Reading a bedtime story is routine in our home. However, also routine are the bedtime stories my kids hear.
When my son was born, I adopted a few favorites: “The little mouse, the big hungry bear and the red ripe strawberry,” a few Thomas the Tank Engine tomes and “Goodnight Moon.”
I read them so much that I memorized them.
My infant son heard these stories night after night. Then my daughter came along. It was just as easy to share with her the same stories.
As they’ve gotten older, we’ve broken up the …

The federal government has issued a warning about sleep positioners: those cushioned pieces that are used to put babies in a side position.
The FDA and Consumer Product Safety Commission say parents should stop using them.
I have one of these in my home. There are just two pieces to it: two triangle cushions connected by Velcro a FLAT pieces of material.
While I don’t use it to put my child in a side position, I do use it to give her the feeling that she’s being held.
Scratch that… I did use it. …

As a new mom 8 years ago, I took in lots of advice from friends and books. One book suggested putting the infant on a schedule fairly quickly. Another recommended holding the child a great deal and co-sleeping. Friends suggested “attachment parenting,” Dr.Sears, “Babywise” and more. Eventually I adopted a pretty attachment form of parenting (if we want to classify things).
My baby boy most often shared our bed until we moved and he had his own room. But since he was 10 months by then, to transition him he used …

One month ago a new soul entered our home, my daughter Miss L. As planned, she came midmorning via c-section. (Oh and did I mention she is beautiful, laid back and very sweet?)
Being as she came five and a half years after our last baby, we were a little unprepared when we found out she was coming last fall. Gone were the strollers, the crib, the bassinet and baby clothes from our oldest daughter. I was a bit sad about the crib because it was not only the dreaming spot …

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued a new set of guidelines Wednesday that says more women should be able to have a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), saying it’s even safe for some women who have two cesareans in the past.
Count me among the latter.
As a friend put it this morning, I have “stubborn” babies. Due to gestational diabetes with my son – and concern he may weigh 10 pounds – my doctor attempted to induce me two times the month prior to his due date.
Nothing happened.
I mean …

It’s been a “just in case” kind of 24 hours.
As in “just in case” I go into labor, here are a few things that need to get done.
Call it a working mom’s way of nesting.
It started about 10 a.m. Tuesday, when I realized there were several stories that should be done next week that might not get done if I end up holding a baby sooner than expected.
I sent a few “just in case” messages to my editor and fellow reporters:
* Links to reports being released Monday;
* Phone numbers for …

Ah, summer. In our house, I now associate summer with sleep.

Picking a name for this child is not proving to be an easy task.
Keep in mind, my husband and I also didn’t expect to have No. 3.
With our first two children, it was easy. Their names were selected when I was pregnant with Baby No. 1. We had a boy name and a girl name. We used one, then the other. But there were no other choices.
Fairly shortly after discovering this pregnancy, my daughter and I talked of names for the baby. Girl names came up quickly – then we …

I’ve had a few friends ask me if I’ve had pregnancy cravings. I didn’t think so, until…
I realized I was at the grocery store for the third weekend in a row buying fresh, out-of-the-oven baked bread.
With my first child, I craved avocado. It probably had to do with the fact that halfway through my pregnancy we were in Mexico eating yummy food with guacamole, fish tacos with avocado slices, etc.
My second child, it was hamburger. Go figure. I had a girl after thinking the protein craving was linked to a …