Letters to a Daughter
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Old Enough to Ask, Not Old Enough to Wean
Dear Daughter, One year and twenty-nine days have passed since you were born into my arms. You have breastfed for one year and twenty nine days without missing a beat, and you will breastfeed for as long into the future… Continue reading
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Small and Sad and Frantic
Dear Daughter, When you were small and cutting teeth and sad and frantic I’d pull you closer and let you nap near, tucked into my arm with your body tracing mine. We’d lay there for the hours of your afternoon… Continue reading
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Grabbing Hands and Asking Hands- Teaching Respect or Demanding Respect
Dear Children, I must apologize. Adults are horrid examples for you. We tell you all the time “NO GRABBING!” usually as someone is prying something out of your hands as you scream at us to stop. Watching you interact with… Continue reading
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And Now That You Have Two Teeth I Should Wean You… Right?
Dear Daughter, Congratulations, your smile is now bedecked with two pearly razor-like fangs err.. teeth that are almost as sharp as they are cute. And they are so very cute as they poke up on the bottom and shine with every… Continue reading
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These are the Moments I Would Lose to CIO
Dear Daughter, Your head rests against my collarbone, soft milky breath synced up with mine, and skittering across my chest. I could pull you out of the wrap and lay you down in your own space. But instead I’m letting… Continue reading
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My Baby’s Tears Don’t Bother Me (Gentle Parenting is not “Afraid of Tears” Parenting)
Dear Daughter, One of the common misconceptions about “Gentle parenting” and “attachment parenting” is that I’m afraid of your tears. Your tears don’t bother me. They don’t stress me out. They don’t manipulate me. They aren’t a nuisance. They are… Continue reading
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The Reasons Why You Cling After Disruption
Dear Daughter, I found myself becoming frustrated today as you are not “yourself”. I cannot put you down to let you play the way I usually can. You want to lay belly to belly quietly in mommy’s and daddy’s bed… Continue reading
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What Does This “Love” Thing Look Like?
Dear Daughter, You are ten months old today. I can’t count the number of times each day that I whisper to you “I love you”. A tradition that I started with your oldest brother, and that I carry down with… Continue reading
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Sleeping Like a Baby
Dear Daughter, You are eight days from being ten months old. I get asked all the time “How does she sleep?” and I smile and say that you sleep exactly as you should, which means that you rouse easily and… Continue reading
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The Calm Place
Dear Kids, There is a place that I take each of you frequently. A quiet place. A calm place. A place where time has no meaning. It is a place that I carry you to when you are infants, that… Continue reading