It felt so strange to hold him—to see this person who’d been inside of my body for almost 10 months wrapped up all burrito-like in the crook of my arm. “How is it possible for someone to look tiny and enormous at the same time?” I thought. “I love this person, but I don’t know anything about him.” As I’ve
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When my youngest cousin was little,* he called me Ballerina. My name is Valerie, and that initial V sound can be tricky for some really young kids. So, you know, Balerie…Ballerina–it was a logical jump for a toddler to make. I spent the summer after my junior year of college working as a nanny for a little boy** who was
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I became a mostly stay-at-home mother* a few months after our son’s second birthday. Around that same time, my husband’s work hours went a little kooky, often requiring me to solo-parent** our toddler from breakfast to bedtime several days in a row. I went from spending my days in a quiet office with considerate companions who let me go to
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One recent Saturday evening, I found myself sitting in a restaurant with my husband and son. About an hour earlier, after realizing neither of us could muster the energy to fix a meal, my husband and I made the rare decision to go out to dinner as a family. (It’s not that we don’t enjoy going out to dinner or
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A couple of years ago, a friend of mine from high school posted this question on Facebook: “When did you really feel like a parent for the first time?” Most people answered with statements like, “As soon as I saw those two line on the pregnancy test” or “When she wrapped her little hand around my fingers for the first
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Our six-year-old son is sort of known for his hair. Even before he was born, it’s gotten him attention. I had an ultrasound when I was 35 weeks pregnant with him, and I distinctly remember the doctor chuckling as soon as the kid’s image popped up on the screen. “That…that is a lot of hair,” he said, shaking his head.
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It’s been pretty much the same since he was two years old—right when we moved him into a “big boy bed.” He wiggles his toes in the water as I rinse his hair with the plastic measuring cup he’ll use to “make coffee” while he soaks. I wrap him up in a hooded towel, and he plops down on his
Read moreThis story is like something out of a fairy tale. Raul Marin Ceja was on his way to work like any normal day when a strange bundled blanket caught his attention. After hearing crying sounds, he flipped on his camera’s video camera and went to investigate. He was shocked to discover it was an abandoned baby! Laying in the dirty
Read moreThe love people share for each other and their children has no boundaries, and these beautiful photos demonstrate that better than any words. Melanie and Vanessa Roy journeyed into motherhood hand in hand, one after the other, each experiencing pregnancy a year apart. The photos featured side by side first show Vanessa pregnant and receiving a kiss and flowers from
Read morePregnancy and childbirth are a little scary (especially the first time you go through it!). Sometimes complications arise that no one expects. A woman recently had a truly scary pregnancy journey as she endured treatments for breast cancer before finally giving birth. The photos taken are magical! This mother’s strength is awe inspiring. She began chemotherapy for breast cancer and
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