All good things...

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Today started the last week of my maternity leave. I will have gotten a full 4 months with my lil' bub, which I am so grateful for. It's funny to think that when she was first born 2 weeks early, I was wishing for more time by myself. Now, I would love to have 2 more weeks at home with her!

May 19

May 19

September 8

September 8

Thinking back to the start of this 4 month adventure, it's crazy to see how much she's grown and changed. When I see her every day, I often miss seeing her overall growth until I look back on her photos. And then I'm amazed!

To say it's gone fast, would be a cliché understatement. There have already been moments when I realize I have held her in a certain way for the last time or heard the last of her soft baby coos. As with so many things in life, I have only realized it when they had passed. And each time, it is like a small heart break.

May 24

May 24

August 22

August 22

But I have also been lucky enough to have so many little moments, adventures, and steps in the last 4 months. From first baths, first walks, first smiles. Some trial, lots of error.

In 4 months, our little nugget has managed to join Momma at her workout group, visit UC Santa Cruz, go wine tasting, roll over, push herself up, make friends with Bunny, her Jungle Friends, and her Woodland Creatures, sleep through the night, become a brewery regular, travel to Southern California, and turn into a chatterbox.

So thank you Chloe for my 4 months. For all the big and little moments. The many I caught on camera and the many that I did not. We're both off to our next adventures but I can't wait to see what your next 4 months brings us!

June 27

June 27

September 6

September 6


Never Trust a French Giraffe

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Sophie. The quintessential toy of modern parenting. Just about every parent I know swears by it while every baby enjoys sucking on the organic rubber like it's a boob dipped in crack. Personally I don't quite understand the phenomenon. With her black soulless eyes and drag queen makeup. Makes you wonder about French giraffes.

We decided to give it a try.

So far, the jury is out.

Faced with an inexplicable bout of uselessness, Sophie has taken to amusing herself with photobombing.


Happy 3 Months!

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So according to some doctors, babies are technically not meant to be born at 9 months. Instead, their gestation should take an additional 12 weeks. On in other words, the Fourth Trimester. However, since women aren't built like the Stargate, babies are required to come out earlier, albeit smaller.

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Once they are out on the flipside, babies should still be treated as fetuses for the first 12 weeks (go ahead and enjoy that visual for a second). If that theory is true, we can tell you that fetuses are demanding, hungry, barfy, stinky, poopy, wriggly, snuggly, and smilely. And then some. 

Today, Chloe celebrated her three month birthday. Meanwhile, her parents (and dog) celebrated surviving the first three months of baby life. Lots of downs (late night screams, exorcist style spit up, and, of course, sleepless nights...days...afternoons). But of course lots of ups (little smiles, little giggles, little fingers and toes).

It's been a crazy three months but we've made it! Happy 3 Month Birthday Chloe!


Mom's Gone Wild

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Momma was released on good behavior for a couple hours on Sunday. How did she celebrate? Pink wine and popcorn. Amazeballs.

*Pink wine and popcorn made possible by Rox. Thank you!!

*Pink wine and popcorn made possible by Rox. Thank you!!

Upon return to baby lockdown almost 2 hours later...

Sara: How was she? Not too bad?

David: She slept the whole time.

Sara: Motherfu****.

We Went on a Two Month Trip into Parenthood and All We Brought Back is Poop

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My, how time flies!! Baby Branley Extraordinaire officially turned 2 months old. Some days it feels like it is 2 months going on "no way, she's still my precious 1 week old" and other days it is 2 months going on "omigod, is she 18 yet?".

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Needless to say, these two months have been filled to the brim with daily activities involving feeding schedules, pudgey body rolls, and dirty outfits. And that's just me and David. The baby is a whole other story.

For the most part, everyone has been adjusting just fine. David is up to making at least 2 full sentences by lunch time. Sara only rocks herself in a corner while eating her hair 1-2 hours a week. Corrib only goes on a hunger strike a couple times a week. And Chloe has decided that this planet is currently "acceptable" in comparison to her full time spa (but won't be giving it 4 stars on TripAdvisor any time soon).

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Given all these changes, one might imagine we may have gained some small nuggets of new parent wisdom. What we've learned so far:

Nothing. Nada. Zip.

Except for this: Everyone is alive at the end of the day and relatively poop free = win.

The Social Science of the Third Trimester

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Baby B loves herself some NPR. She'll roll around happily while All Things Considered or the California Report drones on in the morning. So, in the spirit of NPR's Shankar Vedantam (one of her favs), we decided to do a little social science research...solely in gifs (obvies.)

How Different People React Around an 9 Month Pregnant Woman:

How Young Women Without Kids React:

How New Mothers React:

How Older Women With Kids React:

How Men React: