Do you remember that old riddle about a man and his son who were in an accident and rushed to the hospital, and when they wheel the boy into the operating room the surgeon says, “I can’t operate on him— he’s my son!” and the riddle is all *h0w CaN tHiS bE?!?!* and then you were supposed to be stumped because, lol, moms aren't doctors! 

Little Baby M is never going to have trouble answering that riddle. When both of your parents are doctors, not only are you in the best of hands for all life’s bumps and bruises; you also have a pretty amazing example set for you that when you grow up you can be absolutely anything you want to be.

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"Before having a baby…”

Ah, the volumes of hubris I could fill with just that one prompt. Things like:

“Before having a baby I thought people who were late were being rude!”

“Before having a baby I didn’t understand why parents would let their child scream in a grocery store.”

“Before having a baby I didn’t understand why a person would only take one shower in a week.”

Don’t worry, I have since had a formal reckoning on all of these misconceptions. And since “before having a baby I actually had time to read entire blog posts” also fits here, I’ll get straight to the point: 

Before having a baby, I didn’t really understand the point of first birthday parties.

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Melissa warned me ahead of time that family was a little loud and a little crazy. And I said: I sure hope so.

Because this is the kind of “crazy” I adore. The wild, frenetic, exuberant pace of children who are loved desperately and happy beyond imagination. The “crazy” that fuels curiosity and creates a safe space for self-discovery. Mamas, you know the kind of crazy. It is exhausting and exhilarating, and on your bad days can deplete what little energy you had left at the bottom of that cold cup of coffee. But on your good days— oh, on those good days—you find tiny moments to step back and marvel at the beautiful chaos and see it for what it is: a joyful childhood. 

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Starting a family is scary. Growing your family is scary. So many moms have expressed to me the guilt-ridden fear they felt before the birth of their second, that they couldn’t possibly open their hearts to love this little one as much as their first.

And then suddenly they're here and they find their hearts are suddenly twice as big.

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“We’ve been meaning to get family pictures taken for…how old is he? 10 months? Yep— that’s how long!” Francesca told me, as we stepped out into the gorgeous garden at Hartwood Acres Mansion.

Before I became a parent, the idea that 10 whole months can just slip away from you seemed a little unbelievable. Even now, there are days that seem like they move in slow-motion, where we have infinite time to do all of the things we want (with the notable exception of “sleep"). 

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