Baby Talk Archives

Make the Time for "Couple Time"

Spending time together (sans baby) is tough for some new parents. When Paloma was born, I couldn’t imagine spending a few hours away from her. I didn’t WANT to spend a few hours away from her. Juan and I were still learning how to take care of this tiny person. We already knew how to take care of each other.

Add new comment

07/29/2010 - 14:23 by jchaparod

A Control Freak's Guide to Giving Birth

I've decided that giving birth is not ideal for control freaks. Many of us, including me, like to believe we are in control. But, all through our lives we are presented with situations that remind us we are not. One of those situations is pregnancy and the process of giving birth.

Add new comment

07/26/2010 - 12:50 by Nikki Nite

Beyond Breastmilk

A few weeks ago, I was eating my favorite meal (pizza, of course!). As I sat at the table “oohing” and “mming” between bites, I caught a glimpse of Paloma in my peripheral vision. She was staring at me. As I continued to eat, I realized that she wasn’t staring at me; she was staring at my food.

4 comment(s)

07/10/2010 - 20:29 by jchaparod

The Found and the Forgotten

Now that there are only three weeks left until the arrival of our second baby girl, my husband and I finally unpacked all the boxes of baby clothes and supplies we had saved from our first. Wow! I couldn't believe all the things we found. But even more, I couldn't believe all the things I had forgotten.

1 comment(s)

07/08/2010 - 11:04 by Nikki Nite

Reflections on Father's Day

The Father's Day card I picked out for my Dad said, "In the middle of so many great childhood memories, there you are, Dad."

1 comment(s)

06/24/2010 - 12:13 by Nikki Nite

Fathers are Fun!

At a recent family gathering, my relatives took turns passing Paloma around. (She finally has those fat baby rolls that make her extremely huggable!) As she moved from person to person, I could see a look of panic in her eyes. Sure enough, she soon started screaming in fear. “Oh, oh,” said my brother. “Time to give her back to her mother!” Actually, I knew it would be more effective if she was given back to her father. As soon as she was in Daddy’s arms, she relaxed and even smiled.

Add new comment

06/23/2010 - 14:00 by jchaparod

What I Learned from a Toddler and a Tow Truck

Finally! My husband and I were going to take a much needed few days away before the arrival of our new baby at the end of July. This was our last chance to relax before we once again became sleep deprived parents of a newborn. So, excitedly, we packed up our car and our two year old daughter and hit the road for Port A for a few days of sun and fun.

Add new comment

06/14/2010 - 10:55 by Nikki Nite

New Family Traditions

My mother recently came to visit for an entire week. The visit was too short for me, too long for my husband!

My parents live about 300 miles away from us. I moved away from home to go to college, and I never went back. The distance never bothered me. Frequent visits and phone calls were enough.

Add new comment

06/12/2010 - 15:52 by jchaparod

Letting Go

“Let go!” I could hear the words dimly above the splashing water and laughing children as I held my 14 month old baby girl at the very top of the kiddie pool water slide. My friend Lisa was at the bottom waiting to catch her. All I had to do was let go. In what seemed like slow motion, I did. And my daughter went racing down a water slide for the first time all smiles and giggles. And in that moment I realized that parenthood is a lot about letting go.

Add new comment

06/03/2010 - 09:55 by Nikki Nite

When Daddy Stays At Home

A couple of days ago, Juan and Paloma went to the grocery store. An older male employee approached Juan and was asking about the baby. "Where's her mother?" he asked. When Juan explained that I was at work and he took care of the baby, the old man's eyes widened. "YOU take care of the baby?" he asked in disbelief.

I've never considered being a stay-at-home mom. It's not that I don't want to spend as much time as possible with my baby. I just knew that we could never afford it. So imagine my surprise that my spouse has become a stay-at-home dad!

Add new comment

05/28/2010 - 00:12 by jchaparod

Seton Baby Talk