I went 10 days overdue with my son. 10 long, long, loooooooooong days. I live in fear of going overdue with baby #2. Every day you go overdue as an expectant mother feels like a month. A long, achy month with a watermelon strapped to your front. Your back hurts. Your ankles swell. You can’t sleep … More Top 10 Perks of an Overdue Baby
Oh, it’s a comedy. I spoke at a MOPS [Mothers of Preschoolers] gathering down near San Diego Thursday. I love, love, love speaking, and add an extra “love” to that list when it’s speaking to moms. There’s something really special about groups gathered to support women doing one of the hardest, most exhausting, most rewarding … More Public Speaking While Nine Months Pregnant
At our birth conference a couple of weeks ago, our midwife* asked Daryl if he wanted to help catch the baby when it’s born. His face went white. “Well, I… I mean… I would love to… It’d be really amazing, but what if… what if I…” “Drop it?” she asked. “Um, yeah,” he said, sheepishly. “I’m not … More Our Helper
One of the best-kept secrets in ministry is how much pastors love their congregations. The best pastors always get a bit personally attached, no matter how good their boundaries are, because ministry is an all-in endeavor. When you’re sharing meals and life, praying at hospital bedsides, baptizing babies, officiating at weddings, crying at funerals, working alongside … More I Hold You in My Heart
Our son loves Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. It’s a PBS Kids Show that shamelessly capitalizes on my generation’s nostalgia over Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood by replacing Fred Rogers with an adorable animated tiger. He even wears a cardigan sweater. Yeah, it’s cute. Each episode features a different toddler-friendly jingle that helps kids learn a lesson. There’s the upbeat, “When you have … More Rest is Best
There’s a line in Jhumpa Lahiri’s (quite good) newest novel, The Lowland, that resonates with me lately. “The child was beginning to overwhelm her.” Lahiri writes about Gauri, a pregnant Indian woman newly arrived in America who struggles with the bodily nature of carrying a baby. The way her unborn daughter takes ownership of her womb-space, … More When Mind Over Matter Doesn’t Matter
One winter morning back when I was in seminary, an Old Testament professor of mine came to class ten minutes late. This was out of place for him – he was always exceedingly punctual. Yet Dr. H stumbled in the door just as many of us were gathering our books to leave. (There’s kind of an unspoken rule in academia that … More For When You’ve Come Undone
Most of us gravitate to people who are a lot like us. It’s easy. It’s natural. To a point, it’s even super helpful. Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without my cadre of mommy friends. To have people to talk to about night feedings and preschool and baby carriers, all while being free … More The Middle Way of Friendship
While I was at the dermatologist having a mole burned off my arm last week (See? California isn’t all palm trees and Disneyland. After living here for more than a year you get inaugurated into an annual dermatologist skin-burning appointment no matter how old you are…), the doctor asked when I was due. “Six weeks or so,” I said. “Congratulations!” she … More Six Rough Weeks, Three Long Months, and It’s All Good
I have always hated Valentine’s Day. Hated it. Hated it with a burning passion. Why? Because after the grade school festival-of-sugar parties (which, honestly, were pretty great), it’s all downhill. When I was dating in high school, it always felt like running this gauntlet of pressure-filled unspoken expectations. Here’s a gift card for Pizza Hut because I know … More What We’re Doing for Valentine’s Day
Courtney Ellis 