[Photo borrowed from Ana White‘s awesome DIY website. Ours doesn’t look exactly like this because we own more than six shirts.] There are hundreds of perks to living in Southern California. It’s sunny 99% of the time. There’s rarely any humidity. Mosquitos? Don’t really have ’em. Beaches? Got lots of ’em. Disneyland? Oh yeah, that’s just … More DIY Small Space Nursery
We’re in the last days of only child-dom here at the Ellis house. Our little preschooler is about to have his world rocked. We’ve had some really sweet moments of playing and reading and snuggles. I’ve cherished his smile and being able to give him every last ounce of my attention during the days we … More The Last Days of the Only Child
Glad you asked. [Photo from here.]
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
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
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
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 