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This is Not the Age

When Artie was around 18 months, Tom and I felt like we’d gotten into a good rhythm. I’d written this post a few months before and was still enjoying this early phase of toddlerhood. Artie was happy at home, happy at his daycare, happy at our friends’ homes and various playgrounds where he proved to be surprisingly independent. He was always down to explore or up for a jump. (more…)

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This is the age

This is the age

If I could press pause on Artie’s age, it would probably be right now. Continue reading

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Portrait of the Baby at Nine Months

Portrait of the Baby at Nine Months

A few weeks after the baby was born, my mother called and advised me to start keeping a diary for him.

“Just a line or so every day,” she said. “They change so quickly and you’ll want to remember the smaller moments from these days.”

(more…)

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Paris Before Bébé

There is never a bad time to go to Paris, not even right after what one might think is a miscarriage. (more…)

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Mr. Baby, Go to Sleep

Annoying baby experts encourage frustrated parents to reframe the four-month sleep regression as a "progression." "His sleep cycles are maturing and becoming more like yours," they say. And I say, "Shut up. It was better before."

Please note: This is not a safe sleeping practice, but as you can see, the baby is practicing sleeping.

I should be napping because the baby is (finally) napping, but these blog posts aren’t going to write themselves.

Since my the last post, some things have gotten easier. Cracked nipples have healed and I no longer stay up later to pump. Going out and about with the baby has become a normal…

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Mr. Baby

Today, the baby turns 12 weeks old. People call this "the longest shortest time". But around here we (Tom and I) like to sigh a long sigh and say, "It's really the longest longest time."

Mr. Baby at 3 weeks. 

Five days ago, Tom and I celebrated our one year anniversary in Oz. And today, the baby turns 12 weeks old. People call this “the longest shortest time”. But around here we (Tom and I) like to sigh a long sigh and say, “It’s really the longest longest time.” (more…)

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Pancakes

“I’m gonna pour this tea now.” 

Pregnancy is a test of willpower. It seems to be a series of tiny tests I conquered somewhat regularly in the second trimester but now, nearing the end and feeling fatigued most of the day most days, find myself failing one after another.

Should I get out of bed? Should I read something aside from internet trash? Should I eat something aside from cereal? Should I…

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What's in a Name?

What’s in a Name?

The Son of Man (Le Fils de L’Homme),  Rene Magritte, 1964  Oil on Canvas

Growing up, I didn’t like my name. I’m still not crazy about it. (more…)

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Mid-Autumn

Scholars of Liuli Hall, by Unidentified Artist, late 13th Century.

This morning, my mother texted me and my brother.

“Today is Mid-Autumn Festival,” she wrote in simplified Chinese. “Don’t forget to text dad, and grandpa Happy Mid Autumn Festival. This is all basic etiquette I should teach you.” (more…)

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A Sunday Afternoon at Coogee Beach

A Sunday Afternoon at Coogee Beach

We do some weekends better than others. (more…)

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Good Books to Read While Pregnant (or Not Pregnant)

Good Books to Read While Pregnant (or Not Pregnant)

Before getting pregnant, I first had to remove the copper goalie in my cervix, which by the way, I highly recommend to those looking for hormone-free birth control. I did this in Washington D.C., a few months after our wedding, at one of OneMedical’s light-and-plant-filled modern offices. I met with a friendly, young female doctor who had no children herself, but who had done some reading on the…

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Family Planning

Mary Cassatt The Boating Party  1893/1894 Oil on Canvas

On May 12, 2015, I wrote this blog about why I wasn’t ready to have kids. The reasons were pretty sound: I was unemployed, unpublished, and – oh right – unmarried. (more…)

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Bondi, Rain or Shine

Bondi, Rain or Shine

Probably the most instagrammed pools in the world, Bondi Icebergs.

I don’t think Tom and I underestimated how much work moving abroad and setting up a new life would be. However, we underestimated how much work doing so would be without the things we were used to, like knowing how to navigate local public transportation, having a car, or even just knowing where to go for what.

Recent…

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Newtown, Sydney

It’s tempting, when arriving somewhere new, to ground yourself with comparisons.

Oh this muggy heat and the persistent sound of locusts reminds me of Taipei.

This building with the plants growing all over the exterior (and the heat) reminds me of Singapore.

These winding alleys and brick buildings reminds me of London.

The grunge of Newtown, with its tattooed, bearded men in ripped t-shirts and…

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Early Days

The Old Clare Hotel, our home for the first three days.

When we were still living in New York we talked constantly about how quickly the days went by. The wedding in a flash and then, once the decision was made, it seemed we were hurtling towards our departure. (more…)

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Some Frequently Asked Questions about Our Move to Australia

Some Frequently Asked Questions about Our Move to Australia

Congratulations to us, we made it! Let the sunburns commence. (more…)

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Thom's Thursday Thoughts on Leaving New York

Thom’s Thursday Thoughts on Leaving New York

Waiting for the movers to show up.

“Don’t worry, Beef. No one can say we didn’t have a good time.”