Recently Enjoyed Things | September 20, 2024

Enjoying the happy/sads of raising babies

Last weekend, we celebrated my youngest son’s 8th birthday. He was teary at the end of it - “I don’t want it to be over, mom” he whined before crawling into bed. He promptly fell asleep and now we begin the 365 day countdown to the next birthday. Remember when birthdays felt like that?

We had a gathering of friends and family, a couple bottles of wine for the grown ups and endless pizza for the kids. Balloons everywhere, you know. And then, as mothers do when they get in groups, we reminisced about our pregnancies and births. The same stories I’ve heard a hundred times tumbled out, but we laughed, or shuddered, whichever was necessary, like it was the first time anyway. “Do you want me to play Beyonce?” one husband asked in the middle of a 2-hour push session. “I mean, it was the kindest thing he could think of,” his wife laughed. “But I was pushing out an 8 pound potato and I just needed everyone to shut the fuck up.”

We nodded. We laughed. And I went to bed with the same feeling my son had - I don’t want it to be over. Not the birthday part, but the part where I’m the mom and the kids are little. Yet, my youngest baby is eight and we are creeping further and further from those memories. I’m heartened that there were grandmothers in their 60’s and 70’s as part of the group of ladies sitting around that table with me, and they both cheerfully added their stories to the mix. Can we ever be so removed from birthing our babies to not remember it with crystal clarity? I bet not. But still, it feels…..wistful, that those years of my life slipping further and further in the past.

My dad died 11 years ago, and it wasn’t unexpected so there was time and wherewithal to ask questions. In one of our last conversations, I remember asking him what his favorite part of his life was not really realizing it’s kind of a personal question, but he answered without hesitation: “when the kids were little.” This lives with me, you guys.

Maybe this is why when moms get together in a group they can always can be counted on to talk about their pregnancies and births and getting barfed on and woken up a hundred times every night. It keeps it fresh. Keeps it alive. For a minute, it brings us back there. And look, I know that not many pregnant women are anxious to stay pregnant when they’re 40 weeks + 3 days and hot and carrying around a 50lb backpack in front of them. But give it eight years, and yeah, it’s nice to reminisce a little bit.

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Me, eight years ago. The last pregnant picture of me ever. She didn’t know! She wasn’t grateful enough! And she also had no idea how far iPhone photo quality would come along in eight years.

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Recently Enjoyed

Reading

I’m passionate about reading and sharing books that are readily available at your library and don’t feature a waitlist 47 people long. So these are rarely new, hot releases, but if you’re intrigued, there’s a good chance for instant gratification at your library.

• How to Stop Time by Matt Haig // I was neutral about The Midnight Library, so I came in minimal expectations, but I’m really enjoying How to Stop Time by the same author. Tom seems like a regular guy, settling down in London to teach history, but of course, he’s not regular at all. Actually he has an unusual condition that causes him to age spectacularly slowly, and while he looks roughly 40-ish, he’s been alive for centuries.

  • PS - this book is getting the Hollywood treatment and being made into a Benedict Cumberbatch vehicle, and I live to watch a movie adaption, so I’m already excited.

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Shopping

Buckle up for some truly functional if boring shopping. It’s still warm outside, so I haven’t gotten the hankering to buy boots or sweaters, but keeping my coffee flavored or my closets organized. CHECK YES.

• Wire Cube Storage // So epically boring, but the payoff is top-tier. I bought a set for one of my kid’s closet and I’ve since bought 3 more. Very easy to assemble. Very customizable. I know it’s early, but I feel like this is a top-rated purchase of the entire year for me.

• Balsam Wall Flowers // This is niche, but I want my house to smell like christmas trees all year around and B&BW only sells this scent around the holidays, so if I fail to stock up appropriately in December, Amazon swoops in on its white horse.

• Color Wow Dream Coat // I bought this last week so this is a report out. I really like it! I started with the sample size, which I recommend before dropping real cash, but you can trust that it does make for smoother hair. When it says apply liberally, take that advice seriously and absolutely hose down your hair. Be aggressive. It makes a difference in your results if you go full ham-bone here, and it doesn’t make your hair feel sticky or heavy like a lot of serums do.

• Torani Sugar Free S’mores // When I was in college, I worked in an unnamed very popular coffee shop that exclusively uses Torani syrups and I am telling you that using the same syrup is the secret to mimicking those drinks at home. S’mores is currently my favorite flavor, but the fruity flavors to jazzing up soda water are a close second.

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Recent Saves

It’s all about perspective, baby -

notestostrangers

A post shared by @notestostrangers

But also -

girlhoodprincess

A post shared by @girlhoodprincess

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3 Things

Can we discuss fall trends? I’m woefully unqualified to interject, but I’m observant and I’ve been paying attention. There’s a few things I’m indulging in.

• Chocolate Brown // For a trend to be so foolproof and not concerning is a rare gift. This is not a bump-it. It’s not drawn on eyebrows. It’s not overlining lips. This is unlikely to become a trend that we shudder at in ten years. Chocolate brown is easy and dare I say worth investing in long term items. It may drop in and out of fad, but it’s a neutral at its core. It will always be acceptable, so why not go hard while it’s all the rage?

• Black Cherry Manicure // I keep seeing “black cherry nails” on my Pinterest feed, but this feels traditional rather than trendy. To be clear, I’ll indulge but I would anyway because this is my go-to September manicure color. Maroon is never wrong in the fall. Alternatively titled, the cherry mocha manicure.

• The 12’ Skeleton in everyone’s yards // I’m being dramatic but in 20 years, I believe this trend will define the decade. This is a bump-it. It’s what kids today will remember from their childhood halloweens. They will appear in nostalgic memes. It will be the Christmas popcorn tins for today’s youth.

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Sending You on Your Way

(Interesting things I found on the internet this week)

• ⭐ The Coach bag is back says the internet, as it cycles through every single high school trend I experienced in the early ‘00s. How about the quilt pattern one I saved all my babysitting money to buy in 2004? Can I pull that baby back out of the archives yet? Seriously though, I’m delighted. I still love Coach, particularly this chocolate brown one for killing two birds with one stick.

• Stanley Tucci TikTok Content is so wholesome and delightful. I particularly enjoyed this bantering and I will buy that book so fast. If you haven’t read Taste, I deeply, strongly, wholly recommend it.

• Speaking of wholesome, this IG post about choosing the right partner had me way up in my feelings.

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Last Week - In case you missed it:

The college outfit I’m trying to recreate 15 years later. Mom’s who regret their baby’s name. And the bridesmaid to ex-best-friend pipeline.

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PS -

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