LilSugar

Four Bloggers Talk About Parenthood

LilSugar — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 06:00:00 -0800

We asked four of our favorite mommy and daddy bloggers to answer a few questions about parenthood and the lil loves of their lives - their children - for Valentine's Day. In case you missed their honest and witty answers, check out our slideshow to see all that they had to say!

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Lil Loves of Our Lives: Peter Hartlaub of The Poop

LilSugar — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 06:00:00 -0800

As part of our Valentine's Day coverage, we've asked fellow mom (and dad) bloggers and writers to share their thoughts on parenthood and the lil loves of their lives - their children - with us.

You may remember the witty Peter Hartlaub, founder of The Poop and San Francisco Chronicle Pop Culture Critic from last year. This year he returns to offer up more thoughts fatherhood. He's the proud papa of Theo, 3 ½, and ten-month-old Milo.

lilsugar: Why didn’t anybody tell me (fill in the blank) about fatherrhood?
Peter Hartlaub: I'd have to remember the name of every “Bob the Builder” character? And just when I think I’ve seen every talking cement mixer, bulldozer and backhoe, some creepy scarecrow thing shows up. (At least my sons aren’t into Thomas the Tank Engine. That habit can cost a parent a few grand per year.)

lilsugar: You know you’re a father when (fill in the blank)?
Peter Hartlaub: You’re making up completely random games just to keep your kids from driving their mom crazy. Our favorite one right now is called “mechanical bull.” I lie on my back, my older son crawls on my knees, and he tries to hold on longer than John Travolta did in “Urban Cowboy.” This is good for about eight minutes of distraction, and untold future chiropractor bills.

To see the rest of Peter's answers, read more.

lilsugar: The best trick my parents taught me was (fill in the blank)?
Peter Hartlaub: To be good with my money. I think I’ve been paying into Social Security since I was 15, and had one or two jobs throughout high school and college. I had to pay my own way from a young age (I was a San Francisco Chronicle paperboy!) and was always able to stretch my money pretty far. I’m hoping these skills serve me well in the next few years, when the entire nation has to start living like the Evans family in “Good Times.”

lilsugar: Helicopter dad or free range kids?
Peter Hartlaub: I’m that guy at the park who is one step behind my kid, following him wherever he goes. I keep telling myself that it’s just because I like to play with him …

Lil Loves of Our Lives: Charlene Prince Birkeland of Yahoo! Shine Parenting

LilSugar — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:00:18 -0800

As part of our Valentine's Day coverage, we've asked fellow mom (and dad) bloggers and writers to share their thoughts on parenthood and the lil loves of their lives - their children - with us.

Today's mama is Charlene Prince Birkeland of Yahoo! Shine Parenting, and crazedparent. Her two boys, Nolan, 7, and Quin, 3-1/2, keep her busy!

lilsugar: Why didn’t anybody tell me (fill in the blank) about motherhood?
Charlene Prince Birkeland: Why didn’t anybody tell me that my teeth would go into a dental tailspin after being pregnant.

lilsugar: You know you’re a mother when (fill in the blank)?
Charlene Prince Birkeland: You know you’re a mother when your kid throws up on you and you don’t dry heave at the smell. But if another kid did it, you'd run to the nearest bathroom.

lilsugar: The best trick my mama taught me was (fill in the blank)?
Charlene Prince Birkeland: The best trick my mama taught me was how to swear in Spanish so the kids don’t know what I’m saying.

lilsugar: Helicopter mom or free-range kids?
Charlene Prince Birkeland: Helicopter mom or free range kids? A slight mix of both, but I lean more towards the helicopter-mom side. (Something else I got from my mom . . . and dad.)

Lil Loves of Our Lives: Rebecca Woolf from Momversation

LilSugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:00:01 -0800

As part of our Valentine's Day coverage, we've asked fellow mom (and dad) bloggers and writers to share their thoughts on parenthood and the lil loves of their lives - their children - with us.

Today's mama is Rebecca Woolf of Momversation, Girls Gone Child, and Straight From the Bottle. She's also mom to Archer Sage, 3, and Fable Luella, 4 months.

lilsugar: Why didn’t anybody tell me (fill in the blank) about motherhood?
Rebecca Woolf: Why didn't anybody tell me that motherhood gives every man, woman and child the right to give unsolicited parenting advice. (Ahhhh!!!)

lilsugar: You know you’re a mother when (fill in the blank)?
Rebecca Woolf: You know you're a mother when the high heels in your closet start collecting dust bunnies.

lilsugar: The best trick my mama taught me was (fill in the blank)?
Rebecca Woolf: The best trick my mama taught me was to support my child's endeavors no matter how ridiculous or seemingly unattainable.

lilsugar: Helicopter mom or free range kids?
Rebecca Woolf: Whatever gets you through the day.

Lil Loves of Our Lives: Zoe Singer of Fit Pregnancy

LilSugar — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:00:10 -0800

As part of our Valentine's Day coverage, we've asked fellow mom bloggers and writers to share their thoughts on motherhood and the lil loves of their lives - their children - with us.

Today's mama is Fit Pregnancy's Mom Appetit blogger, Zoe Singer who has 9-month-old son, Leo.

lilsugar: Why didn’t anybody tell me (fill in the blank) about motherhood?
Zoe Singer: That breastfeeding is really, really, really hard for a long time. And really, really, really worth it for a way longer time.

lilsugar: You know you’re a mother when (fill in the blank)?
Zoe Singer: Let's see, there's the first time you clean off your child's face with your own spit. There's those days when you dress up the baby in his fanciest coordinating outfit complete with useless little shoes and a bib that says something witty, then you throw an old maternity sweater over the jeans you've been wearing for 2 weeks and go to meet a friend without brushing your hair. Or there's the morning when you go to move the car holding a set of plastic rainbow keys.

lilsugar: The best trick my mama taught me was (fill in the blank)?
Zoe Singer: Pretend you couldn't care less about TV and your kids won't either (well, at least I never did, and I'm hoping Leo won't). We never even glance at the TV now...until Leo is fast asleep.

lilsugar: Helicopter mom or free range kids?
Zoe Singer: Well, I'm striving for balance, so sometimes I hover needlessly, and sometimes I blink and all hell breaks loose.

Lil Loves of Our Lives: Lisa Weber of Celebrity Baby Scoop

LilSugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:00:47 -0800

If you're interested in the who's who of lil Hollywood, blogger mom Lisa Weber runs Celebrity Baby Scoop which dishes out celeb sightings and other tidbits daily.

Who are the lil loves of your life? I have three lil loves of my life - Grace, 6, Abby, 5, and Graham, 3
Which came first, the babies or the blog? The babies came first, I started the blog when my youngest was 1 1/2.

To find out what shocked Lisa most about motherhood, read more.

What was the most shocking part of becoming a parent? Really everything...I was pretty naive - I didn't realize how life changing it would be. Looking back on my pre-baby days, I can't
believe how much time I wasted doing absolutely nothing.
If you could have one aspect of your pre-baby days back, but keep the kids, what would you choose? I think feeling well rested, I can't remember what that feels like-
sleep is something I don't get much of.
At what moments did you fall in love with your children?
I loved them all at first site, but I didn't realize that love would
keep growing and growing.
What's your favorite thing to do with your children?
My kids all love arts & crafts - so we always have a lot of that going
on. We love being outdoors and do a lot of hiking. This winter I'm
learning how to ski with them - they already fly right by me!

Lil Loves of Our Lives: Kate Ward of The Nest Baby

LilSugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 10:00:29 -0800

From kick counts to sleep tracking, The Nest Baby is a destination for new parents and parent-to-be.

Created by The Knot, the site is the logical progression for couples who have settled down and are planning new additions. And, editor Kate Ward is currently enjoying her own brand new bundle of joy.

Who is the lil love of your life?
Audrey (middle name Elizabeth) - she's just under 4 weeks old. Born on 1/20/08.
Which came first, the baby or the blog?
I started working at TheNestBaby.com before the baby came. Thank goodness too, because we have a ton of really talkative and helpful members who have saved my sanity at 1am on more than one occasion during my pregnancy and even more so now that Audrey is here. It's a relief to know that no matter what I'm going through there's someone on there who has already been there or is going through the same thing now.

To see hear about the moment Audrey stole Kate's heart, read more.

What was the most shocking part of becoming a parent?
I feel like I'm surprised by something new every day! Most shocking is how every new thing she does qualifies for both of us as the most incredible thing we've seen ever. She just now started making little sounds (hey!, ahh!) and it was as exciting as anything that's ever happened to me. I suddenly feel like the most easily-amused woman alive. I might keel over when she smiles for the first time.
If you could have one aspect of your pre-baby days back, but keep the
kids, what would you choose? Sleep. No contest.
At what moment did you fall in love with your child? When they brought her screaming self over to me right after birth and she calmed down when she heard my voice. Amazing.

Lil Loves of Our Lives: Celeb Baby Blog's Danielle Friedland

LilSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 08:00:41 -0800

When it comes to Tinseltown's tots, Danielle Friedland, founder of Celebrity Baby Blog is in the know. The blogger and her team keep close tabs on the stars and their offspring.

Who is the lil love of your life? Anya will be 29 months old on Valentine's Day.
Which came first, the baby or the blog?
The Celebrity Baby Blog was my first baby.
What was the most shocking part of becoming a parent?
How unrelenting it is. You are ALWAYS on duty. Even though Anya finally sleeps through the night (most of the time), I still wake up every few hours because it's wired in me to be alert.
If you could have one aspect of your pre-baby days back, but keep the kids, what would you choose? I think I miss sleep most of all.

To hear about the moment this mom fell in love with her daughter, read more.

At what moment did you fall in love with your child?
Once we established our nursing pattern, I fell in love with how in sync we became. I felt like we were completely attached because I had grown her in my body and now I was growing her out of my body.
Do you have Valentine’s Day plans?
Ha! Absolutely not. We'll probably make some Valentinesy crafts with Anya and have lunch with her. Josh and I have no romantic plans. Anya is sleeping over at Grandma and Poppy's for the first time the weekend before and that will probably be our Valentine's Day Observed and it includes going out for a casual dinner with no kid on our lap and going to sleep early and waking up late!

Lil Loves of Our Lives: Sabrina Weill of MomLogic

LilSugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:00:09 -0800

If you're a harried mama looking to keep up with what's current, check out MomLogic. The "online magazine for thinking moms who don’t have time to think" is a place to catch up an all of the day's motherly highlights. And, Sabrina Weill is editor-in-chief.

Who is the lil love of your life? Please include the names and ages of your children.
Of course my kids are tied for this award: Jack is 6 and Millie is 3. Jack was my first lil’ love. I’m nuts about him. I was worried about having a second because, how could we love another kid as much as we loved Jack? But, you do. Sounds totally corny but it’s true, it’s like someone sticks a bicycle pump in your heart and blows it up another 50%-literally! Mommy-love is very physical, it actually hurts.
Which came first, the baby or the blog?
The baby, but I wish MomLogic.com was around before I had my kids, because what no one tells you is how isolating motherhood can be. Having a child connects you to the community and brings people to you but no matter how supportive your family, community, and husband are, mothering is, in so many ways, something you do alone. It’s vital to have an online mom-sisterhood to keep you in the know, in the loop, and help you feel connected.

To see what Sabrina thought the most shocking part of parenthood has been, read more.

What was the most shocking part of becoming a parent?
The seemingly-insane birthing process. First there’s a live being existing within you, then it comes out as this scary bloody mess, and shockingly-soon thereafter he says things that he didn’t learn from you. The whole thing is totally bananas.
If you could have one aspect of your pre-baby days back, but keep the
kids, what would you choose?
More karaoke.
At what moment did you fall in love with your child?
The second they were born. I cried like crazy each time-the second time I had complications and doctors were running around yelling STAT and jamming this humungous needle into my thigh, but the whole time I was just in this soft yellow glow holding my little Millie as she screamed her tiny head off.
Do you have Valentine’s Day plans? Yes, with Millie. She’s going to help me push the m+ms into the heart-shaped cookie dough. I buy the kind that comes in the tube and just nick the top and bottoms so it’s shaped like a heart when you cut it.

Lil Loves of Our Lives: Three-Martini Mom Christie Mellor

LilSugar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 09:00:40 -0800

Author Christie Mellor hit a nerve with parents when she wrote The Three-Martini Playdate: A Practical Guide to Happy Parenting.

And, then mothers lined up to purchase her second book, The Three-Martini Family Vacation: A Field Guide to Intrepid Parenting when it hit the shelves. Now the author, actress, and mother pens The Three-Martini Complaint Department for Mommy Track’d.

Who is the lil love of your life?
I won’t play favorites; they’re both pretty okay. Edison is now 16, and although he never got the “start acting like a total jerk” memo, he’s right on target with the “stay up too late and spend many, many hours in front of the computer I.M.ing friends and learning guitar chords” memorandum. But he’s kind, and good to his little brother, and still hugs me goodbye in the morning. Atticus is a strong-willed and interesting 10 year old, who loves his big brother and still likes his mom and dad. But he has a certain glint in his eye that promises hardships ahead.
Which came first, the baby or the blog?
First the babies, then the books. The Three-Martini Playdate and The Three-Martini Family Vacation. Then I became a lazy, intermittent contributor to The Mommy Track’d site.
What was the most shocking part of becoming a parent?
The whole thing is pretty much a giant surprise. But the biggest surprise was: five years into our first child, we decided to have another one, having forgotten completely about the sleep thing, and the endless diapers. Honestly, it all came back to me a few hours after giving birth. Oh! Right! Forgot about that! No sleep for two years and tons of diapers to change!

To learn more about Christie, mix yourself a martini and read more.

If you could have one aspect of your pre-baby days back, but keep the kids, what would you choose?
I am entirely annoyed by mommies “mourning” their pre-baby days. For god’s sake, did you not get enough bar-hopping in? I suppose you lose a certain amount of spontaneity when you have kids. But I think it’s that much more important to not make your children the absolute center of your lives. Have a life, and bring your kids along for the ride. And if you really miss clubbing, get a baby-sitter. You don’t really have to give anything up, except being able to walk out of the house on a whim.
At what moment did you fall in love with your child?
That day when he was about two months old, when he spit up on my shoulder then looked up at me with the sweetest smile, and I decided right then and there not to give him away, as planned.
Do you have Valentine’s Day plans?
We generally avoid buying stuff for each other and eating out at restaurants on that overpriced and over-hyped day. So I’ll make dinner, and my husband will probably write me some cute note. Maybe we’ll eat some chocolate. Group hug.
Anything else you want to add?
Okay, I was kidding with the thing about deciding not to give my child away. But honestly, when do we fall in love with our children? I don’t think it happens in a single moment.