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Chubby Babies Don’t Make Desirable Cover Models

In my opinion there’s nothing more delicious than a marshmallow-cheeked baby with Michelin Man arms and chunky monkey thighs. Unfortunately, my penchant for chubby infants is one of the reasons why I would never make it as a magazine editor in Britain. Fortunately, I would rather mother butterball babies than edit photos of them, so I’m not too broken up about my fate. However, there are plenty of parents on both sides of the Atlantic who are irate about re-touched photos of plump tots being featured on the covers of international glossies. According to reports, several British parenting magazines have … Continue reading →

Chubby Babies: Cute or Dangerous?

My daughter was a chunk as a baby. And by chunk, I mean move over Butterball, there’s a new big bird in town. Just look at her: (Count the rolls: My daughter at 6 months.) Much of her girth can be attributed to the fact that during the first six months of her life she was connected to my breasts 24/7. (She was connected 18/7 until she was about 16 months old.) My little plumpy was an eating machine… and she had the figure to prove it. At six months she was in the 95th percentile for weight. (I thought … Continue reading →

Your Chubby Baby: Cute Roles or Dangerously Fat?

Of my five children, two of them have weighed in the 95th percentile up until about age 2. Interestingly, my oldest, who was exclusively breastfed, was the smallest at birth of any of my children and the fattest as a baby. The girl had triple rolls on her thighs! But eventually, like most normal children, she grew out of it and now she weighs just the right amount for her height and age. I had never given baby fat a second thought until I recently had a conversation with a mother in the park. She mentioned that she put her … Continue reading →

The Bedroom Phone

She may not have a television in her bedroom, but my 8-year-old does have a popular link to the outside world plugged into her wall—a telephone. Not a cellphone… a landline telephone. Initially, I put it in there for emergencies.  When my daughter was an infant, I used to nurse her in her room for hours, so I figured hooking up a corded phone in the corner of the room would be a good idea. We kick it old school around here. Though, I may be kicking myself very soon. Right now, my daughter has no desire to sit in … Continue reading →

Love in a Jar

How do you jar love? I’ve yet to find a manufacturer able to mass produce the feeling of joy and goodwill that we’d all like to experience during the holiday season… and beyond. For me, a jar of love would smell like Bath and Body Works’ Dancing Waters shower gel, taste like Crème Brulee swimming in Raspberry Coulis and feel like my daughter’s marshmallow cheek gently pressing up against my chest. Love in a jar doesn’t have to drain your bank account.  In fact, when it comes to giving the gift of love this Christmas, you don’t have to spend … Continue reading →

My Little Turkey

That’s my little turkey during her second Thanksgiving meal. Her first Turkey Day celebration is a blur. She was pull-your-hair-out colicky and too young for solids. However, I’m positive she got at least a hint of spice while she was nursing, given how much pumpkin pie I scarfed down that day… and the next day… and the next day. I love pumpkin pie. But not as much as I love my little turkey. Only, she’s not so little any more. Now, she’s a big turkey, and she’s got the mouth to prove it. When she was a little, she’d wobble … Continue reading →

Pretty Baby

What parent out there doesn’t think her baby is the cutest thing gracing the face of the planet? What’s more, even if your infant is not-so pretty, you’re probably not going to hear it from friends or family members. Remember the Seinfeld episode where Jerry and Elaine try to keep the vomit in their mouths after catching sight of their friend Carol’s hideous-looking baby? No one tells a parent her child is ugly. Of course, the enabling has its limits. For example, if you think your baby is all that and decide to enter him or her into the cut-throat … Continue reading →

Not-So Safe Side of Strolling

Summer is the perfect time to load your child in a stroller and enjoy Mother Nature. Sadly, it only takes a few minutes for a relaxing stroll to go south if you don’t take a few basic precautions, such as: *Buckling up your child with a five-point harness *Not letting older siblings run while pushing the stroller *Not putting excessive weight in the stroller’s basket *Making sure to employ the stroller’s brakes after you park it And last, but not least, not letting your baby wear his expensive bling on a stroller ride lest he get mugged. I wish I … Continue reading →

Cupcake War

I’ve been known to indulge in a cupcake or two… or six, at times. Typically, I follow the splurge with a few miles on the treadmill or an extra-long bike ride. Not exactly the healthiest of patterns, but it supports the philosophy that in order to avoid packing on the pounds you need to burn more calories than you consume. Interestingly, that simple equation is at the center of a controversial ban being implemented in Massachusetts public schools. Beginning August 1st, the state is no longer allowing bake sales to take place on school grounds. In addition, Massachusetts is unveiling … Continue reading →

Hitting Parents Where It Hurts

I scream. You scream. I scream even louder, and you may too if you have to decide between paying your utility bill and buying your kid an ice cream cone this summer. If you thought the price of gas was high, consider paying double what you are shelling out now for a single scoop of vanilla ice cream. According to news sources, your child’s favorite dessert could put you in the poor house due to what is being called a “crisis” in the global crop of vanilla pods. This “crisis” has reportedly prompted some people to stockpile vanilla pods causing … Continue reading →