Untethered Typings

I rely on the internet more than any other source for baby information: more than my doctor, other moms I know, and strangers on the street (often to their chagrin). It's not because I don't think any of these sources have potentially helpful information. I know everyone who has raised or provided care for a child has lots of experience doing what worked for them. I'm just one of those people who likes to investigate all my options before committing to anything. Drives my husband nuts. Me: “I saw garbage bins on sale at National Steering Wheel today.” Husband: “Oh yeah? Did you grab a few? We need some for the garage.” Me: “No. I wasn't sure. I mean, House Tools and even Door Store had some in their flyers this week that looked pretty good. I think I'll check them out tomorrow.” Husband: “Are you kidding me? They're garbage bins! Buy the stupid things at National Steering Wheel and be done with it. You're insane.” Me: “Well, let me think on it.” ...

The New Mom is a societal stock character. I think I used to believe that a new mom's morphing into this character was not inevitable. I think I thought there was a chance I would be different. How ridiculous. Of course I knew having a baby would change everything, especially me. That's the first thing everyone who already is a parent tells you when you share the news that you are expecting. But then, there is a very real difference between knowing that something will change and experiencing it. I was as prepared for this baby experience as I could have been. By that I mean I came in with no expectations. That doesn't mean I didn't expect much, it means I wasn't going to conjure and hold all subsequent experiences accountable to a picture of how life with baby would be. It also means I didn't expect that I would become the typical new mom. Regardless of my anti-expectation expectations (still with me?), I have become, in some ways, quite typical in my ...