motherhood uncorked

The first time we travelled around the baby block we had our baby sleep with us in bed. It wasn't a conscious decision, it was more of an unconscious decision as our need for sleep took all priority over our need to make use of the cute crib sheets I painstakingly picked out and paid way too much for from Pottery Barn Kids... 

There's an awful lot of talk these days in my circle of friends and online acquaintances about the toll of emotional labour. Interchangeably called "mental load" "social responsibilities" and a myriad of other terms, it comes down to the mental and emotional energy expended by women, amplified if you happen to be a woman who is also a mom.  There's been quite a few comprehensive articles and even comics written about it lately, so I won't get into the whole deal (I'll send you here for some good reading on it). But I will give you a real-life example of what this...

One of the things about parenting is that the learning never ends. "Oh, you got comfortable with your kid? Lemme just change shit up for you, for the sheer hell of it." - universe.

People say having kids changes a person. I can't count how many people warned me that I would change after having a baby. And even more so once we were expecting number two. People relished in this warning, seemingly taking great joy at the thought of whatever misfortune was about to bite at my heels...