Mothering

Toddler as Travel Companion - New Baby New Paltz

Mothering

Toddler as Travel Companion

by Donna Bruschi on Sep 11, 2021
Ember has squirmed and cried on our flights. And breastfed with her feet kicking a minister in the seat next to us, and pooped mid-air.  To soothe my anxiety, I asked other moms for their best travel advice. Here are some of the useful tips I received.
Trusting Your Instincts - New Baby New Paltz

Mothering

Trusting Your Instincts

by Donna Bruschi on Nov 18, 2020
I have been thinking a lot about trusting my instincts as a mother. Sometimes that is easier said than done, especially when someone in an authority position (a doctor, a teacher, a specialist,) or someone whose approval I seek (my mother, my partner, my friend,) is telling me that something I am doing, is wrong. It can be enormously frustrating and it recently happened to me.
What? What Did You Say? - New Baby New Paltz

Mothering

What? What Did You Say?

by Donna Bruschi on Jun 15, 2020
By Lisa Bullard (Originally published January 2013) First of all, Happy New Year!!! May 2013 bring everyone much joy, harmony, and love! On a more mundane note, my thoughts have been scattered for, oh, about 17 months now . . . I’m bringing this up because I just couldn’t figure out what to write for the newsletter and I realized it was because this is what was going on: Me thinking: I could write about how amazing language is and I . . Me talking: “Wait! Ember, honey, we can’t climb on that shelf! Yikes! Here. Would you like to draw? Here are some crayons and paper.” Me thinking: Okay, so yeah, I just can’t believe babies' drive to learn, and how we all had to learn to talk, and how much vocabulary we all store in our memories. I could write . . . Ember: Holding a crayon dangerously near my eyes: “Mama. Mama. Mama. Mama. Mama.” Me: “Oh, you want me to draw?” You get the picture. In fact, as a parent, I’m sure you also live the picture!  Anyway, one day I finally hit a nap time when I had a chance to sit, think and write. I want to share that as I watch Ember learn to talk, I realize just how incredible our drive to communicate is! To think that we all had to learn the vocabulary we use word by word! In hindsight, things make sense. As Ember is able to communicate more to us, we are figuring out some of the reasons she cried as a baby. We always did our best, but sometimes just didn’t know what she wanted. For instance, we were at a Christmas party with a table full of snacky foods. She started saying something, and whimpering, but because of the noise I couldn’t hear what she was saying. By the time I made out the word she was saying, she was heading towards a full blown cry. “Cracker,” is what she had been asking for.  Knowing her needs made the solution quite simple – give her a cracker. No problem. Crisis easily averted quietly and with no tantrum. I love language!
Teething - New Baby New Paltz

Mothering

Teething

by Donna Bruschi on Feb 09, 2020
It’s 4 PM and I still have my jammies on. The dishes are piled high, the trash needs to be taken out, toys are strewn across the living room floor. The compost bucket hasn’t been emptied and has attracted the entire fruit fly population of New York . . .
Grieving & Mothering - New Baby New Paltz

Mothering

Grieving & Mothering

by Donna Bruschi on Nov 16, 2019
“Mom, this card says ‘Don’t worry about Nancy anymore,’” Ember says, as she hands me a sticky note she scribbled on. I wipe away a drifting tear, and take it from her. “Thanks, sweetie. Why shouldn’t I worry anymore?” I want to know what is happening in her mind, partly because I’m feeling guilty.
The Hardest Job - New Baby New Paltz

Mothering

The Hardest Job

by Donna Bruschi on Nov 09, 2019
Parenting is the hardest job I've ever done. That sounds dramatic when I admit it out loud, but it is 100% true. My Mom tells me that parenting is not just the hardest, but also the most important job I will ever do in my life.
Home Again Home Again - New Baby New Paltz

Mothering

Home Again Home Again

by Donna Bruschi on Sep 21, 2019
Ember and I made it to Montana! To recap, last week I talked about my anxiety surrounding flying with a toddler and I shared a few travel tips I’d gleaned from other mothers. Let me share how traveling with a one-year-old went…
unsupervised toddler climbing out of sandbox.

Mothering

Feeling Guilty

by Donna Bruschi on Aug 24, 2019
Ember tumbled down a staircase last week! I was following right behind her but wasn’t quick enough to catch her fall! She rolled from top to bottom.  My heart still thumps like a drum in my chest when I think of it.
Toddler Sleeping (Or Non-Sleeping) - New Baby New Paltz

Mothering

Toddler Sleeping (Or Non-Sleeping)

by Donna Bruschi on Aug 10, 2019
Ember has now slept through the night 3 times... ...in her 18 month life – not 3 nights in a row, but rather once every few months we get a joyous surprise when we wake up, look at the clock, see it is 3 AM, 4AM, 5AM, 6AM and she is still asleep!
Learning A Language - New Baby New Paltz

Mothering

Learning A Language

by Donna Bruschi on Jan 05, 2013
On a more mundane note, my thoughts have been scattered for, oh, about 17 months now . . . I’m bringing this up because I just couldn’t figure out what to write for the newsletter and I realized it was because this is what was going on...
My Favorite Places - New Baby New Paltz

Mothering

My Favorite Places

by Donna Bruschi on Nov 20, 2012
I realized that Ember and I had just spent the whole day in the house, and as the night drew near, I felt a little lonely. I committed to leaving the house the next day, even if it was easier not to! The weather is getting frostier and the days darker but I don't need to let it keep me and my baby burrowed in the house.
My Favorite Things - New Baby New Paltz

Mothering

My Favorite Things

by Donna Bruschi on Sep 09, 2012
Sometimes I like to think about some of my favorite things about being a mom. We know it can be a hard job, and for me, it’s important to think sometimes about the positive parts. Here are a few of the things I’ve thought about lately: