Andrew and I have done a couple trips with baby O at this point, and we’ve already learned a few things about how traveling with a baby is different from our before-kids days. Before kids: Rent a car and drive everywhere. After kids: Fly when you can. We still do a good bit of driving, but we often fly when it will save time. Since we don’t own a car, flying can sometimes equal the …
Category: Family
Rockport, Massachusetts
After our stay in Boston, Andrew, baby O and I drove out to Rockport for a few days at the shore. Andrew used to visit Cape Ann as a kid, so coming back to this area was a nostalgic trip down memory lane for him. Where we stayed: We rented a home right in historic Bearskin Neck at the heart of Rockport. This two-bedroom cottage has views of the ocean from the second floor and …
Boston
For Memorial Day weekend, Andrew, baby O and I traveled to Boston for 4 nights followed by 4 nights in Rockport. (I’ll share more about Rockport in a separate post.) I went to Boston once with my family in high school when I was touring colleges, but it was a one-night stay, so I had never really experienced the city. I have to say, I really loved it! New England vibes, plenty of seafood, easily …
My Favorite Book on Pregnancy and Motherhood: “Like a Mother”
I didn’t consider myself a person who would like reading parenting and pregnancy books. But the concept of Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy caught my attention. Author Angela Garbes is a journalist who found herself questioning much of the conventional—and often contradictory—wisdom doled out about pregnancy and postpartum care, so she decided to investigate the latest studies and speak to both researchers and mothers around the world on the …
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Traveling at 26 Weeks Pregnant
Andrew and I decided to take a weeklong babymoon to Italy this April. I’m going to write separate posts about each of the destinations we visited—Naples, Pompeii & Herculaneum, Positano and Matera—but first I wanted to share a little bit about our decision on when to go, and also my fears and worries beforehand and how things panned out in real life. I want to preface this by saying this is just my personal experience. …
Our Christmas Tree & Traditions
Just like our yearly trip to Wightman’s Farm for pumpkin picking and hay rides, cutting down a Christmas tree is another holiday tradition I share with my husband, his brother, our sister-in-law and their kids. We rent a minivan and drive out to Algers Tree Farm in New Jersey, where each family chops down a Christmas tree, and we make an effort to snap a holiday picture for Christmas cards. This year’s tree just fits in …
Holiday Tradition: Kolache
When I was about 13 or 14, my parents shipped me to Youngstown, Ohio, to learn how to make kolache from my grandmother. Kolache (I say “Co-La-Chee,” but my grandmother always pronounced it “Co-Lawtch”) is the traditional family dessert that is always present at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other family events—even my wedding. My grandmother was Slovak, and learned the dessert from her mother. Our version is a nut-filled roll made with a buttery dough and …
Family Pumpkin Picking, Wightman’s Farm, NJ
My husband has been taking an annual October trip to Wightman’s Farm in New Jersey since he was a kid. He and his brother have continued the family tradition, so we rent a car each year and head out to New Jersey for pumpkin picking, a hay ride, and a try at the pumpkin slingshot. Our nieces, who are now 8 and 4, are the ostensible reason for this trip, but I think it’s as …
Caitlin Kenney Smith 