I’ve talked a lot about the things I did for Henry that I want to be sure to replicate with Tate and the things I’m willing to let go. So far, I’ve been really happy with how it’s all played out. 

The one area where it’s been a struggle, however, is the length of time I’m able to stay home with the baby after birth. With Henry, I stayed home for 14 months before enrolling him in daycare. I was still working during that time (e.g., I wrote a book and did some educational consulting), but I was his primary caregiver the entire time. 

With Tate, I wanted to be

It’s been fascinating to compare Henry and Tate’s developmental trajectories. Henry was four months -old when we took a trip to New Mexico and Colorado. Matt and I distinctly remember eating at a restaurant when Henry started reaching for our water glasses. He wanted to bring everything to his mouth. 

Tate has entered that same phase (exact same behavior with water glasses!), which is why we want to get him started on solid food. The Montessori approach to food introduction actually begins even earlier, but I’m too nervous to start any earlier than four months. 

I think we’ll start with rice cereal, sweet potato, banana, avocado, and apple. We never

“Sleep training” is such a polarizing topic, but I think those are the ones we need to talk about most. If we share our rationale, thoughts, feelings, and experiences with each other, then we create more opportunities for conversation, agreement, and disagreement, which ultimately leads to more purposeful parenting. Someone may read this and think, “That’s definitely not the route I want to go,” which is completely understandable. At the end of the day, we are left alone with our thoughts and we have to feel good about the choices we make as parents. 

Matt and I started sleep training Henry around five months because our pediatrician recommended that we