Author Archives: Kelly

Pregnancy Journal: The 10th Month

From 5 Minutes for Parentin By Kelly This is my last Pregnancy Journal post, friends, because (cue the angels and confetti) I am no longer pregnant. Baby Kieran joined our family on May 7 (birth story is here), and we’ve been head over heels ever since. I am grateful the editorial staff here at 5…

Pregnancy Journal: The Calm Before The Storm

From 5 Minutes for Parentin By Kelly If all goes according to plan, I am one week away from having a baby. Of course, I’m aware that life can change in a heartbeat. I know the simple statement above is fraught with potential for disruption. But in the meantime, I’m going with it. Having a…

Pregnancy Journal: False Labor

From 5 Minutes for Parentin By Kelly I suppose a lot of epiphanies happen in hospital beds. I had one Monday morning, just as the sun’s light warmed the horizon to a glowing tangerine and the birds burst into song to welcome a new day. And it is this: I know a lot of stories…

Pregnancy Journal: The Name Game

From 5 Minutes for Parentin By Kelly I am very pregnant. Ergo, I am the recipient of all types of random, potentially offensive comments. “You stomach looks like a torpedo,” said a fellow mom at school last week. “You’re not due for another four weeks?” said the incredulous cashier at Target. Or, maybe the best…

Pregnancy Journal: Front-Heavy

From 5 Minutes for Parenting By Kelly My two-year-old walked up and poked me right in the belly. “Baby, Mommy?” she asked. I sat, struggling to pull on my jeans, and agreed. “Yep. That’s the baby, honey.” She reached a little higher and poked with both hands. “More babies, Mommy?” “Ummm … no honey.” But…

Pregnancy Journal: Fake Contractions

From 5 Minutes for Parenting By Kelly I almost had my baby in Target yesterday. My toddler and I made a quick trip to the Big Red Mothership after lunch to pick up a few items. But instead of strolling the aisles in search of body wash, Clementines and diapers, I ended up clinging to…

Pregnancy Journal: Behold a Miracle

From 5 Minutes for Parenting By Kelly Lately, my body groans. It doesn’t matter if I’m sitting or standing or walking or lying down. My muscles stretch. My back sways. My hips twist. My lungs fight. I move with the grace of an elephant, the speed of a turtle. My body groans. So, if bedtime…

Pregnancy Journal: Opening a Can of (Gummy) Worms

From 5 Minutes for Parenting By Kelly If you read between the lines of last week’s Pregnancy Journal post about MILK, ALL THE MILK, I CAN’T GET ENOUGH MOO-JUICE, you might have deduced: Kelly might be drinking a lot of milk, but I bet her sweet tooth is triggering a lot of that milk consumption….

Pregnancy Journal: Got Milk?

From 5 Minutes for Parenting By Kelly A wave of faux shame washed over me as I reached into the milk cooler at Target yesterday. No one around me knew it, but I needed that gallon of 1% the same way an alcoholic needs her vodka. I was almost drooling as I tucked the jug…

Pregnancy Journal: Move Baby Move

From 5 Minutes for Parenting By Kelly My OB laughs at me when I tell her this, but I’m pretty confident I’m gestating a baby octopus. It’s true that the ultrasound technician back in December saw only the normal two arms and two legs of a growing human. But I see no other explanation for…