The day the post goes viral, we are dealing with a different kind of virus altogether.
The baby doesn’t sleep well. She’s up well before dawn, doesn’t want breakfast, doesn’t want Fave, who is himself a mess of sniffles and headache and the occasional chill. I have a few minutes to glance at my laptop between her cries and his sneezes. The knot in my stomach tightens just a bit.
The day the post goes viral, I forget to pick up more milk. Halfway through my Target run, the literal sick-hubs-and-sad-baby at home kind of run, I glance down and realize the entire left sleeve of my sweater has grown a crust of snot and drool and bits of somebody’s lunch. I know it’s silly, but I feel like maybe I should have dressed up today, this day, this weirdest of all days.
All day long, texts and emails roll in from friends who have watched our little article ricochet across the wilds of the internet, messages filled with exclamation points and sarcastic admonitions about remembering the little guys. I hold my breath for a minute, buy a latte, crank up the radio.
The day the post goes viral, I swear more than usual. Because incredulity will do that to a girl.
This corner of the web and I have been together for a long, long time, and I won’t lie to you and pretend this kind of attention isn’t something I wished for. All of us here, writing into our own adorably-titled voids, are secretly hoping you’re somewhere reading, somewhere watching, somewhere hearing our hearts as we offer them and echoing back “You are, you are, you are not alone.”
The day the post goes viral is quiet, and the rain is coming down in Portland, and there are nine leftover star-shaped birthday party balloons in an awkward constellation on my ceiling. My phone buzzes with a gospel choir of “Hallelujah, this is what you’ve been working for and have always wanted” and I’m grateful, so grateful, and so glad you’re here, but mostly…
The baby needs to be rocked for an hour as she falls asleep. The text bonanza is interrupted by pleas from poor sick Fave as he and sleep avoid each other in our bed.
And that thing I’ve always wanted? I’ve had that all along.
Thank you, beautiful new interwebby friends, for lifting me up today. Welcome to our wacky little love-fest. We have space for you. We tell the truth here, and we try to give each other hope. We try to stay thankful. We fear no poop.
I hope you’ll stay.
hello 🙂 i’m a new reader thanks to your viral post, and I do plan on sticking around. love your blog — i’m a knitter and a mama, too.
and i admit, i’ve wished for that sort of attention, too. congrats!
So happy to have you here, Amanda! 🙂
I too am new reader and thank you for the warm welcome!
Yay! Thanks, Jen!
I also came over from the viral post, but was quickly enchanted by this one, as well. Isn’t it funny how in the end, those grandest of days are just – days? I had to laugh at the viral post, as well – I came into motherhood (my babe is not quite eight months) with a fair bit of experience under my belt, having helped raise triplets in my family, but there was one thing I was fairly unprepared for – having a baby that just hates to sleep, period. I was just telling my mom the other day that I have concluded that all the books lied to me and that there is just a certain subset of babies for whom no “tricks” work. There had to be at least some curveballs that parenting was holding in reserve for me, right?
Anyway, I’m delighted to have found such a lovely new blog – I have a feeling I’ll be checking back often!
Cindy, thank you for this. I’m so glad you’re here, and I appreciate your reading and taking the time to share a bit of your story. WHY DO THEY HATE SLEEP??? Sleep is sooo good. 😉 Oh well. Hang in there, mama. I’m sending serious good sleep vibes your way.
I’ll stay! All the way from Cape Town, South Africa, I’ll stay… I emailed your lovely post to three of my closest girlfriends to say how excited I am about the coming years when we will have babies together.
Thanks for that gift x
Yay! I’m so glad your here. May I come visit? Yes? Too soon?
I’m also here because of the viral post. 🙂 It’s so real. Thank you for posting it. I added you to my feed of mommy blogs I soak up daily. Happy to discover you. I also have a post in my Thankfulness series I’m doing this month that quotes your post. Hope that’s ok. I linked to your post. Will probably post it later this week. Again. Thanks for writing and uplifting us mamas just doing what we do.
Totally okay – I’m excited to go check it out! Thanks so much, Becky, and thanks for sticking around. 😉
Hello! I’m a new reader from Salt Lake City. I love your blog so far and really appreciate your baby wearing post. It inspired me to do my own research and I am going to start wearing my 2 month old. Thank you! 🙂
Shauna, that makes my whole day! I love babywearing sooo much… it isn’t everyone’s thing, but dude, it’s mine, and I’m so excited you’re going to try it out and hope you love it. PLEASE email me if you have any questions… I’m happy to help!
I’m “any day now” away from delivering my first child, and a friend shared your viral post. I plan to stay, and follow as I navigate this crazy new journey. Thank you!
Congratulations, mama! You’re going to have so much fun. 🙂
Found you through that post as well but I am so glad as I read my way through your lovely journey so far. My little boy is seven months and I relate so much! Your baby is beautiful and so are your words. Nice to “meet” you 🙂
What a beautiful blog you have, but more important, what a loving mother you are. I’m happy your viral post made it’s way into my Facebook feed. I’ll be coming back!
Wow, I LOVED your viral post that showed up in my FB feed today…that’s why I’m here. It was so real and honest and written in a way that made me feel like I have known you for years…and yes am knee deep in the poop trenches myself with a little 6 month old and a toddler…have sent it to my lovely neighbour who is in my ‘village’ and also in poop town with a 5 month old. Viva poop! Amandla! (Power !!…I’m also from South Africa…there, that’s a bit of Zulu for you!) x
Wow, found your post through the viral facebook sharing, and I LOVE what you’re about! I’m in Portland too! Small world!! I love knowing that there’s a community of mom’s out there just like me. My girl is 9 months!
Hi, I also came looking for your blog after enjoying your post on Huffington so much. It was so encouraging to read.. especially today.. one of *those* days. I have a 5 year old and an 8 month old, am also a South African and also look forward to popping back in here in the future. Best wishes!
as a new wife (4 months ago :o) with starting a family not too far ahead on the horizon, your post overflowed with grace & joy & reality & love & fun in the most wonderful way. thank you! i’m hooked for sure – you’re on my top sites so i can check in daily :o)
You write beautifully. Love it! Thanks for being a clear, honest voice out there. God bless you and your family.
[…] Those of you who have been here for years and years, the beautiful hundreds of you who arrived on that crazy November day, you are my village, and I am grateful for […]