About Me

I'm guessing some of you might be here from Brain, Child, so I thought I'd just give the basics about who I am and why people talk about their kids' sleep here.

I'm an ordinary mom of two kids (both boys, ages 5 1/2 and 2) who started blogging and making comments on other people's blogs. Some of them thought my comments were helpful, so they asked me to start an advice blog. I thought it would be funny, so I did. 21 months later, here we are.

I guess I tend toward the crunchy side. Both my labors were unmedicated, I nursed both my kids into toddlerhood, my mom was an LLL leader back in the '70s, I buy organic dairy products, the whole deal. OTOH, I have a subscription to Lucky magazine, I wear makeup and stilettos (not every day with the heels), my younger son is in a crib (aka "baby jail"), my kids eat too many M&Ms and watch TV, and I work full-time out of the house (I was a SAHM for 5 years before going back). I live in a teeny apartment in NYC, so some of the things that are big lifestyle decisions for other people are just the way it has to be for me.

I think everyone's doing a much better job parenting their kids than they think they are. Most of the time the advice I give is either 1) cut yourself a break because you're doing the best you can, 2) cut yourself a break and ask for some help so you can get a little perspective and self-confidence back, or 3) you think you have one big insurmountable problem but you really have four small ones, so pull them apart and solve one at a time.

 

I'm really not sure how it happened, but for some reason the comments section of this blog is pretty flame-free. Maybe because I'm fairly anti-dogma, so people can say "this worked for me but it might not work for you" instead of having to put up a big façade all the time. Or maybe I'm just lucky. Or maybe the flamers are just storing it up and will release a big ball of flamey fury on my comments section at a predetermined date.

I get 10-12 questions a day at this point, and try to answer a bunch of them privately when I'm not working or being with my kids or shoveling out the apartment or sleeping. It's kind of random the questions that end up on the site. I try to pick a mix of serious and not-so-serious.

Lots of people write in about sleep. I think sleep is the thing that's making parents feel the worst about themselves in our generation. Not only does lack of sleep make you feel physically horrible, but there's also such an industry of sleep advice out there that people feel like they're bad parents if their kids aren't sleeping perfectly. I file that under the same category I file the SAHM vs. WOHM "wars"--nice try, but we're starting to catch on that it's just a distraction to get us to not notice the lack of institutional support for parenting, at least in the US. See also: pacifier vs. no pacifier, off the bottle by 12 months or else, what do you mean you don't have the Britax??, and anything involving the acronym MILF.

My thoughts about sleep are that you'll have a better time as soon as you figure out if your kid gains tension by crying or releases tension by crying, since then you can work with the way your kid is to figure out how to get him/her to sleep. Also, there are some universal truths about sleep that your kid probably conforms to, at least loosely, so start there before you get really worried. Finally, in approximately 18 years the way your kid sleeps won't be your problem anymore, so there is an end in sight, albeit a distant end.

What else? My favorite books are The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, If on a winters' night a traveler by Italo Calvino, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. My favorite parenting-related books are Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott and Between Parent and Child by Haim Ginott. I listen to a lot of Stevie Wonder, Fred Hammond, and Jorge Ben. I don't like pancakes, raisins, or scallops. I'm not allergic to poison ivy. I'm the only woman in my office, and that makes it a funny place to work. I refused to wear vests in the '80s and I refuse to wear them now. I'm getting this stroller tomorrow to replace my broken-down old Maclaren.

What do the rest of you want to say? Either comments on my strangeness, or comments on your own strangeness? Vests: yes or no? If you could be any character in a Pixar movie, which one would you be (I'd be Flo)?

Comments

[Slim]

I don't read Bran,Child, but yay for Moxie, who evidently published something there?
I too love the lack of judgment here. My local site can argue about anything, and while I used to love a good bicker session as much as anyone, I have kids for that now.
I am relieved that you are replacing a MacLaren after five and a half years. I just replaced mine after seven, and I was bummed that I needed to.
Well, the stroller is fine, but the boys broke the hood. Does that count as a need?

[cagey]

EEK. I DO get Brain, Child yet I remember something about my subscription running out. Must get on that.

I'd like to 2nd your position on sleep - your pieces on it are what made me a regular reader here. We have always gone with the flow with our 22 month old and he is a fairly good sleeper because of it. Conversely, according to all the "experts" the things that we did with our son should have set up "bad sleeping habits" for Life. Regardless, I plan on doing whatever my 2 month old needs to get to sleep. For her AND me.

I have 2 kids under the age of 2. It's stressful enough as it is and I cannot imagine trying to do it sleep deprived.

Thank you for keeping this site going and congrats on your Brain, Child thingamabob. Excuse me, while I run out to renew my subscription!

[Shandra]

I love the tone of the site and the way it's both expert driven and peer to peer. But what do you mean I might have to replace my MadLaren at some point???

On sleep - speaking from Canada, where most (not all; self-employed, for example) families have the opportunity to take a year's federally funded at 55% of salary to a max of just over $1600/mo mat leave (15 weeks maternity, 35 weeks parental) I find the sleep rhetoric is just a little bit toned down - probably because not everyone needs to be functional at work after 3 or 6 months. But it is still definitely a hot topic.

[Megan]

I love you Moxie! You seem really down to earth. Which is what this first-time mom of a 22 month old needs!

I'm not sure which character I'd be, but Flo is awesome! I really like the fish in Nemo that says "Nemo's swimming out to sea!"

[SJ]

Welcome new visitors! I refer people here all the time. btw, I love If on a winter's night a traveler - excellent pick!

[SJ]

oh, and we have that stroller in green - I really like it (2 years and still going strong).

[Blythe]

I'm a devoted Moxie reader and can't count how much archive-searching and reading I've done on almost every topic here, sleep included.

And for anyone who doesn't think of themself as a crunchy/attachment-parenting type, I don't either yet I've always felt my voice was welcome here. I believe the common-sense, nonjudgmental tone that Moxie sets results in a wonderfully supportive and helpful group of commenters.

My Pixar character right now must be Dory, because my memory is shot due to a jetlagged/teething seven-month-old. Bring on the sleep!

[paola]

I came about your blog looking for answers re sleep regression and it was the only place I got any answers, so I visited again and agian and missed it when I was away on holiday for 3 weeks. First thing I did on the internet when I came back??....ask moxie.

Must say, I'm not familiar with so many products, books, toys discussed here as I live in Italy and here there is really so little available, except for the basics, for littlies. Relatively little information too The extended family provides so much here,( from free child care to old wives tales)and so there is no need to go searching endlessly for 'the wonder weeks' when your MIL is there to tell you the reason why your baby continually wakes up at night is that you have spoilt her with baby-led nursing.

Here we have paid (from 80-100% depending on employer) maternity leave for 5 months and then you can stay at home up to 12 months and still get some paid maternity leave (60% I believe.) Child care is super expensive so everyone sends their kids to grandma when they go back to work, but at 3 kids start kindergarten, which is FREE!! Needless to say, most Italian women work full time.

[ikate]

Moxie - I have that stroller and I generally love it. But, I wish the handles were about 2-3" longer. I'm 5'8" and after about 1/2 hour of pushing my back starts to ache. My 6' husband hates it. Just and FYI!

[Moxie]

Thanks, all. It's not an article, just a little ad on the back, but I saw a jump in readership last night so I thought I should say something.

Oh, and also, I've hated the Maclaren for years, so an thrilled to finally be able to justify dumping it. It's not the worst stroller in the world, but the wheels are bad and I just think Macs are overpriced for the value and features.

[AmyinMotown]

Dammit, I let my Brain, Child subscription lapse too, must get on that. It and Ask Moxie are in my "how to stay sane" toolbox for motherhood and are two of the only things I read that make me feel smart and empowered, not dumb or like I am shortchanging my kid by not having every last product out there.

I agree about the nonjudgemental tone of both Moxie and her commenters. I read other sites and used to be very involved in a message board and the crap people think they are entitled to say to someone else just boggles my mind--who raised THESE people? I think both Moxie annd us commenters start with the attitude "You know more than you think you do, and you're doing fine" instead of "What do you meeaaannnn you don't co-sleep/sleep-train/use a stroller/use a sling/breastfeed until kindergarten/wean at 2 months? Don't you love your baby?" I think the site tends toward the crunchy but is mostly ideology-free.

[Tami]

That's the stroller I want! I just got a monster stroller (Joovy Big Caboose) to aid me with my three young (three, one and three months) children, which when used in the appropriate places has been awesome. However, I haven't been able convince the husband that I also really need a compact 5-point harness single stroller too.

I came to this site because of the wonderful advice on (trying to) avoid PPD. I still reread parts of that occasionally as a refresher course.

[enu]

Paola, I am curious how it works in Italy - does grandma quit her job when her first child has a baby? Seems like someone needs to quit for the system to work - either Mama (or Papa) or Grandma. Or are the demographics there set up so that by the time your firstborn has her firstborn you are at/near retirement age? My Mom wasn't anywhere near retirement when my 2 were little - and I'm the baby of the family.

The part about not having this huge consumer culture built up around baby products, though, sounds very good. People act as if you don't get the right stroller and you are dead meat (in actuality, I got by just fine with 2 used strollers a few bucks each) or the latest gadget.

[rudyinparis]

I can't recall how I got here in the first place, but I know for sure I keep visiting because I love the non-judging, supportive environment. There is just seems to be this beautiful unspoken consensus that we may have different styles and different philosophies, but that we're all rooting for one another. Whether we work at home, outside the home, breastfeed, formula, attachment or Ferber, etc.--we all acknowledge that every parent here loves their children and is doing the very best they can for them. This is all too rare in the current world of competitive parenting! This site is a wonderful place to be.

[caramama]

I don't think Moxie knows how much I love her, and I love her readers/commenters. This is the first website I check everyday, and I often come back throughout the day and read through the archives. I've only recently started commenting.

When my baby was maybe a month old, a friend sent me Moxie's reply about a baby sleeping in a swing when I was feeling guilty that the only place my baby would sleep was in a swing or being held. I read that post and felt a million times better. Then I started reading her other posts, and I started feeling better about everything.

Now, to all the new moms and pregnant women I know, I tell them, "If you ever have a question or are worried about something, go to Ask Moxie! She and her commenters give good advice and make you feel better about EVERYTHING!" That is truly rare in this day and age, and I am so thankful for it.

So, thank you Moxie and all the readers/commenters. And thank you from my husband and baby as well!

[erika]

I love Moxie, too. The advice is so matter-of-fact and reassuring and it made the transition to motherhood as smooth as it could be. I check this site every day, sometimes several times a day. The commenters add so much to the discussion that it is a fantastic parenting forum. I'm always sending links to friends - it seems like you've covered everything! Thank you so very much for creating and maintaining this site.

[Carla]

I've read for awhile now, since before my 9 month old son was born. I have found help and reassurance here so many times. Your readers' comments have made me laugh and cry, because I realize that I'm not the only one who has ever done _____ fill in the blank with something to do with parenting an infant (sleep in a swing- check, sleep in my bed-check, let him get water out of the dog bowl-check. all things people IRL tell me are bad. well, maybe the water from the dog bowl wasn't the best, but the baby's fine,had a few dog hairs on his face afterwards :) he leaves the bowl alone now).
I don't comment, usually because I read from work, and the firewall won't let me post a comment (weird), I thought I would let Moxie and her readers know that I love this blog.
For the record, I don't know about the vest thing- I would have to say no. But that's just me.
Thanks for having this blog.

[Julie]

I came to this site when my son was dropping his morning nap and I was not at all sure how to transition from two to one naps a day. I did a search of her site and found some great advice which really helped a lot. Now I am a daily reader, and an occassional commenter. I also don't consider myself a crunchy-type parent, though I am learning I am more "attachment" style than I ever thought I would be - but mostly due to my mis-understanding of what attachment parenting really is rather than a shift in my parenting philosophy. Much of my parenting education comes now from this site and its commenters rather than from books - the level of wisdom and insight the frequent commenters have is amazing. And always, it's good for a laugh or two.

[Julie]

oh, and I'd like to add that if you're feeling strongly about something, a little colorful language is not frowned upon. I enjoy reading comments that use language that I used to use, but now cannot due to a toddler who repeats everything. I miss my swear words.

[Zinemama]

Is the new Brain, Child out? Dang, you East Coasters always get it first, and we on the West have to wait a week. (And I have an essay in it, too!)

I am past the sleepless stage but I'm always pointing new parents your way. Your sleep advice advice is terrific.

[pnuts mama]

oh moxie, you are the furthest from strange! i consider you a godsend and i too recommend you to everyone i know. i got here through cj's former site as i was just so uncertain about so many of my decisions on breastfeeding. the greatest gift you all give me is the comforting knowledge that *someone* else is going through what i am, that this is normal/ok, and what you found helpful.

i have found this site to have the warmest community- supportive and caring and even when we disagree on things i am always so overwhelmed by the amount of respect that everyone gives each other- a true discussion vs. a meaningless argument. the "this is what worked for me" is always fantastic- without any of the "if you don't do it my way you are W-R-O-N-G!"

mostly, i'm grateful we all trust each other to be vulnerable with things that perhaps we couldn't trust IRL friends and family with, for whatever reason. so thanks, moxie, and thanks to all of you.

[Michelle]

I am a newbie here but in the week or so since I discovered the site I have recommended it to every Mom I know! I love the tone - so down to earth, non-judgmental, and informed!

Moxie - I am amazed that you find the time to WOH, be a mom to 2 kids under 5, keep up this fabulous blog, AND sleep! Once again, I never ceased to be amazed by what women can do in a day!

As for the whole crunchy/not-crunchy thing...I have multiple personalities myself. I birth at home (I have 2 kids under 2) but I use disposable diapers. I wear my babies, but they sleep in their own cribs at night. I breastfeed, but I totally understand moms who don't.

Anyway, as a WAHM of a 2 month old and an 18 month old I pretty much feel like I am losing my mind all of the time. It's nice to have this place to remind myself that I am not the only one!

[stacy]

This is probably the ONE parenting site on all the internet where I feel totally comfortable.

No crunchier-than-thou nonsense. (What do you mean those cloth diapers aren't organic hemp?!?)

No tougher-than-thou nonsense. (My baby has been sleeping through the night since 6 weeks because I went ahead and let her cry!)

No nonsense about the decision to work, or stay at home, or whatever. (Daycare means a lifetime of behavioral problems, but staying home means you're a traitor to feminism!)

Moxie is sensible and open, and her commenters are all over the spectrum.

Thumbs up on the Chicco stroller, too. We have the C5 (one version down from Moxie's) as our "live in the trunk" umbrella stroller, and it is fabulous. Light enough to take anywhere, sturdy enough to put up with miles of walking if need be.

[CathyY]

Eh I don't think I can recommend that stroller... not that you asked. Although it's priced fairly, it's cheap IMO. The umbrella is supported by cheap wires and ours bent, permanently, after a few uses. You can't remove the seat to wash it and the buckles will eventually pinch the hell out of your fingers, many times, no matter how hard you avoid it!

[Jen in Redwood City, CA]

Another person here who loves Moxie -- I read this site every day because it's so non-judgemental, supportive, and entertaining. I wish I had known about this site when I was pregnant, instead of stumbling upon it at the beginning of The Sleepless phase!

[Andrea]

I've been reading daily (or at least weekdays) for just over a year, and the reason I keep coming back is because you and the commenters seem to live by the "it's different with every child/mom/life/pregnancy" motto. I like that I can find many different suggestions to try without anyone yelling, "OMG! I can't believe you're not doing such-and-such! That's the ONLY way that's best for your child!"

Thank you for having such a wonderful site, and thank you for having such wonderful commenters, too! Hedra's still my favorite commenter, though.

As far as a Pixar character, I think I'd be Dory, too. I keep getting sidetracked and forgetful a little too easily lately. My SIL says it's just mommy-brain and it will get worse before it gets better.

[Charisse]

Hmmm. No vests in 80s, no vests now. Also love P&P and Westing Game. (How bout Harriet The Spy, Moxie?) Have loved this site since a friend pointed me here a year ago. Especially since my best IRL mama friend moved across the country, it's my best community.

I love that people here admit their difficult feelings about parenthood, and that there's no judgment, just help and support. When I am seriously wondering whether I could sell my beloved 3-year-old to the gypsies for a decent price, I know Moxie and the gang will say something each day that will help me through it.

[QGirl]

Unfortunately, I was a vest girl in the 80's. Actually, I still love everything about the 80's!
Love your blog and recommend it to every parent I know. Thanks for all your great advice and love your reader comments too.
And if I could, I would totally be more like Helen Parr (?), the mom in the Incredibles!

[Cat, Galloping]

no pancakes?! not even with blueberries or chocolate chips?! what kind of lunatic ARE you?

(there. i flamed you.)

[hydrogeek]

I rarely comment, I just lurk here reading the comments on every single question, every single day. Moxie and her readers are the very best at giving me ideas on parenting without making me feel like shit.

And no vests. Please.

[AmyinMotown]

Oh, yeah, no PANCAKES?? Or scallops? (there's my flame :-) ) I am right there with you on the raisins, though. One of my proudest little moments lately was Maggie methodically picking out all the rasins from something. That's my girl.

As far as an Ask Moxie for moms, how about "How do you manage to walk in heels while schlepping two kids and all their crap?" I miss my pretty shoes....

[Jen '96]

Enu (hi, Enu! I know who you are!), in case you're still wondering, Italians tend to retire around age 54 or so, IIRC. This of course leaves a big pool of still-vigorous grandparents who can take on childcare. What I really covet is that free daycare...sigh. There's so much I miss about living in Italy. Not to even mention the food.

Aside from that, this site and its commenters absolutely rule. I read you almost every day. My son is going to grow up thinking Moxie is some kind of fabulous goddess (well, she IS, actually!) because in my house it's Ask Moxie this and Ask Moxie that. Don't know what I would do without you guys. I LOVE YOU.

[Allison]

I don't even remember now how I came across this site, but it's been in my daily reads list for well more than a year -- maybe two? After talking to some super-mainstream-let-the-media-tell-you-what-to-do types (i.e., don't use your head, ever) on the one side and the crunchier-than-thou types in some other places, this blog and its commenters were a breath of fresh air and I recommend it frequently. Heck, I recommended it to someone on the T-Tapp Forums yesterday, which is only appropriate since I found T-Tapp from your PPD posts!

Anyway, interesting about the stroller. I'm guessing yours finally gave it up from intense city-life use. That reminds me that I finally have a question I'd love to have the readers address: I'm moving to Vienna in a few months (we think in December), and we will be car-free for the three years we're there. As much as I'm looking forward to living in a real city with real-live public transport, it does mean I will need a killer stroller. My firstborn turns 3 in a few weeks, but is a stringbean (75th percentile height, 10th-25th weight). My second comes along in mid-March.

So, should I even consider a double, as old as my first will be by then? Right now, I'm leaning toward a Valco Runabout Tri-Mode with Toddler seat (spendy, yes -- but hey, it's replacing my car), and I'd love to hear what everyone has to say/suggest.

[hedra]

I'm weirder than you are! Nyah.

Definitely confused crunchy/alternative/mainstream mama, here! Minivan and organic milk/veggies, Lands End (and yearning for Hanna Andersson) and rain barrels for water conservation.

And I wish I could wear vests. I think they look cute (especially the fitted ones that are more feminine in cut along the top)... but no, they won't do it on me, I'd look like a nit. Or a git, is it a git?

I'm definitely Dory lately. Um, um, what was I doing? I don't remember!

[andrea]

I came across the site via other blogs when my twin girls (now 3.5 months) were a few weeks old. I bookmarked it without reading it and forgot about it. I was feeling pretty smug. "Sleep problems? Settling? Huh? All my girls need is a breastfeed to get to sleep!"

Ha!

I looked it up again a few weeks ago when they started doing the won't-nap-for-more-than-45-minutes thing. I had been to a day-stay sleep thingy and was about to have a meltdown because I believed their "must put the babies down to sleep when they're wide awake" advice. This site was a huge breath of fresh air. The girls are still doing crappy naps for the most part and so I'm still breastfeeding two hourly throughout the day (and getting a fair bit over it), but Moxie and her posters made me feel far more relaxed about the whole thing. Now the girls have gone from being great overnight - one waking for feeds about 2.30am and 5.30am and the other only about 5.30am - to one or the other waking me every single hour from about 1.30am, resulting in me shouting "stop it, stop it, just fall the f*k asleep" in the early hours of this morning. But after reading that other seemingly decent mothers have done similar things, I feel like a turd, but not a lone turd (!). I'm sleep deprived and getting to the end of my tether, but I think I would have been well off my tether if it wasn't for this site/community.

So: THANK YOU.

I did ask Moxie a question after the three of us had a meltdown at a shopping centre recently. I was paranoid she hadn't yet responded because she thought I was just a big sook (& I probably am), but 10-12 questions a day? I'll wait patiently. Thanks again.

[Nancy]

Love this site. Been reading since you started. In addition to the practical advice, you do this thing where you say something like "You are the perfect mother for your child" that makes me well up with tears and soothes my frightened, overwhelmed first-time mother soul.

[andrea]

PS. I second Nancy. In my worst moments (usually the middle of the night or when the girls have A Bad Day) I think that I am just not cut out for this mothering thing and there must be a lot of women out there who would make far better mothers for my children. Maybe not.

[Lee]

I have that Chicco and HATE it! Please reconsider, Moxie!

The buckle has broken twice, it's rickety compared to the Mac and just not nearly as smooth.

It's been sitting in my garage, unused, for almost two years. I'll be curious to hear your thoughts. My recommendation would have been to get another Mac, even if it's a used one.

[Emily]

A friend recommended this site to me about a year ago, and I was immediately drawn to all the posts on sleep because Z "still" hadn't made it all the way through the night at 15 months and wouldn't nap longer than 45 minutes at a time. I can't describe to you the relief I felt as I read Moxie's answers and all the helpful comments. I felt so calm and, most importantly, hopeful (emotions that were on short supply at that sleep-deprived time).

For me, there's nothing worse than feeling alone in my struggles as a mom, so knowing that there are others out there with the same issues (and they have *lived* to tell their tales!), is so immensely helpful to me.

I now check in every day, too, and am so grateful for all the support I've received here, just by reading along. Now that my little girl is potty training, I'm especially glad for the archived Potty Training Week posts!

Keep up the great work, Moxie! You're doing such an awesome service to all of us.

[Lisa]

Another big fan of Moxie and her commenters. The most incredibly supportive, respective, and wise group I've ever been a part of (or should I say safe, respectful, and kind?) In our house, whenever my partner and I are struggling with some parenting-esque thing, the refrain is "what does moxie say?" and not because THE answer is here from THE expert, but because of the hefty dose of real life and support that are in the archives and comments. I now give the ask moxie web address as part of all new baby gifts.

I have surprised myself with crunchiness, since in my work mode I've got a tough exterior (work in an inner city ER without flinching, proud recipient of the "potty mouth award" from my colleagues, for example). And here I am, co-sleeping, breastfeeding at 9 months, with about 6 different baby carriers in my house....and no stroller. I do wonder if the amazon sales of the stroller you linked are going to bump up now; you should get a commission! And maybe I need to get one.

I am also amazed that there's never been an insipid "mommy wars" debate here, which I find so refreshing.

On the sleep thing, somewhere in the archives Moxie once wrote that the way sleep is our generation's parenting obsession, feeding was for the generation before us. That was such a light bulb for me! My mother in law had been giving me (passive aggressive) grief for not feeding my child enough (that breastfeeding exclusively on demand thing that's not *real* nutrition like strained peas, you know). It went on and on for months, starting from age 2 months. And yet, when we let our son cry for 6 minutes one night (as part of the: is he a tension-releaser or a tension-gainer experiment), she thought we were nuts. "What's the big deal?" she wanted to know. "He's a baby; he'll sleep when he's ready." It was a bit of an epipheny for me....that all this expertise stuff is just the pendulum swinging back and forth and in the next generation, some new crop of baby experts will be hawking their pseudoscientific spiel on something else. Poop maybe?

Thanks, Moxie, for your incredibly supportive site.

[nib]

i just cannot express how empowering i think your site is for women and families. it's a godsend to find a space where moms are trusted, supported, and encouraged - regardless of silly details. i also am someone who reads your comments daily (it's the first i check), and have told every single new mom i know about your site. i think the readers are an incredibly bright, warm, and very funny group, and i am so grateful how kind people are with their thoughts and opinions.
so moxie, thank you from a mom who has needed to hear that someone else has been there, done that, said _____, cried about not feeling good enough, and still managed to love being a mom. you truly are fantastic!

[susan]

You've all said it perfectly! I adore this site. I love all the responses and Moxie's real-life words of peace and sanity. I've been soooo relieved, inspired and interested in everything posted here. a HUGE thanks.

[liz]

I love Moxie and the gang of supportive commenters here. I recommend you all the time to everybody with kids or contemplating kids.

No comment on the stroller, we just grew out of our Sit-n-stroll, which was the last thing we had of a stroller-variety. Anyone want a gently used sit-n-stroll?

Was Flushed Away from Pixar? If so, I wanna be Rita. Otherwise I wanna be Boo from Monster's Inc. I like her sense of style.

[Jessica]

Ditto on the supportive respectful friendly group of parents that frequent AskMoxie, I love y'all (there you go, giving away my several years in the south, but I'm really from the midwest) and Moxie yourself, well, you rock! You always manage to make me feel reassured and informed and yeah, the best mom for your kid comment always makes me tear up, too! I think I found you when I was pregnant with my son who's now 18months and possibly while researching PPD? Honestly I don't know because I've read so many of your archived questions, as well as asking a few of my own. Your answers and the community of commenters were truly supportive.

I wanted to respond to Allison re: the Valco. We have the Twin Tri-Mode with toddler seat which was one of the only options that would allow us to transport three kiddos and fit it in the car- pretty essential. I do love it, my only complaint is that it *does not* have a hand brake. It can get pretty heavy on the hills and when you add up 35lbs- stroller, plus 70lbs combined baby weight (approx.) it can be a challenge to counter-balance when walking down hills, and we have some steep ones in my neighborhood. That will be less of an issue for you with only two in it. I have it in Norway and it's great on all types of terrain. They *are* pricey though!

Finally, Moxie, I love your book recs. too, I just got the Ginott and the Hendrix books and dove right in. Now if I could only get the hubs to read them...

[Jenn]

Moxie has been added to my "favorites", and I have been faithfully visiting her everyday for the past month. She is my morning cup of coffee - I can't start my day without her! I stumbled on this blog searching for sleep answers, and that is how I got hooked. Thank you for your no-nonsense, practical approach to parenting. I always feel comforted by your answers to questions, and I love reading the responses from other moms out there. I feel like kindred spirits with everyone of you!

By the way, I just finished "Operating Instructions" b/c I saw it on your site, and I loved it too.

[Diane]

Hey, love that stroller! I'm in the market for a new one right now, and as orange is my husband's favorite color, this could do it. Let us know how you like it!

[Amy]

I love this place... no judgment... just good listeners with good advice.

[luolin]

I love Moxie too. I just emailed my husband the links to the posts on sleep regression and quick and dirty on sleep.

btw, there is a Culver's a mile from my house-will you visit?

[neutral]

you love the westing game!? that's awesome. one of my favourites as well.

[Aaron]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for enlightening me about sleep regression. My 4 month old all of a sudden decided she no longer wanted to sleep during the night a couple of weeks ago and I almost lost it. I googled 4 month old sleep and up pops Moxie. I bought The Wonder Weeks that day and it has helped put everything into perspective. My husband also stepped up to the plate and offered to give her a bottle for one of her night feeds. She seems to be back on track now, but having a little information about what might be going on certainly helped.