Penelope Illustration • Penelope Dullaghan

I don’t dance. I’ll just start with that. I’ve tried, mind you. Many a-time I’ve tried to get up on the dance floor and shake my groove thang. But, um, my groove thang just doesn’t shake all that well. Never has, really.
Middle school dances left me sitting on the bleachers waiting for my mom to [...]

You all are so kind and supportive. Thank you for your gentle words of encouragment and understanding. I should have wrote about the breast feeding problems sooner and found my support here. You all are wonderful. If I could, I’d have you all over for tea.
More posts coming soon… I’ve taken on a few jobs [...]

Veda, plumping up nicely at 2 months old.
The insomnia seems to have passed and I’ve been getting good hours of sleep the last few nights. I’m feeling much more sane — sane enough to finally write about this topic that I’ve been nervous to voice…
Breast feeding. And how it didn’t work for Veda and I.
Since [...]

(illustration for Duncan Baird’s “The New Secret Language of Dreams“)
I haven’t been sleeping at night. This may sound obvious with a newborn, but even when she’s sleeping peacefully, I lie awake with my mind spinning. I tumble over thoughts and problems and ideas and memories. It’s frustrating, to be sure. But I don’t know what [...]

Shari’s project, “Everyone Needs a Rock” is beautiful. I was happy when she invited me to be a part. I found my rock on a beach in south carolina. I miss that beach… oh yes.

Hi there!
Thank you for all the sweet comments and words of encouragement about Veda’s birth story. So weird that so many women go through the same thing for similar mysterious reasons. But it’s good to know that we’re not alone! I’m done grieving for my c-section route… it is what it is.
And I’m finally feeling [...]