Claire Bidwell Smith

Being a mother is never something I imagined for myself. Inside all the things I’ve dreamed of becoming in my life (a veterinarian, a marine biologist, a poet, a nurse, a therapist, an author), mother was never among them. When I made the decision a few years ago that I did, in fact, want a baby Read more…

A definite shift is occurring in my little part of the world. An internal turning, as only must happen when one is seven months pregnant. I’m alone in the house right now, for the first time in many days. It’s funny how used to not being alone, a person can become. Vera was on spring Read more…

I have a new interview and excerpt from Rules up on TNB today. If you recall, The Nervous Breakdown is the literary website through which I met my husband. He was already a writer for it when I joined back in 2007. He was living in Chicago and I was living in Los Angeles and Read more…

Greg and I were married three years ago today on Cape Cod. There is an entire album of our wedding photos here, but my favorite photo to this day from that weekend is this one of us taken the day after the wedding. We’re standing in the waves on Bank Street Beach, a place I’ve Read more…

Four years ago I made a decision that completely changed my life. I was on Cape Cod for my grandmother's funeral and instead of flying home to Los Angeles afterwards like I was supposed to, I changed my flight on a whim so that I could stop in Chicago and meet a guy named Greg Read more…

Greg and I went out last night to the Hoyt's opening downtown at Hotel 71. I wore a cute dress and we sipped cocktails and gazed out the window at the city skyline. Sometimes I forget how to be just me and Greg, but sometimes I remember, and it's perfect.

Dear Vera, Today is Valentine's Day and you are 20 months old. I told your dad last week that, in no uncertain terms, I'm not interested in Valentine's Day. I reminded him again this morning. No flowers or cards, okay? I didn't get you anything. Got it. Of course, I added, if you're into it Read more…

Greg is a fantastic father in so many ways, but the parenting skill of his that I am most in awe of is his innate desire to teach Veronica things. I credit her large vocabularly and her ability to instantly pick up new words entirely to him. I feel so lucky to be co-parents with Read more…

For all you who said that Veronica and I look alike based on yesterday's pictures, you'll probably have to rescind now. Behold, Greg's baby pictures:

I always cringe now when I hear someone on a TV show (or God forbid, real life) say something about how they want to have a baby so that it will bring their marriage back around. Having a baby didn't really ruin my marriage, but it sure did change it. Greg and I had only Read more…