Claire Bidwell Smith

I’m suddenly very aware that the sand in the hourglass of my pregnancy is swiftly running out. Only six more weeks, which also means I’m entering that time when it feels like it could happen any day, although it’s highly likely that I’ll go until I’m actually full term (June 12). Greg and I have Read more…

Dear Baby, You’re almost here and I’m not sure I’ve written you even one letter yet. When I was pregnant with your sister I wrote to her weekly, reporting on the pregnancy, speculating on our future together, and describing the little life she was about to be part of with me and your father. But 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…

My aunt and uncle were in town from Cape Cod over the weekend (hence the lack of posting — I went straight from the SF trip into out-of-town guests) and my aunt brought me a bunch of old photos. There was a whole little album with pictures of my mother pregnant and bringing me home. Read more…

It’s Monday morning in Santa Monica, and somehow certifiably colder than all the other parts of the country that I usually don’t envy. The washing machine is humming and sputtering, I’ve had my one allotted cup of coffee for the day, Vera is at preschool, and I have a lengthy list of things to get Read more…

I woke up this morning determined to start feeling more positive about getting through the rest of this pregnancy. I also woke up sure that today marked 27 weeks, but alas, waiting in my inbox was my weekly email from BabyCenter with the headline 26 Weeks. All thoughts of bucking up and trying to focus Read more…

So much has been going on lately and it’s been hard to keep up. Most of it just has to do with juggling my normal life as a pregnant mom with all these books events and publicity. It’s a lot. I’m faring pretty well though. To illustrate, here are a jumble of thoughts, images & Read more…

Me, at twenty weeks. I just went back into the archives looking for a twenty week pregnancy photo from my pregnancy with Vera and came across this entry written on today’s date three years ago, instead. Turns out it was exactly what I needed to read. And here I am at twenty weeks with Vera, Read more…

As of today, I’m officially 12 weeks along in the pregnancy. The end of the first trimester. I’m decidedly bigger this time around than I was during my last pregnancy. Everyone tells me this is normal, but it’s still surprising. I’m pretty much relegated to maternity pants full-time now and I don’t even let myself Read more…