Whatcha Expecting?

Happy new year! This week, Kate and Claire are chatting New Year’s resolutions. What practices do they want to adopt in the new year? What are they really proud of accomplishing this past year? They discuss a few anti-resolutions (a concept Kate made up that Joe may or may not have qualms with), and make some controversial predictions for the new year. What will Anthony’s first word be? What bonkers trends will MomTok influencers come up with next? Celebrate the new year with your favorite MAMAS!

Weekly Plugs:

Honeycrisp apples

Mutsu apples

Sasha Eastham at Mizu Louis Licari Salon

Recording interviews with your kids

Editing, recording, post production and dad insights by Joe Leonardo.

Music by Christopher Morucci

Happy holidays! This week, Kate and Claire discuss their plans for the winter holidays with their families as new moms, and consider the role religion will play in their sons’ lives. Has Rodney been baptized? What kind of synagogue might Anthony be raised in? How do you negotiate the role of religion for your kids when two partners have different relationships to religion? You know, just some light, fun, simple topics! Come for the holiday cheer, stay for Claire’s Catholic school anecdotes. 

Weekly Plugs:

Our Lady of the Presentation 

Dreidel 

Planned Parenthood

Editing, recording, post production and dad insights by Joe Leonardo. 

Music by Christopher Morucci.

The doctor is in! This week, Kate and Claire chat with family medicine doctor, Dr. Rachel Tatz. They learn more about how to make the most of your doctor’s visit, and bring her their list of burning questions. What’s a medically riskier time, pregnancy or postpartum? What should new parents be more (or less) anxious about? What even IS family medicine? We’ll discuss these topics and more, including a few listener questions! Please note: Dr. Rachel’s commentary on this episode is not medical advice. For medical advice, please speak to your healthcare provider. 

Weekly Plugs:

Getting your car seat inspected

Hannukah

A nice pair of shoes   

Aunt Lynn!

Editing, recording, post production and dad insights by Joe Leonardo. 

Music by Christopher Morucci.

Ouch! This week, Claire and Kate discuss the ever important topic of boo boos. From head bonks to little finger cuts, they talk about the minor everyday injuries their sons are facing as they grow. They reflect on how physical danger was treated in their own childhoods, and how fragile they did or didn’t feel as a result. They consider what it’ll be like to have their kids out in the world as they get older, and how to manage risk without instilling too much of your own fear in your kids. Plus, tune in for Claire’s hot takes on gentle parenting (not so gentle)!

Weekly Plugs:

Lexapro

Ergo Baby Embrace Carrier

The Breather

Harmonicas

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Editing, recording, post production and dad insights by Joe Leonardo. 

Music by Christopher Morucci.

It’s a pizza party! This week, Kate and Claire recount recent adventures taking their babies out dining with them on (separate) outings for pizza. They chat about what makes a restaurant “baby-friendly”. When deciding whether to bring a baby with you out to dine, what do you owe to the other diners, to the staff, to your baby and to yourself? How do you divvy up the childcare duties when dining out with your partner? Hear all this and more — ahem — food for thought. Get it? We know you do, you brilliant listeners!

Weekly Plugs:

Solid Starts

Blooming Hill Farm

Sandra Boynton

American Revolution 

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Editing, recording, post production and dad insights by Joe Leonardo. 

Music by Christopher Morucci.

Season Two Episode Seven: The Thanksgiving Episode

Happy Thanksgiving! This week, Claire, Kate and Joe share heartwarming, mundane and/or capitalist anecdotes from Thanksgivings past. They reflect on the things they’re grateful for this year, and the ways in which gratitude seeps into life in a new way. They discuss strategies for attempting to be more mindful of the things they’re thankful for on a daily basis, and close out with a special list of gratitude plugs. Did Joe do his plugs wrong, or is he maybe the only one who did them right? You be the judge!

Gratitude Plugs:

Leaning on family

Cleverly deployed screen time 

Having moments for yourself 

Supportive partner 

Mom friends 

Pediatricians

(Honorable Mention) Protein bars 

Getting to re-live and shape childhood 

Loving unconditionally 

Laughing at farting 

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Editing, recording, post production and dad insights by Joe Leonardo. 

Music by Christopher Morucci.

This week, Claire and Kate are talking about everyone’s favorite time – naptime! They reflect on the unique challenges of putting a baby down to sleep for a nap vs. letting them fall asleep on you for a contact nap. “Should” you cherish all the contact naps you can, or “should” you make sure you put your baby down so they don’t come to rely on you to fall asleep? Joe shares his trick to help stay in the present for these fleeting moments, and no one’s surprised that it may or may not make everyone cry. 

Weekly Plugs:

Butterfly kisses (the song and the act)

Central Park in fall

Harlem Meer

Richard Kind

Contact naps

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Editing, recording, post production and dad insights by Joe Leonardo. 

Music by Christopher Morucci.

This week, Kate and Claire reflect on the developmental milestones their babies are expected to have reached by their respective ages. Fresh off a doctor’s appointment with a questionnaire that felt like a pop quiz, Claire wonders what it says about her as a mom that she didn’t know the answer to every question. They talk through the pros and cons of various apps and books that walk you through the different developmental stages, and how easy it is to obsess over one milestone or another (spoiler alert: it’s very easy). 

Weekly Plugs:

Verdello

Baby Sparks

Your Baby’s First Year

Reese’s Pumpkins 

Burt’s Bees Burp Cloths 

Contact Naps 

Cold Mist Humidifier

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Editing, recording, post production and dad insights by Joe Leonardo. 

Music by Christopher Morucci.

Season Two Episode Four: Social Smiles

This week, Kate and Claire are seeing their sons’ personalities emerge. What makes them smile? How early on did they smile? What parts of Kate and Claire (for better or for worse) are they seeing in their sons? And how much of all this are they actually just projecting while their babies are just…being babies? With kids aged nine months old and two months old, Kate and Claire are both taking joy in the details of who their sons are in this moment. Joe reflects on his kids’ personalities and shares which elements existed from the early days. Listen to the end for some unexpected (mis)information about Vaseline!

Saline Drops

Vaseline

Aquaphor

Metal baby keys

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Editing, recording, post production and dad insights by Joe Leonardo. 

Music by Christopher Morucci.

This week, Kate and Claire talk about the early days of caring for their babies — how they structure routines, scheduled feeds vs. feed on demand, and when sleep may (or may not) happen. They dive into the concept of the newborn “trenches” and whether or not this controversial term fits this unique stage. They brainstorm a few alternate terms and debate which subway tunnels may be a better descriptor of the experience. Claire talks about what life looks like now that she’s out of that tunnel, and Kate says some profound stuff, as always!

Gap Baby

Sleepea Baby Swaddle

Sarah & Duck

How to be a Saint by Kate Sidley

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Editing, recording, post production and dad insights by Joe Leonardo. 

Music by Christopher Morucci.