Why Do I Blog?


I started Tall Babies as blog about pregnancy / parenting a baby / parenting two babies / parenting two kids.  Back in 2008, pregnancy and imminent parenthood was as novel as a trip to India, which I had blogged about for family, friends, and fellow Girl Scouts in 2007.  I thought Tall Babies (née Tall Baby?) would be a funny way to chronicle my pregnancy symptoms and to document the perils of being post-due.  At the time blogging was somewhat novel, and before “Mommy Blogs” became a predictable thing.  Then Silva arrived, and then Claire, and the blog became a record of the high and low points of parenting; ultimately, more about the high points — we Americans love happy endings, right?  

What made the blog work was the fact that in 2008 I had quit my job and moved 1,000 miles further from home just two months before becoming a mother, and just moments before I would go from being nonchalant about regular familial contact to really, really wishing I lived closer to family.  Suddenly the blog was a way to package and present my experiences for friends and family who were interested enough to bookmark the blog and visit it periodically.  I felt a new connection to my good childhood friend and Seattle-resident Lynette, a regular blog reader [she started her own kid blog, Cub of the Year, in 2010], and aunts and godparents scattered around the Midwest.  What was initially most rewarding — and still is — was the connection the blog engenders with loved ones across the country.
Today, more than six years since the launch of Tall Babies, I update the site about once a week.  I’m motivated to write a new post at developmental milestones, after special events and trips, to report exciting news, to document new patterns of normalcy, to record funny sayings for posterity, or to vent feelings of powerlessness.  A cute photo of an everyday occurrence can earn a post all its own while a major event sometimes gets overlooked and undocumented.  The blog is not a perfect historical record, and I think it’s more charming for it.
Until late 2013 I was home with my girls full-time, and I found refuge in visiting old blog photos and posts after bedtime, as they tend to showcase the good times and relegate the stressful moments to the ages.  As a working parent, I now visit the site every couple of days when I’m at work, generally when I’m missing my kids and looking forward to the next weekend together.  
I wonder what purpose Tall Babies will serve in the future.  Will my girls read it and learn about their past?  Will I look back at it when they are off raising kids of their own?   Should I have it printed to replace all of the scrapbooks I never made?   Will the blog be deleted forever when Google servers are someday hacked?  
It may not matter, ultimately, because, regardless of what happens, I’ve found joy in writing and a perspective on parenting that I may not have had without being a reluctant blogger.
 …(and if you are interested in poking around the site, send me an email at mcarlson77@gmail.com and I’ll add you to the reading list!)
 Connect with Molly Carlson
Right now I am passionate about:
1. Finding a way to cut down on my commute
2. Volunteering for Population Stabilization
3. Getting used to my new standing desk.
4. My favorite recipes sites right now: http://www.101cookbooks.com and http://smittenkitchen.com.

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