Synopses & Reviews
From the author of It Sucked and Then I Cried, creator of Dooce.com, and “Queen of the Mommy Bloggers” (The New York Times)—a collection of disarmingly honest, irreverent, and heartwarming letters that Heather wrote to her daughter, Leta, every month for the first seven years of her life.With more than 100,000 daily visitors, Heather’s website Dooce.com is the most popular autobiographical blog on the web. Now, Heather has collected the best of her wildly popular “Dear Leta” letters—which she began writing to her daughter the day before she turned eight weeks old—chronicling the ups and downs of motherhood with an irresistible blend of overwhelming emotion and sleep-deprived insanity.
This morning, I had to wake you up after three whole hours of sleeping soundly on your stomach, and when I rolled you over you had the cutest case of Binky Face, all mushed and covered in binky-shaped indentations. I wish they made Binky Face bread tins so that I could bake a loaf of banana bread in the shape of your sleeping profile, and then instead of trying to eat your chubby cheeks I could just eat the banana bread. That would probably be better for both of us.
For the next seven years, Heather continued to write a letter to Leta each month, and she posted them on her blog. With honesty and humility, the letters reveal the everyday miracles as Leta grows and develops—from the first time she holds a rattle, to her first steps…to her first curse word. The result is a hilarious and universally relatable account of motherhood: the intense love and despair, joy and frustration, and everything in between.
Synopsis
andnbsp;A motherand#8217;s love is unconditional: There are quiet snuggles, off-key sing-alongs, un-controllable belly laughs, and daily miracles that only a parent can understand. Heather Armstrong first wrote to her daughter when Leta was just eight weeks old. For the next five years, Heather wrote a letter every month, capturing the ups and downs of motherhood and chronicling the milestones and surprises of their lives together. These are letters that we wish we had written for our own children: disarmingly honest, self-deprecating, heartwarming, and irreverently funny. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;From the first time Leta holds a rattle; to her first steps; to her first curse word; to her excitement over becoming a big sister, andlt;Iandgt;Dear Daughter andlt;/Iandgt;is a heart-felt and hilarious ode to the wonders of parent-hood that will have mothers everywhere nodding, laughing, and wiping away tears. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;***andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;Dear Leta, andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;You have changed so much since that first morning you spent with us, a morning that altered my life so drastically that sometimes it still feels like Iand#8217;m catching my breath. I imagine that I wonand#8217;t ever stop feeling this way, wonand#8217;t ever stop having a portion of my brain dedicated to the thought of where you are and what youand#8217;re doing, wonand#8217;t ever be able to escape the constant, nagging hope that you are happy and fulfilled. My pulse is forever close to the surface because of you, because of my responsibility toward you, and I canand#8217;t thank you enough for the dimension that this has added to what it means to be alive.andlt;/Iandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Love, Mama
Synopsis
A mother’s love is unconditional: There are quiet snuggles, off-key sing-alongs, un-controllable belly laughs, and daily miracles that only a parent can understand. Heather Armstrong first wrote to her daughter when Leta was just eight weeks old. For the next five years, Heather wrote a letter every month, capturing the ups and downs of motherhood and chronicling the milestones and surprises of their lives together. These are letters that we wish we had written for our own children: disarmingly honest, self-deprecating, heartwarming, and irreverently funny.
From the first time Leta holds a rattle; to her first steps; to her first curse word; to her excitement over becoming a big sister, Dear Daughter is a heart-felt and hilarious ode to the wonders of parent-hood that will have mothers everywhere nodding, laughing, and wiping away tears.
***
Dear Leta,
You have changed so much since that first morning you spent with us, a morning that altered my life so drastically that sometimes it still feels like I’m catching my breath. I imagine that I won’t ever stop feeling this way, won’t ever stop having a portion of my brain dedicated to the thought of where you are and what you’re doing, won’t ever be able to escape the constant, nagging hope that you are happy and fulfilled. My pulse is forever close to the surface because of you, because of my responsibility toward you, and I can’t thank you enough for the dimension that this has added to what it means to be alive.
Love, Mama
About the Author
andlt;Bandgt;Heather B. Armstrongandlt;/Bandgt; is an American blogger who resides in andlt;st1:placeandgt;andlt;st1:cityandgt;Salt Lake Cityandlt;/ST1:CITYandgt;, andlt;st1:stateandgt;Utahandlt;/ST1:STATEandgt;andlt;/ST1:PLACEandgt;. She and husband Jon Armstrong have a daughter and two dogs: Former Congressman Henry "Buck" Chucklesworth, called Chuck, and Dame Eleanor Ritzford-Fitzsimons Puffs, a.k.a andlt;st1:placeandgt;Cocoandlt;/ST1:PLACEandgt;.