2009 is the year I really started to pay attention to the parenting blogosphere. Oh sure, I was pregnant in 2008, but I only really liked reading the blogs of other moms pregnant with their first, which doesn’t provide an accurate depiction of what’s going on in general. This year, I like to think that — particularly due to Twitter — I’ve gotten a lot more well-rounded in the blogs I read, the people I interact with, and the news I hear. Here, in no particular order, are what I think were the biggest stories of 2009:
BlogHer ‘09
This conference spawned many a blog post, both before and after the event, as well as its own spin-off for those of us who couldn’t get there — BlogHer@Home. From the anticipation of what to wear to meet Tim Gunn to the Nikon party drama to swag whore behaviour to the aftermath of attendees recapping their experiences, talk of BlogHer ‘09 dominated the summer.
Maytag-gate
When Dooce’s Maytag washing machine crapped out, everyone heard about it. Some people were pissed that she was “bullying” the company, others thought it was all overblown melodrama, and some were completely on her side. In the end, though, a women’s shelter ended up getting some new appliances, and I think we can all agree that’s awesome.
Maddie (& Binky)
Madeline Spohr’s passing devastated the parenting blogosphere. I don’t know of a single mother who heard this story and didn’t feel instant compassion for Heather and Mike and deep, abiding sorrow — and love — for Madeline. The founding of Friends of Maddie, a charity in her memory that provides support to families with babies in the NICU, has provided a way for everyone to continue showing their love for this beautiful little girl who left us too soon. Heather’s pregnancy with Maddie’s little sister, dubbed Binky, has been avidly followed and cheered on, and we can’t wait to read about her in 2010.
Nic & the TSA
In October, blogger Nic White tweeted and blogged frantically about how TSA agents in Atlanta took her son out of her sight for ten minutes. Parents were up in arms – how could such a thing happen? It was terrifying! An abuse of power! Err… not so much. The next day, the TSA began sending out links on Twitter to a video that almost completely contradicted Nic’s story. Some of us were angry at and hurt by Nic’s (apparent) lies; some supported her unwaveringly; some were concerned about how this reflected on bloggers as a whole. Altogether, though, it was a really messy happening that strained, and in some cases broke, friendships.
Stellan
In July, Twibbons began appearing on people’s avatars for a little boy named Stellan. He was having heart troubles and was in the hospital in critical condition. We worried for him, we hoped for him, we prayed for him, and he emerged from his troubles victoriously. Then, in November, he had a successful emergency procedure performed on his heart that has, hopefully, cured his ills and left him a healthy, strong little boy.
Anissa
In mid-November, Anissa Mayhew suffered a stroke. The amount of support that poured out for her was (and remains) incredible. 130 bloggers showed their love for her in an incredibly touching video and there have been countless blog posts and tweets praying for her, as well as an online auction to raise funds for her medical expenses. Her recovery has been incredible thus far and we’re all looking forward to hearing from her in the new year.
Aiming Low
Related to Anissa, she founded Aiming Low, a website with an all-star roster of female bloggers dedicated to being “perfectly not-perfect exactly as you are“.
Nestle Boycott
Spurred by the list of attendees of the Nestle Family conference, Annie of PhD in Parenting (whose influence makes her practically a top story in and of herself) spearheaded a movement to raise awareness of a Nestle boycott that has existed since the 70s in response to their formula marketing practices. At Halloween, the #boonestle hashtag was established to help tweeps show their support for and/or participation in the boycott.
Military Mom
In December, Shellie Ross experienced the loss of her two year old son by drowning, a tragic event bookended by tweets. News outlets and other bloggers called her monitoring of her son into question, but some were quick to show their support for her through her grief.
Honourable mentions:
The first Type-A Mom Conference
Twitter parties (in particular #GNO)
Books – The Mominatrix’s Guide to Sex, Kirtsy Takes a Bow, The Pioneer Woman Cooks
What did I miss? What were some stories of 2009 that you found to be particularly powerful?
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