Girl's Gone Child: All Grown Up and Doubling Her Brood

By Lexi Green
May 4, 2011

Out of all the mommy blogs out there, Girl's Gone Child distinguishes itself as a beacon of young motherhood. As the story goes, in 2003 Rebecca Woolf was a self-described free-spirited, somewhat irresponsible 23-year-old living in Los Angeles. When she learned she was unexpectedly pregnant, she decided to keep the baby and eloped to Las Vegas with her then-boyfriend, who was the father of her child. When her son, Archer, was born in 2005, this would-be mommy blogger launched Girl’s Gone Child as a way to document her journey through motherhood. With a voice that was at once humorous, heartfelt, and sometimes raw, Rebecca Woolf took readers through her experiences as a new wife and parent with someone “who was practically a stranger.”

Six years later, blogger Rebecca Woolf is continuing to define her own version of motherhood. Her son, Archer, daughter, Fable, 2 ½, and husband, Hal (who is, needless to say, no longer a stranger), figure prominently in Girl's Gone Child posts that touch on family, food, music, style and the little life moments that make our hearts sing.

You would think that one pregnancy surprise would have been enough for mom blogger Rebecca Woolf. However, on March 10, she announced to the faithful readers of Girl's Gone Child that she was pregnant. With twins. She and Hal had only "sort of been trying" to have a third child. But here she is finding support and encouragement from her blog readers as she poignantly describes navigating the world of her growing family—and posting regular belly pics that can generate comments that number in the hundreds.

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, we decided to touch base with top blogger Rebecca Woolf. She filled us in on her favorite things about being both a mother and a daughter, how multiples run in her family, and how eBay used to be a serious addiction.

Girl's Gone Child, a Sampler

Previous Next

Three: On March 10, Woolf announced she was expecting twins! Her post was met with a whopping 500 comments.
Fifteen Weeks: Woolf posts weekly pics of her growing belly.
Eat Well: What to Bring to Easter Brunch: Woolf's mom authors a column on Girl's Gone Child called "Eat Well" in which she posts recipes and gorgeous photos.
Snail: Woolf writes about her daily family life with humor and sweetness. Here, she captures a small but meaningful moment of her children examining a snail.

The Inside Source: Could you tell us about how the Girl's Gone Child mommy blog got its start?

Rebecca Woolf: I originally started a blog in 2002 called “The Pointy Toe Shoe Factory.” It was mainly about traveling, culture, fashion and dating in Los Angeles. I was in a very different place in my life. After I had Archer in 2004 I felt that I needed to start a new website, and so Girl’s Gone Child began.

The Inside Source: You wrote a book called “Rockabye: From Wild to Child” in 2007. Archer is now 6 and your daughter Fable is 2 ½. How do you feel things have changed since then?

Rebecca Woolf: The site is a completely different site now. To be honest, I can’t even go back into the archives of the blog and I haven’t read the book since it first came out. When I had Archer, I wasn’t really wanting, or ready, or prepared to be a parent. There was a lot of angst, a whole lot of “oh-woe-is-me.” I was also in a much different place with my husband. We were practically strangers. Now, we are like a rock and I feel like I am in a very happy, healthy, productive place. It can be strange going back.

The Inside Source: How have your ideas on being a parent changed?

Rebecca Woolf: At first I was trying really hard to rebel against what it meant to be a parent. Now, looking back the idea of trying to rebel as a parent is worse than accepting the rules and making them your own! You need to find yourself on your own terms rather than feel like you need to do whatever everyone else is doing.

Girl's Gone Child

family photos: Rebecca Woolf; husband, Hal; son, Archer; and daughter, Fable

The Inside Source: It seems like there is a “mommy bloggers club” out there with all the mommy blogs on the web. What has that meant to you?

Rebecca Woolf: I think one of the reasons that mommy blogs have succeeded so well is because motherhood is very isolating. Having all of these other voices out there means you can find other people really quickly who can relate to you. It’s an invisible support group that you really can’t get anywhere else.

The Inside Source: You have different columns on your Girl's Gone Child blog. One column covers music, another your “life story” and your mom even has a column where she talks about “eating well.” Do you have a favorite thing to write about?

Rebecca Woolf: I really like having the different columns because it adds structure to the chaos that can be a blog. My mom loves posting to the site and I love that she is soo into it! She calls me four hundred times a week it seems to tell me what she is cooking. And it’s really fun for both of us. I also really love the days where I have nothing to post and I can write whatever I want. I love that Girl’s Gone Child is constantly changing and that it is constantly changing me. It is an extension of me, but it is also an extension of my whole family and I love that.

The Inside Source: Well, since Mother’s Day is approaching and you are a mommy blogger, what is one of your favorite things about being a mother?

Rebecca Woolf: I really love just learning from my kids. I love people in general and to me there are no two people more fascinating than my children. I really feel like I was lost before I had kids. I wrote something a while ago where I said, “Motherhood doesn’t define me, but motherhood has given me the opportunity to define myself.” I am a better person because I am learning from them every day. It is so inspiring to watch them grow.

The Inside Source: What is your favorite thing about being a daughter?

Rebecca Woolf: My mother is one of the most important things in my life and my best friend for sure. I talk to her a thousand times a day. She is always there and she always has been. I wrote a post that encapsulates our relationship perfectly. The post tells the story of how I was in Europe years ago writing my mother these ridiculous emails about the inappropriate things I was doing while traveling. She gave me these emails recently and I read through them and was absolutely mortified. As I was reading back over the letters, I kept on thinking how my mother never once said to me, “Get yourself back here” or “What are you doing!?” She never judged me. She always made me feel supported and loved me no matter how immature I was acting. I feel like hopefully I am a good parent because my mom was and is a good parent. And I hope I can foster the same kind of support with my children.

The Inside Source: And now you are about to have twins! How do you feel?

Rebecca Woolf: I am so excited now. Once the initial terror wore off—and I really was terrified—I became thrilled. It was actually scarier than finding out I was pregnant with Archer. I know it sounds weird, but suddenly your instincts feel off. You go from “having a baby” to suddenly having two and you didn’t even realize it! I feel like there are two girls, but again, I might be totally off!

Girl's Gone Child

The Inside Source: And multiples run in your family, right?

Rebecca Woolf: Yes! My grandmother is a triplet. And of course when she was growing up her family was living in New York City and didn't have much. I keep reminding myself whenever I get stressed that people have been doing this forever with far less than we have.

The Inside Source: As you ready your house for your new babies, is there anything you feel a new mom should absolutely have?

Rebecca Woolf: A point and shoot camera! Everyone thinks they want a huge fancy camera, but when you have a baby you want less stuff while still capturing the memories that happen so quickly.

The Inside Source: How would you describe the style of your home?

Rebecca Woolf: I would describe my own aesthetic as being an eclectic, eccentric, collage-y feel. It is really important for me to be surrounded by meaningful things that tell stories. I am a fan of older things—old homes and antiques. I am also building a collage in my house right now of lots of artifacts and antiques—things that have meaning to me. And I absolutely love thrifting.

The Inside Source: Do you ever use eBay online auctions for thrifting and collecting?

Rebecca Woolf: I used to be a hardcore eBay shopper! I was honestly kind of addicted for a little while. I would get so addicted to the bidding war! I have some really great pieces of jewelry from eBay. My favorite purchase is a pair of Yves Saint Laurent pointy toe pumps. They are probably one of the only things that remain from that time in my life and I really love them!

(images courtesy of Girl's Gone Child)

With two babies in her belly, Woolf returned to her old stomping grounds to shop for nursery decor.

Roll over items for details

Bloom Baby Alma Crib

(buy it now price, $389.99)

Anthropologie Carved Jungle Bird Rug

(buy it now price, $159.99)

Dwell Dragonfly Petal Crib Bedding Set

(buy it now price, $360)

Dwell Studio Hippo Crib Bedding

(buy it now price, $20)

Les Fables de La Fontaine, Vol. 1

(buy it now price, $47)

Archer Prewitt, Wilderness

(buy it now price, $16.98)

Mid-Century Bent Plywood Rocking Horse

(buy it now price, $200)

Girl's Gone Child: All Grown Up and Doubling Her Brood

1. Bloom Baby Alma Crib: "I would love to get two Bloom Baby Alma Cribs in cappuccino to match the brown furniture in the nursery. I like the sleek design. I also like that Bloom products are environmentally friendly. Nice work, Bloom!"

2. Anthropologie Carved Jungle Bird Rug: "I love Anthropologie's rugs so much and this is perfect for the twins' nursery. It is bright and cheerful and happy, which is the aesthetic I'm going for. Also, butterflies and toucans always win."

3. Archer Prewitt, Wilderness: "Framed Records featuring children’s' names. As not to giveaway the names we've picked, here are records featuring Archer and Fable's names."

4. Dwell Studio Hippo Crib Bedding: "For boys, how about the hippo print?"

5. Les Fables de La Fontaine, Vol. 1

6. Dwell Dragonfly Petal Crib Bedding Set: "This dragonfly bedding would look especially lovely with the butterfly/toucan rug, no?"

7. Mid-Century Bent Plywood Rocking Horse: "Our house is a collision of old and new, and the nursery will be the same way. I love this rocker: it is warm and kind and looks well loved.

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