How we celebrate our family’s different cultures // Q&A [CC] 

Rupert signing 'mama' for you to come check on him is one of the sweetest things I've ever heard! 🥺❤ what a sweetheart!

Claudia and Rupert quarrelling about the buttons has me literally laughing out loud. That's been me and my daughter for about... well, she's nine now, so nine years. Yup! It never gets easier but it always stays fun to have an independent copy-paste.

Bilingual children babbling in both languages has to be the cutest thing ever.

hearing about rupert signing is just the most wholesome thing ive ever heard. its so rare for kids to actually get educated in sign from a young age and seeing a baby learn it in the way they would learn any other language makes my heart soar 🥺

Hey, I was raised in a very conservative, fundamentalist religion that is very anti-queer, and so when I realized I was queer my whole life came tumbling down beforey eyes and I couldn't see a future for myself. Then I found your channel and watched the "we're pregnant" video and saw a very happy queer marriage having a baby and it felt like there might be hope. Thank you so much for being who you are and making videos about what some might call your "atypical" life. It's helped me and so many others find support in a community when we couldn't find it in our own. Thanks so much 💖💖💖

I love the detail of "if we have a blond child, that child will not get all THESE traditions and no others". My wife is ojibwe-welsh, and I'm french, and our oldest takes after her but our youngest is the palest blondest little girl you've ever seen, and that affects her being ojibwe not at all.

Next time Claudia joins you for a Q and A, I wonder if she can give some tips for self care/mental health for the able bodied and "capable" types. Sometimes, being in that role can be quite scary and produce anxiety because people you love who may be more vulnerable are relying on you and you're afraid to make a mistake.

I’m literally crying about him signing “Mama.” I can’t 😭😭😭

I'm not disabled at all but it was very much a shock feeling the weight of a baby in my arms. We have 2 cats and one of them is about 16lbs and before we had our baby he felt very heavy to lift and tote about the house. But now, after carrying around a 15 month old from car to house, and around the house, and up the stairs, etc, lifting him(the cat) is like nothing at all. It's funny how the body adapts to changes like that.

Honestly even if one of the parents isn't hard of hearing I find the idea to teach a child the most basic sign so neat?! I'm sure it makes communication for basics things easier since they can't yet talk

Been here lurking for a long time but I love your content and in my worst times your channel has been a source of great comfort so thank you, and keep doing what you do

Honestly I find it incredible that ruperts able to communicate so clearly already because I think society just assumes that babies cant communicate at all until they can talk but it seems teaching them sign language shows babies are a lot smarter than we think

First, I love that dress, is it new? I don't feel like I've seen it before. Second, a very heartfelt thank you for your content. Your videos helped me get diagnoses for both my CFS/ME and POTS. If I hadn't already been watching your channel before the onset of my symptoms, I'm positive I would have been far more freaked out about the whole ordeal. You're also just generally a delight to watch and I love every time new videos pop up. Thanks for being a shining example that life with chronic illnesses or disabilities doesn't have to be drab and dreary.

That story about him signing 'mama' over and over melted my heart, ahhhh! I'm so glad he's coming along with sign language so well.

Roo signing I love you when falling asleep melted my heart. How cute🥰

Hearing about Rupert's little mannerisms and the love he clearly feels for you two and that you two feel in return fills me with a ridiculous amount of happiness. Wishing you all health and joy

I'm a mixed kid too. My dad is Mexican and my mom is Scottish and German. Growing up with multiple cultures can be complicated but it was also wonderful!

My close friend's daughter has had a milk protein allergy since infancy that was really severe, but fortunately as she has gotten older it has gotten a little better. And part of this was that when she got to be a little older they started doing oral immunotherapy (under the supervision of a specialist physician, of course), which was at the time really new for milk protein allergies but now is becoming more common. It was life changing. She went from spiking a high fever for three days and having other serious symptoms from a small exposure to dairy to now being able to have a small exposure without much of a reaction. Which is to say she still has to avoid dairy but it's no longer as scary as it was. In any case hopefully by the time Rupert is a little older there will be some ways to manage the allergy and help make reactions from accidental exposures less severe.

Wow what a gift to have Rupert be able to communicate with you so young, as opposed to verbal communication at 12+ mo. So wonderful you have taught him so young. He'll be so fluent by toddlerhood.

thank you so much for speaking about agoraphobia related to the lockdowns! even though i don't have problems following the "rules" of being out during covid, being inside for so long without that many people caused a huge shock to my anxiety once i started in-person uni classes again. i never realized how scary it would be to be in large groups again. i haven't heard a lot of other people talking about dealing with this, so i really appreciate your openness

Loved your answer to my question. I think in America in particular, where I am, it can be pretty common for mixed people to feel "not enough" since culture seems very tied to ethnicity here. So I really like your approach of separating culture from ethnicity and tying it more directly to the family unit.

A tip I have learned as a disabled parent who is breastfeeding is to breastfeed while laying down (so long as I am alert and awake enough for this to be safe). It has made a huge difference so far in my pain levels and fatigue. Best of luck!

Why did Claudia mowing the lawn before she gave birth make me laugh so much😂 I aspire to be her.

Hi Jessica! I don’t know if you’ll see this, but if you do, I would love to recommend you learn about adoptee trauma and the nuances behind adoption before electing to adopt. This is coming from an adoptee; there are things my parents did not take into consideration before adopting which could have been prevented had they done more research. (It would definitely had saved me loads of time in therapy and trying to understand why I was battling with mental illnesses, just to point out a couple). If you’ve read this, thank you so much for taking the time to hear me out, I only wanted to pass along information I wish someone had told my parents. This is in no way a reflection of how poorly I think you’d be adoptive parents (because I see how absolutely wonderful you are with Rupert), but is a reflection of how our society perceives adoption and the business behind adoption.

So happy ya'll had a wonderful trip. YAY. Rupert being able to sign at 7 months is astounding, I congratulate you two Mums for giving your son a great gift. For me, it seems like it's been much longer period of time since Claudia was hiding her bump, the Rupert bump! Such a sweet beginning for him, all your hard work is paying off and you should be proud. Thanks for the update.

You’re the first person I’ve heard talk about the massive anxiety about the changing rules !!!! I’m autistic and where going outside was hard before, its so much harder now. Thank you endlessly for being so open about it

Awwww Roo's developed his own contexts for alerting to a nappy change. That is just the cutest thing.

I love hearing about Rupert's little personality developing! So sweet! Especially the details about him signing "I love you" when he goes to sleep!

'I think I'm tanned' Awww, Jessica...whatever you say...

I have a different sort of disability (ADHD/autism) and I absolutely understand the thing about not really knowing what the rules are, especially when it comes to leaving the house and interacting with different spaces. Agoraphobia sucks

I love how proud Jessica is of her muscle!! Reminiscent of Rosie the Riveter.

Jessica, you're the sweetest mother, Rupert is soooo lucky to have you, and also Claudia obviously! We can really feel your love for him in these videos

"Genes are like Skittles." - Jessica Kelgren-Fozard 2022

I'm not even married and I'm already practicing sign language to check it off my goals list so i can talk to babies and help them understand a world I never got to know.

I am a girl with autism and how you described you're Argo phobia I related so much! I'm always terrified to go somewhere new for the same reasons, where do I need to be, how much time do I need to get there, what are the rules, what if I do something wrong and not know till someone gets mad etc etc. It has taught me to ask for help so I can remove as much uncertainty as possible for some peace of mind. Still very stressful but it's getting better 😊 Oh, and welcome home! ❤️

Pretty sure I could listen all day to you talk about his language development. Your gushing makes me sooo happy. As a parent, I know those feelings and it’s so precious to see those connections.

All three of our kids had CMP allergies, but the oldest was anaphylactic. Yes, they make EpiPen Jrs for a 9mo 🥺. They all eventually outgrew it, the younger two by 2yo and the oldest at 8yo.

I had a sudden flash forward to Rupert as a teenager having debates with Claudia 😆 Also, I'm learning BSL, if you can get the camera angle right, could you film a BSL storytime please? Maybe with a voice-over and/or subtitles in English? I've found your little snippets showing Rupert's signs so far really helpful. I've learnt more, change and nappy from you (although I don't know any babies, so not sure how helpful the last one is right now 😆).

I'm amazed that Rupert says when he needs changing, my daughter is 3 and still doesn't 😅 just this week she's started saying it a bit more but for ages she would always just hide or say she didn't need changing if we asked. We ended up being pretty late to start toilet training her because all the advice was to start when they have awareness of needing changing and I had no idea if she did!

You inspire me to ignore what people may think of my fashion now I feel more free to wear my style of clothing not anyone else's

This was so enjoyable Jessica. laughed out loud quite a bit at the face off between Claudia and Roo... 😂😂 Thank you.

Children are so intelligent and sponges. I’m so glad you are investing in his knowledge in so many areas. He’s going to be a great adult person one day 🥺♥️

I love how much effort you and Claudia put into communicating with Rupert and teaching him to communicate with you, obviously teaching him to sign is a necessity but even just in terms of how much attention you pay to his attempts to communicate. My mum always talked to me (pretty much from birth) and so many people acted like she was wasting her time insisted that basically ignoring kids until they're almost teenagers is normal. It's great to hear about how much effort you guys are putting in and how you guys are benefiting from it and are getting to watch his personality develop.

I'm currently seeking a diagnosis for EDS and POTS, and am already diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease. I have scar tissue and nerve damage on my spinal cord, and watching your journey with motherhood has really given me the courage to attempt it myself. I have a strong support like Claudia, too. You both give me so much hope!

Please give us ALL the videos. We love you and Claudia. Thank you for the information you impart to us in the way that you do. You’re funny, amazingly beautiful and extremely intelligent. Love everything about this channel x

I won't be the least surprised that Rupert starts talking early as well. I read to my boys compulsively but my eldest couldn't speak without speech therapy. My youngest went with me to take my oldest to therapy twice a week (my older son has vocal dyspraxia as did I and my younger brother, and was not speaking intelligible words at 24 months). The baby would sit in his little carrier with me beside him or in my lap and I would orient him to watch his brother and the therapist through a one way mirror, from 2 weeks of age on and the baby started saying mama and other words at 4 months. His pediatrician didn't really believe me until I took him for his check up and he tried to get his own bottle from his baby bag as she was undressing him, and then said "mama, bottle!" while looking at me and trying to roll toward it and grab. He gave her a stink-eye as well, cause yeah, he and I have the same personality.

Claudia and Roo having a face off cracks me up. He really has such great parent unit between you two. He's probably going to want to take care of his poor mummy whenever he's older and you aren't doing well.

I just teared up when you told all those sweet little baby stories. Thank you for sharing. You two are both such kind parents.

I'm studying psychology and I want to learn sign language to be able to communicate with deaf or hard of hearing patients, and seeing what an amazing communication tool it is with babies motivates me even more !

Listening to you gush about Claudia 🥺😭 my hearttttt

Having a fiercely independent daughter (now 7), who has always been so, right from very small, I did chuckle at the buttons battle between Rupert and Claudia 😆

Totally fascinated by baby babbling in sign as well with their mouth! Recently saw a Deaf TikToker with their baby and wondered about Rupert as I hadn’t looked in for a while. Cognition is cool!

Rupert sounds like such a precious little boy! It's so cute he signs I love you for goodnight!!!!

As a fellow ginger, I feel the sentiment of "I think I'm tan" in my bones.

The linguist in me finds your sign language and spoken language chat incredibly fascinating!! (And adorable obviously!) I would absolutely love to watch any updates you have in that department and also how you manage spoken and signed together (do you speak and sign at the same time or do you just sign the books?), as well as whether you use any baby versions of the signs. Thank you for everything you share and are 💖

How cute,,, the signing and air plane trip! and perfectly signing momma, I'd have gone to him too! my heart melted so much!

Rupert is so lucky to have two such adoring moms! My wife and I aren't in a financially stable enough place just yet to even consider bringing a child into our lives, but when that day comes, your videos have already sparked so much inspiration in how we hope to care for our little ones :)

Always the sickest fits from jessica

The way your family views and treats culture is beautiful ❤️

That hat is amazing!

the sweetest, most heart-warming video ever !!!

that was so cute thank you so much

Lovely video!! Thank you!

Love your stories! Thank you for sharing with us

Absolutely loved the video and can’t wait for the travel vlog 💜

Oh my god! It was so wholesome to learn about both yours and Claudia’s relationship with Roo!! As a fresh mum, it’s really emotional. I’ve literally shed a tear at his signing abilities! 🥰🥰

OMG the I love you sign as he falls asleep.. just too cute! 😍

Not really related to this specific video, but I love how peaceful and positive your channel is! It's a very welcome respite from the intensity of everything right now.

Such a lovely and wholesome video! Love seeing you like that, such an awesome momma!! 🥰

Such a lovely and heartwarming video, Jessica! And your dress is gorgeous

As someone with mixed heritage, I know it's not new, but I think there are more people now who share that experience, which is helping me to understand my own.

i love your videos so much thankyou for being such an inspiration to everyone

I’m a blonde ginger girl myself, and the closest I’ve ever gotten to having a tan I had a delicate golden glow about me. I’m actually so pale that my family jokes all the time that I’m secretly a vampire.

Omg!!! Just starting this video! I’m so glad you’re addressing your family’s different cultures, I’ve been wondering about that for a while!!!! 💖💖💖💖💖💖

It's great to see you so happy. I'm sure you both are the most wonderful moms

I just love hearing how well parenthood is going!!!!

Glad you’re posting and love hearing about all his milestones. Glad you’re all doing well. Stay safe and happy..

you are glowing! love to see you smile 😊

Jessicas halo looks delightful.

That’s so cute how he signs mama. And that’s great that you’ve been able to teach him that way of communicating he’s probably way more advanced than most children of age since they can’t talk yet

OMG overflowing with love for you and your family! ❤❤❤

I had a rough morning shift at work today and this video made my afternoon. I feel a little better. I love your videos!

YOUR FAMILY IS SO PRECIOUS! I''m dying at these babble stories omg rupert you are so royal

This is too cuteee. How is being this cute even legal omg. Best wishes for you and your little family.

I’m so in love with your little family. thank you for sharing all of this with us!!! happy lunar new year!

My heart! ❤️ Oh my, so precious

Watching the evolution of the different personalities in your family is a joy.

Listening to you express your adoration for your wife and son is so uplifting.❤

Yay so happy to see you and your videos again! Watching your videos just makes me so happy, and I was smiling all throughout, but the part about Rupert signing Mama.... I want to cry 😭 he's so adorable, and the way you talk about growing with Claudia in parenting, it all makes me so so excited to have kids one day!! Thank you so much for being the representation of a two-moms family that I didn't know I needed so badly

This video had me smiling so much. There's so much love in your family and it's very sweet. Thank you for sharing.

Loved this video! You talking about Rupert and about the way you and Claudia parent never ceases to interest me. And most of all - your dress is absolutely gorgeous!

Love your positivity.

It’s absolutely wonderful to hear the love in your voice when talking about Claudia and Roo, heartwarming

Omg i need more Rupert signing stories. Those are so precious!! I hope you are recording some of that for yourselves to reminisce on in the future:)

Regarding the genetics discussion, here's a breakdown of my understanding of it: Some traits are primarily affected by a few big-impact genes. These traits can have dominant and recessive and codominant phenotypes caused by how the alleles of those big-impact genes interact. For example, hair color in people of European ancestry is predominantly determined by what allele of the MC1R gene you have. One allele causes dark hair, one causes light yellowish hair, and one causes reddish hair. The dark hair gene is dominant over the yellow hair gene, so if you're heterozygous for those two alleles you'll have dark hair, while the red hair allele is codominant with both of the other alleles, causing heterozygotes to have reddish-brown or reddish-yellow hair. Other traits are primarily affected by a lot of small-impact genes. These traits don't have dominant and recessive phenotypes (well, the component genes do, but there's so many independently-inherited genes that it washes out), instead they have a wide variety of possible phenotypes that are generally normally distributed in the population. Height and skin color are both examples of this. For these traits, biological parents who come from different homogenous backgrounds (eg single-ethnicity parents of different ethnicities, like a European person and an East Asian person) tend to have children who are intermediate between both parents, while parents from heterogenous backgrounds (eg two parents who are both of mixed European/East Asian ancestry) can have kids who are anywhere between the phenotypes of each of the parents' ancestries.

I am always inspired by how beautiful and lovely your family is!! I wish you all the best and so much love and joy!! 💖💖💖

Its lovely to see you and Claudia ar both really glowing from motherhood, you're both so confident and calm. It's really refeshing to see. Makes me excited for the future x thanks for these videos !

Omg!!! That dress is amazing and it looks so stunning on you! In my country is really difficult to find more options for fashion. I really love different culture content it helps me learn so much more. Thank you!

Yay, a new video! As a very woman-leaning bisexual it warms my heart so much to see same sex parenting couples so your uploads always make me happy ❤️ I hope you and your family enjoyed your holiday! By the way, stupid question, but what style of hat are you wearing? It's super cute! I've only just started the video so apologies if you mention it

Your impressions of Rupert are so sweet and funny!