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I’m on paternity leave

Loyal readers of this newsletter will have noticed that the pace of new posts has slowed dramatically since the spring. For once I have good excuse for not doing my homework: we’ve been in the final stages of pregnancy and I’ve been too wrapped up in preparing for the future to devote the time and attention these essays demand. 

I’m happy to announce that our son was born two weeks ago without complication and is thriving at home. His name is Patrick. I love him so much.

I hope to have more to say about all this at some point down the road. One of my main goals with this newsletter is to write on more personal topics and reveal parts of myself in print that I have wasted years keeping hidden. But not yet, on this. It’s all too new and overwhelming—and wonderful! Really really wonderful—for me to write anything more just yet. We’ll get there. 

Our darling cat Sophie, the real star of Peasant’s Education, has been adjusting to her new roommate with unknown grace and maturity. When we got home from the hospital with Patrick in the car seat, Sophie’s eyes got huge and it was all I could do to restrain her from lunging at him. That look said, “I’m going to hunt this baby.” We were freaked and Liz hid with him in the bedroom, Sophie waiting outside for her next glimpse. But then Patrick started crying. Sophie heard and looked at me with surprise and concern and a glimmer of comprehension. I picked her up and opened the door to show her it was him making that noise. She started purring and after I put her down started leaping up to rub herself against my legs then headbutting me with fierce maternalism when I bent down to her. I saw her understand that Patrick was our baby, someone to be protected not something to be hunted. She maintains a strong interest in him but is careful to keep a respectful distance. She likes to watch over him at night. 

All that is to say that I won’t be writing much for the next few months at least. I’m typing this while Patrick sleeps, knowing that at any moment a noise from him will delay the end of this paragraph by hours if not days. And the sleep deprivation is not great for making connections, generating ideas, or keeping my eyes open while reading. Although, is it just me or is it doing wonders for my prose—is that a newfound elegance and simplicity in my sentences or am I just about to pass out?

But! While I’m taking a break, I have a very exciting guest contributor in the works. Can’t say more just yet but I know you guys are going to love what he writes. Stay tuned!

Thank you as always to all of you, my subscribers. It means so much to have you reading and to be able to write even this little missive at such a special time. 

Here are a couple better pictures of Patrick. See you soon.