77 thoughts on “Why I’ve Been Preoccupied Lately”

  12. Congratulations to both of you!

    Now I want to see the dialog when you break the news to Emmy about the “people puppy.” ๐Ÿ˜‰

  14. Congrats!! Better get writing on that book because the amount of time you have to work on non-life or job threatening projects is going to drop dramatically soon!

  16. I personally don’t believe taxpayers should be allowed to reproduce when so many illegitmate get are compassionately deserving of every boon and advantage. It is selfish of you to consume what others cannot be expected to earn.

    Have you arranged for a Night Basketball tutor?

    http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9506E0D81F3BF937A35755C0A962958260
    “The House version of the crime bill allocates $1.2 billion for programs that would keep schools and other community centers open to provide a safe place for kids to play after school. This is a trifling amount…”

    Yeah, “trifling,” 23% of NSF’s annual budget thrown to pigs.
    depp=true

  27. I hope The Queen approves. My parents had a dog that went crazy after me and my brother were born. She would routinely mess up the house and destroy everything she could (including multiple Christmas trees) out of spite for no longer being the sole object of affection. My brother was born first so him and his toys bore the brunt of her assault, but I grew up with only 3 of the orange tinker toys. Seriously, every single thing you can make with tinker toys requires all 4 of the large orange ones, it was horrible.

  30. Enthusiastic congratulations, Kate and Chad!

    I though my life was going well; science, fiction, publications, prestige, and all that. But now I know that my life REALLY began when my son was born.

    You may look forward to infinite rewards and challenges.

  31. Many thanks for all the kind words (Uncle Al, not so much). We’re really excited, though it’s been a trying first few months– more details later, as appropriate.

    Due date is late July, which is coincidentally the same as the deadline for turning in the book (August 1). It’s going to be an interesting summer in Chateau Steelypips…

  32. Congratulations! And it’s perfect timing – the second book in the Science Dog series can be about babies.

  36. I’m trying to come up with something non-trite to say that doesn’t just reduce to me cackling in a corner. I’m totally failing. All I can say is that my laughter is not meant to be mocking but is totally sympathetic.

    I think y’all are going to be great parents, defined around our house as “all parties survive the process with minimal therapy bills.”

  44. YAY! Congratulations to the both of you. Just remember, sleepless nights are the baby’s way of saying “I love you”.

  47. Life is definitely Before Children and After Children. You’ll have roots in the future. Prepare to be tired for the next five years. It’s harder than you expect, and it’s more rewarding than you expect. Congratulations, good luck, and blessings.

  49. …And do try to organize a parents’ baby-sitting co-op: it helps a lot. You can issue tickets good for half an hour of babysitting, then trade them. It ‘s easy to babysit when you’ve got the time, and saves a pile of money and worry when you have to go out and your little one is being watched by an experienced parent.

  56. Welcome to the club – and yes, we need more synonyms for ‘congratulations!’ May things go as smoothly as possible from here on. Well, at least until birth. After that all bets are apparently off ๐Ÿ˜‰

    I second the babysitting circle/co-op motion. As it happens, we’re indeed moving to Albany this summer…

  57. Re #27: I’m a 21 year old human, and I STILL think that my little sister stole my mommy.

    Still, a happy occasion and more to come.

  58. Congratulations, Chad and Kate! Given the dates for the baby and the book, I see a sequel coming ….

  59. …
    Wow. I really need the ‘annotated’ version of that picture. I could probably convince myself that it _is_ a lizard, as Yoon Ha Lee suggested very early.

    Congrats and all that.

    Oh, and do not worry. Absolutely nothing changes.
    .
    .
    …snickeringquietly…

    …tom…
    .

  60. Congratulations.

    Ignore the weisenheimers. That’s a great radar image of a storm system south-west of the British Isles.

  62. Welcome to the club! You have some hard work waiting for you, but also some of the best experiences of your life. (Says the mother who yesterday politely was asked by the bus driver to leave the bus, since he could not hear his communication radio for the two-year-old screaming. The little one was extremely tired, and it was impossible to calm her down… She fell asleep over my head as I carried her on my shoulders to get home. 40 minutes on icy slippery sidewalks. But I love her! I don’t want to scare you, most days are great.)

    My best tip for the first time with baby: get a good baby carrier. It will really help a lot. The best ones, most comfortable for baby and parent, are the long wraps — don’t be scared of 5 meters of fabric, it’s easy once you learn it.

  67. You will know true love when that sprite comes out. Oh, have a plan for introducing the baby to the dog. Whoever the dog worships more should NOT be seen carrying the baby into the house, otherwise the baby is competition.

  69. Whoever the dog worships more should NOT be seen carrying the baby into the house, otherwise the baby is competition.

    Right, so the dog can’t carry the baby into the house herself. Got it.

  71. Congratulations to both of you. Kids turn your life upside-down and inside-out, but when you hold them you know that you are in the right place, doing the right thing.

  72. Fantastic news. Best to you and to Kate.

    (Rachel and I are beginning to worry that this unusual condition is spreading through the blogosphere. You’re the third blogfriend to post a sonogram this month… ๐Ÿ™‚

  73. W00t!

    Our dog adopted our baby as her puppy and supervised all our child care tasks. I swear the dog was a bigger nag than the grandmothers.

  77. My (seriously belated) congratulations! I’ve got two of ’em, and it’s a heap of joy. A heap or work, too, but way more fun than anyone ever told you it would be. Mazel tov!

    In re: prepping the dog, the advice we were given (and which we took) was to bring home some items that the baby was using while mother and child were still at the hospital (such as blankets) and strew them around the house, so the dog get get used to the scent, and realize there’s a new sheriff in town. It seems to have worked for us, though our dog is pretty mellow anyway. Try it and see for yourself. And bear in mind that once the kid starts on solid food, and thus becomes and excellent source of food for the dog, the dog will become a fan.

    (True story: One of our one-year-old’s daycare providers asked us recently if we had a dog. When we said Yes, she said she can always tell which kids come from dog-enabled homes, because they indicate they’re done eating by throwing some food on the floor; other kids just push it away. At our house, we call it giving tribute to the dog.)

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