I love your radical honesty. Parents feel all kinds of ways about their kids and their babies. And how they feel changes all the time. Here's to normalizing that pretty much all of those feelings are okay.
Enough congratulations to let you rest peacefully knowing you're a treasured part of the world. Wow! This essay is what I look for in your work: stunning honesty. Your discussion of fears and the love thing and how we learn to be with and love each other should be required reading for all new parents. I think we're almost shamed from birth into thinking if we don't love to the degree of ultimate sacrifice instantly we're psychopaths. I also love your investigative reporting into what the infant body feels like to adult hands, arms, to cradling and caring for. Fabulous. OK. A few more congratulations. PS. Read the end of Grapes of Wrath.
CONGRATULATIONS! Just yesterday I was watching a video of my thirty year old daughter dancing Salsa in Toronto, and marveling at the journey from warm loaf of bread to living her best goddamn life and dancing up a storm. Your bread looks sweet.
Now remember, you can still divide and conquer. Relish in that. The shock of the first is greater than the shock of the second. As Donna puts it - "you've totally got this"
However, if you have another, you will be outnumbered! (coming from a parent of more than two)
I want that boy’s hair. And his dimples. EJ seems to love having daddy’s hand around her throat, I wouldn’t do that too often, though. I’ll leave you with another bit of the ancient world: Socrates advised parents not to teach children to do as you do because, “Your way will not be their way, and their world is not your world.” Having seen the vast changes just between my younger years and those of my now adult children, I know that he was right!
In my childhood, one working parent could stay with a single employer for 40 years, could afford to buy a house and to send their children to college--received healthcare on the company plan and got a pension on retirement, as well. There were vast public libraries so nobody needed to buy books, a postage stamp cost $0.03 in 1955 = $0.34 in 2024 adjusted for inflation. Seasons were regular, WWIII, the internet and social media had never even been contemplated, and misinformation and conspiracy theories were a fairly rare phenomenon. People were happily vaccinated, a crippling disease was eradicated in one year with a "spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down," Salk refused to be paid for his polio vaccine, the United States WERE, and we hadn't yet lost more than 3 billion birds. Should I explain the present for you?
I can never get over the fact that babies can’t have WATER
I love your radical honesty. Parents feel all kinds of ways about their kids and their babies. And how they feel changes all the time. Here's to normalizing that pretty much all of those feelings are okay.
Enough congratulations to let you rest peacefully knowing you're a treasured part of the world. Wow! This essay is what I look for in your work: stunning honesty. Your discussion of fears and the love thing and how we learn to be with and love each other should be required reading for all new parents. I think we're almost shamed from birth into thinking if we don't love to the degree of ultimate sacrifice instantly we're psychopaths. I also love your investigative reporting into what the infant body feels like to adult hands, arms, to cradling and caring for. Fabulous. OK. A few more congratulations. PS. Read the end of Grapes of Wrath.
Thank you Joan! I’ve never read G of W whoops I read the whole thing?
Should**
Congratulations, big hugs, and hope all of you are getting enough sleep, even if your blankets are touching your butts!
CONGRATULATIONS! Just yesterday I was watching a video of my thirty year old daughter dancing Salsa in Toronto, and marveling at the journey from warm loaf of bread to living her best goddamn life and dancing up a storm. Your bread looks sweet.
Congratulations to you and the family and welcome to the world, Emma June 🥰
Big big big congratulations!! Good luck :"))
Congratulations!!! Lots of love to you and your family. Here’s a “like” but don’t get addicted, okay? ❤️
Need more
😬
The second from the bottom picture: that’s a total Alex Dobrenko face!!!!
You went to see about a girl <3 Mazel tov!
Your honesty is lovingly received and YES to normalizing the emotional whiplash that is parenting. You are not alone!
Deep cut reference I love it
Mazel Tov, Alex! Continue being as good a dad as you can, and for God’s sake, stop worrying!
Okay, keep worrying - it’s your brand.
Congratulations! Great news!
Now remember, you can still divide and conquer. Relish in that. The shock of the first is greater than the shock of the second. As Donna puts it - "you've totally got this"
However, if you have another, you will be outnumbered! (coming from a parent of more than two)
Emma June. A wonderful name. My baby girl is also in the Emma club :) All the best for ALL of you.
congrats!
A few things:
1) I’m not just saying this, I swear (by the moon and the stars in the skies..) but Emma is one of THE cutest little burrito’s I’ve ever SEEN 🥹
2) I now am craving a Grand Slam, so thank you for that.
3) I, too, cannot shoot my sleeping scenes when the blanket is touching my butt, so Wilder and I have that in common.
Lolol
I want that boy’s hair. And his dimples. EJ seems to love having daddy’s hand around her throat, I wouldn’t do that too often, though. I’ll leave you with another bit of the ancient world: Socrates advised parents not to teach children to do as you do because, “Your way will not be their way, and their world is not your world.” Having seen the vast changes just between my younger years and those of my now adult children, I know that he was right!
lol whaddya mean about the changes??
In my childhood, one working parent could stay with a single employer for 40 years, could afford to buy a house and to send their children to college--received healthcare on the company plan and got a pension on retirement, as well. There were vast public libraries so nobody needed to buy books, a postage stamp cost $0.03 in 1955 = $0.34 in 2024 adjusted for inflation. Seasons were regular, WWIII, the internet and social media had never even been contemplated, and misinformation and conspiracy theories were a fairly rare phenomenon. People were happily vaccinated, a crippling disease was eradicated in one year with a "spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down," Salk refused to be paid for his polio vaccine, the United States WERE, and we hadn't yet lost more than 3 billion birds. Should I explain the present for you?