As my partner, who can’t understand the point of blogging said when I read him this post aloud, “you would need to post about that to get it out of your system, wouldn’t you?” Yes you would, a lot can happen before nap time. Before you were a parent you just wouldn’t have believed you were capable of dealing with such horrors, huh? And if you’re not a parent and you’ve just read that account then right now you’re thinking I love my civilized life, I. Love. It.
Looky, Daddy! really is a fabulous little blog, written by a stay-at-home father to three little girls, two of them twins. One day, I’m sure, his blog is going to be big and famous and his posts will probably become like many of the other big and famous blogs - mostly about plugging their book.. so, read him now while he is fresh and funny and unforced, like this one, a current favourite post of mine.
Speaking of parents telling the truth. Recently I mentioned the release of this book, The F Word – How We Learned to Swear By Feminism by Jane Caro and Catherine Fox. Here is an excerpt from their book, this bit about new motherhood.
There is a stunned look on the face of the first-time mother. We noticed it as we wandered the corridors of the maternity ward in the days after we first gave birth. Quite quickly we could tell the difference between the new mums and the old hands. Those fresh to the experience wore dazed, pained expressions, not entirely due to the physical transformation they had endured. They were in deep shock from becoming mothers. Little did they (and we) know what was in store.
The first time you give birth, you don’t just give birth to a baby. You give birth to yourself as a mother.
I am SO going to plug my book on this site. As soon as I, erm, write one. Which will be right after I clean up my kitchen. Which will be right after I do some laundry. Which will be right after I do some shopping. Which will… Oh, nevermind.
Thanks for the link. I thoroughly enjoyed that particular post and went on to read most of the rest of the blog.
It’s great – as funny as James Lileks used to be without the sour republican homilies and less precious.
I am so glad you’ve plugged that wonderful chap in New Jersey. Helen is right (though I don’ know James Lileks): you won’t find a drop of sour republican homily in his stuff. I’m not sure if I’ve ever read anyone who was as consistently hillarious, while being consistently moving and insightful. It’s really a masterful combination of writerly traits.
Everyone I know who reads him does so religiously.