Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Spreading the News

I promised I'd explain the fall hiatus when the time came, and since the semester is nigh on over, and the explanation is making the rounds anyway, I figured now's as good a time as any. So here are many reasons why this blog went silent for a bit.

1) In the middle of the summer, my grandmother passed away. This in and of itself was not earth-shattering. I don't want to be calloused, but she suffered from Paranoid schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, and was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's, and then she had the fatal stroke. It had been a long time since the grandmother I knew had been in our lives. But the mourning was far less an issue than the events it set off in the family at large.

2) Extended Family Drama that included, in no particular order: old resentments, poorly disguised relief, old fears, unnecessary moralizing, boundary issues, betrayed confidences, and some use of substances not helpful in aiding clear-headedness. I won't say anymore about that.

3) Busiest Semester Yet of my academic career: three preps, two brand new, and the third, a comp class substituted at the last minute, not to mention an independent study with a (fabulous) grad student. Plus! final push to get the edited manuscript out, edits on two articles in the pipeline, and chairing two committees.

4) Willow's first semester back in the classroom since our move to BRU=more stacks of papers in the house, and fewer common free hours.

5) The Biggie: Baby C. Coming in June. As twins, Rambunctious and Imperia were labeled Baby A and Baby B, respectively, on the early sonograms. And so now, 12 weeks along, is Baby C. It is perhaps important to note that we first expected Baby C in March, but that never materialized, and so June it is.

9 comments:

moria said...

Baby C! Baby C! Baby C! My brain is jumping up and down and applauding for you.

(The primary sign that I'm aging at all, however slowly, is crazy baby-jumping. Please excuse me while I have a stern talk with my hormones.)

I'm sorry for the other drama, Horace. Perhaps the wee one will make karmic balance. Congrats.

Dr. Crazy said...

Congratulation on the baby! What excellent news! Yay!

gwinne said...

Congratulations on Baby C! What wonderful news! I've been following your blog for a while, and I think this is the first comment I've left.

I have to say though...and this is probably more about me going through the anniversary of a devastating miscarriage than it is about you...I found the wording "but that never materialized" to describe what I assume to be a reference to pregnancy loss to be, well, a bit disconcerting. If I'm reading this right, I'm sorry for your loss as well.

Horace said...

Point taken on the wording, Gwinne, though in some technical sense that is what happened. Still, I have struggled to find the language for something that for me only ever felt conceptual. For Willow, it was a much more bodily loss, and I have tried very hard to be both empathetic and respectful of her unique experience.

I will say that I personally have to remind myself that this news doesn't erase the early experience.

Sisyphus said...

Congratulations on the baby! How old are the Twins of Terror now? Also congrats on the articles and chapter stuff! (ps that book you are in is not out yet, which means I cannot assign you to my students. Take that for not matching the quarter system, ha!)

And I hope your life settles down from its heights of interestingness, for your sake.

undine said...

Congrats on the baby, Horace, and the book.

Dr. Virago said...

Congrats on Baby C! Sorry it's been such a hard row to hoe up to this point, but yay for Baby C!

Mel said...

What a semester! congratulations on the imminent baby, but also on keeping your sanity through everything else. Wishing you very relaxing holidays -- you deserve some down time!

Ink said...

Oh, I just read about Baby C--just wanted to add my congratulations! Hope everything is going well. :)