here are some thoughts: April 25, 2024
hi hello i am now a parent! it’s a whole thing! here are some thoughts!
📚 a non-exhaustive list of things i have read to Fizz from in the last month-ish:
The Teeny Weeny Unicorn by Shawn Harris
Dragon's First Taco (from the Creators of Dragons Love Tacos) by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri
Woodland Dance! by Sandra Boynton
Purring, Rolling, Stretching by Chihiro Ishizu and Nanako Matsuda
Women and Other Monsters by Jess Zimmerman
Menewood by Nicola Griffith
i have to keep reminding myself to read to her; she’s really just an animate potato at this point, but she does LOVE the sound of voices, and it gives me something to do at 2am when she’s not quite ready to go back to sleep and i am. we have also listened to some audiobooks, because parenting has rewired my brain enough that i can do that now! science!?
🧠 the path to parenthood has been long and #complicated for me, and at some point i will probably write about it more extensively, but see above note about 2am and why that will not be happening right now. instead, though, here are some of the seeds that helped open this door and then kept me going once i had walked through:
The Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews (look, if the journey of a woman from solitary budding alcoholic magical mercenary to adoptive and biological parent with a ride-or-die family of choice isn’t inspiring, i don’t know what is)
Girl Woman Other by Bernardine Evaristo (WHEW, just read it, y’all)
Plot Twist & subsequent essays by Ann Friedman (while Friedman and i got here different ways, there are SO MANY points of overlap in terms of the feelings)
🧐 honestly my biggest question mark right now is not how to be a parent (ask for help, try things, rinse, repeat) but how to be a parent who also has a tendency to do a thousand things at once, which is no longer possible. luckily i have read fiftyleven books about priorities and being less productive and how to unchain your attention from the “shoulds” and capitalist mandate, etc. etc., so i feel like i have done the research and now i just need to do a refresher course! and also be horrifyingly honest with myself about my capacity (which, of course, is the real trick).
👋 reminder to vote in your state’s primaries and stay hydrated!