:::this is the way the world ends:::

Heartbeat

Jen and I had our twelve-week appointment this morning, and everything is looking good and healthy, I’m happy to report. We heard the baby’s heartbeat for the first time–a sound I have kept hearing since.We’re very excited, and glad to be beginning the second trimester, and enjoying this time of anticipation and what it means for us.I appreciated talking with each of you earlier this month with the news–your support, your stories. Thank you.  

6 Comments

  1. Ned

    My heartfelt congratualtions on this big step, and I am so glad to hear things are progressing. I was waiting for you to be the first to mention this, because I have been itching to say something. Glad to see it is out there for all of us. We look forward to hearing continued news. I hope we can get together before too much time goes by.

    Keep us posted on your semester too. I’ll have to send you some images from my freshman Color class that used the poems. It seems that most students chose either the Goldbarth, the Heaney, or the Hillman poem. I also had some choose the Szymborshka piece. Some of them were very good, others…not so much.

  2. Shotts

    Thanks for this, Ned. We’re very happy–and more to come, whatever may pass.

    I have a spat of travel in the next few weeks–this weekend to MA, then at the end of the month NYC, then mid-February to Santa Fe, NM–and in the midst of that starting teaching the creative writing class at Macalester. An exciting and busy time. My syllabus is starting to shape up, and I hope to have it finished by the end of next week. First day of class for me is February 5.

    Glad to know those poems inspired something. I will be having the writers in my class write a poem on an image, painting, photo, etc. that they select from the collections at the Walker, so we’re doing your exercise in reverse, so to speak…

    A good MLK weekend to all…

  3. J.E.

    Big congrats to you both! Liz and I are thrilled for you!

    And good luck on the creative writing class. I imagine you learned a lot about teaching last semester that you’ll be able to implement this semester even if it is a different course.

  4. Shotts

    Thanks, J.E.!

    Yes, I’m looking forward to teaching the creative writing course. I’m still putting the finishing touches on the syllabus, so it still feels a bit like I’m pulling the whole thing out of thin air, to some extent. Should be fun, but a lot of writing to read, present, critique and grade.

  5. Tobias

    Congratulations Jeff, I remember the first trip to the sonogram room to hear Clara’s heartbeat and love your description of how you’ve been hearing ever since…. We’ll be thinking of you and Jen + baby for the next two trimesters and beyond. There’s so many weird and unknown things that happen, if you ever need more advice give us a call. Of course, the first advice I give is, feel free to ignore any and all advice you get from other people. There are no hard and fast rules and we get a lot of bad advice still (we won’t name names).

  6. Pete

    I have certainly appreciated hearing all of the stories related to the experieces of having kids for selfish reasons as well as for selfless reasons. Somehow, it makes it all seem doable. It is a real boost to the confidence when the mysteries are revealed and shared. So, please, more stories from the cribside. Thanks for sharing.

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