For the past couple of years, my husband and I have taken to naming the houses we lived in. The house we bought in Cville was “Chez Nous Nouveau.” The place we rented in Altoona on Juniata Gap Road was “Juanita.” And the house we bought in Altoona was named “Chateau Neuf (9)” because the number (512) is 2 to the 9th …

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Well now. I started this blog back in February as a way for me to both update folks on my life and reflect upon my new role as mother-in-academia. Then AC and I decided to uproot our lives, move to California, and switch roles. We went from being a counter-culture family in Altoona (Stay-at-home-Dad and Breadwinning …

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I love the concept of Mommy Brain– that between hormonal changes and sleep deprivation new mothers become forgetful. It’s such a handy excuse. For instance, moments ago I was ashamed to realize that there have been several comments left on this blog awaiting my moderation. Oops, Mommy Brain! And then I discovered a …

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Monday Morning. May 15, 2006. A dreary, rain-pounding day. I wore pin-striped black slacks, a dark knit top, scuffed leather boots, and a yellow raincoat. I kissed my husband and baby. The baby smelled like summer. I got in the car. I drove over the green hill to campus. I stepped in a puddle getting out of the car. I …

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It was a Tuesday. I remember that because I did not have to go to class that day. I awoke long before my husband, saw what day it was, and took the test in the bathroom. A very faint plus sign. So faint that I left the stick on the bathroom vanity and trotted over to my computer where I immediately Googled “faint …

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