Echoing this. It's very hard to know exactly what you'll want before you have a baby... and then you'll find that your desires keep changing with your own personal growth, changes at your job, the stage of development of your kids, the way domestic duties get shared and shifted with your spouse, etc. Be flexible and…

Absolutely. This system of cultural/professional constraints and lack of access to good options for child care means we're all screwed in some way. Each family can only try to find a mode of operating that minimizes the screwage. In my case it was lucky in that the solution presented itself—I had my first kid while…

No, I don't think it's shameful to find this arousing. I find it interesting that some women find penises erotic in and of themselves, others find them "gross," yet others (me) find them a huge turn-on because they're attached to the man they love but funny when attached to anyone else.

I am really fascinated / weirded out by the fact that this ostensibly silly post has got my brain going on so many interesting questions.

I don't know anything about Gregory, but is the theory about Anne Boleyn sleeping with her brother so wacky? It gets some treatment in Hilary Mantel's Cromwell series, but it's entirely possible that her history is equally creative.

This doesn't give anyone else THE SHIVERS?

Oh Christ. After reading a post on the mommy message board I follow about a mom stressing because her 3-year-old daughter's BMI is too high, and now your story, I just hate people.

Agree. I have the misfortune of having lived in both the Bay Area and Chicago and having to hear "San Fran," "Frisco" and "Chi-town." Gag.

Great point, Erin. Pitchfork probably not-counts slightly less. I just mentioned Lollapalooza because that's this weekend and I'm already cranky about the fact that a bunch of happy people will be doing drugs so close to where I perform my soul-deadening office job. Oh, plus the effect on my commute.

Hot dudes: please come and chest around in Chicago.

I agree. "Porn-y" sex is not somehow illegitimate or less legitimate sex. If the women in porn aren't genuinely enjoying it, then yeah I guess that's an issue in terms of creating unrealistic expectations for men who watch a lot of it. But for people who genuinely do enjoy doing stuff that also happens in porn,…

Wow. This thread is a huge shitshow now and truth be told, I feel kinda bad for you. You're devoting a lot of energy to these conversations and I'm not sure much will come of them. But you're pretty young, your brain is still plastic and there is always time to learn kindness.

I'll see you and raise you: I love putting it in my mouth soft. I am inevitably disappointed when it doesn't stay that way.

High-five for bald guys!

Seriously, did you not learn anything from the reactions to your (near identical) post in response to Laura's online dating piece? This is bizarre. You have to be trolling.

Meeee-ow.

Move to Chicago.

I like the cut of your jib.

Thank you.

Yes! And because of that, I think it's terrific that Kate had the guts to just step out and show the world that yes, she still has a bump. This small act will provide a lot of education. I had the unfortunate experience of a new neighbor stopping by 5 days AFTER I had my baby, patting my still-rounded belly and…