In October 2022, Rachael Maddux had a baby. Between December 2022 and October 2023, she published the following essays through her newsletter, Vanitas. Years later, she found herself wishing she'd taken notes during her daughter's first year. She found herself wondering if she could write a book about having a baby. Then she realized that she had taken notes, she had written that book, or at least as much of that book as she would probably ever write.