Yes, it’s been a while since my last post (don’t say I didn’t warn you). And yes, there’s much to report about that stretch, including a rundown of our trip to England, the baby’s foray into potty-training, and additional attacks on The New York Times Motherlode blog (read the comments).

But for now, I leave you with this: my first full-length feature in Babytalk magazine.

The story is about language acquisition (as you’ll see in the lead, this is something far different from “learning to talk”). It incorporates personal anecdotes from yours truly and some of you readers. It catalogs advice from experts. And it offers some suggestions for how readers can help their children acquire (and love!) language at an early age.

I worked incredibly hard on the piece and am particularly proud of it. Please read it, pass it along, and feel free to comment here. Thanks.