Nothing makes you feel old like walking into your newborn's nursery to check on him and your ankle pops so loudly you wake him up.
I have become a human pacifier.
Nate and I can't complete a conversation or make a decision the first time; usually it takes a couple of tries.
While Zoe wanted me to hold her 24/7 for the first six weeks of her life, Liam has already started pushing away from me when he's ready to go to sleep.
Monday
Friday
Reading List 2010
Watership Down, Richard Adams
The Unlikely Lavender Queen, Jeannie Ralston
Origin in Death, J.D. Robb
Lucky in the Corner, Carol Anshaw
The Unlikely Lavender Queen, Jeannie Ralston
Origin in Death, J.D. Robb
Lucky in the Corner, Carol Anshaw
Thursday
Liam
Liam was born on October 24 at 1:55 a.m. I can't really say when labor "started" because I'd been having daily contractions for four weeks at that point. Sometimes the contractions were painful; sometimes they were regular; two or three times I thought I was definitely in labor, but I wasn't.
By the end of October I was very frustrated. I was tired of having contractions every day, especially when I'd go into my doctor's appointments and find out I hadn't even started dilating yet. It seemed like a cruel joke to have all that pain and no progress.
On Friday the 22nd, I went into a regular doctor's appointment where he told me (yet again) that I wasn't dilated. I was about 90% effaced, though. I was also 39 weeks and he said if I was tired of the contractions, we could induce on Monday. I was ready to have the baby already so I scheduled the induction.
On Saturday I felt a little out of it. I slept in, was exhausted all day, and took a really long nap in the afternoon. My mother-in-law was in town; we'd all been expecting the baby to arrive for days. My brother-in-law and nieces came over for a quick visit and to say hello. They left around 6:30 p.m. The contractions seemed to be increasing in strength, but not frequency. At this point, I was so distrustful of the whole contraction situation that I didn't necessarily think it meant anything.
We had a great dinner--a fish fry, mashed potatoes and cole slaw. As we were clearing the dishes, Zoe was running around the table and ran face first into the corner of our marble-topped bar. I was in the middle of a contraction, but I saw that she was holding her breath in shock and turning blue. So I walked over and told her to start breathing while simultaneously trying to breathe through my contraction. I sat in a chair and had Zoe half on my lap (belly was way too big at that point to have her fully on my lap). She was crying and already starting to bruise, so Nate grabbed an ice pack and I soothed her. A few minutes later around 8:15 I felt a gush. I stood (luckily, none got on the chair!) and Zoe got up too. At some point she had wet her pants. In the moment, it felt very chaotic with bruising, crying, water, pee.
I went to the bathroom to change and Nate called the doctor. His office told us to go ahead and come in. Our bags were already loaded and we said goodbye to Nate's mom and Zoe, who looked worried and confused.
We live in southwest Austin and we delivered in north Austin so it took us about 20-30 minutes to get to St. David's. They checked me in. At this point the contractions were pretty painful but I was able to talk and joke in between them. I had two intake nurses--one who was in training--who told me I needed to be monitored for half an hour before they would take me to labor and delivery.
The nurse in training asked a TON of questions. What happens if this? Where is the supply closet? What does this mean? On and on and on. At first I could tolerate it because the pain was still bearable. After the half an hour they checked and I was about six centimeters dilated. They had asked about pain management and what, if anything, I wanted to do. Before I knew I was 6 centimeters dilated I had said I wanted to make sure the labor was progressing well and if it was then I was ready for an epidural. I'd gotten one at 8 centimeters with Zoe and felt like I didn't need to wait that long again. So I let them know I was ready for an epidural and they took me to the labor and delivery room.
Miss 20 questions continued her inane chatter. At one point Nate asked me if I wanted him to turn off the light. That was his subtle way of encouraging them to take their conversation elsewhere. However, I was entering transition so his subtlety was lost on me. I was like, light? What?
They had told me they needed to analyze some of my lab work before I could get the epidural; meanwhile they started the IV. They said the lab work would probably take about 20 minutes. Forty-five minutes later we asked them if they could call. And at that point I started getting insistent and ruder than I had been before so they hustled and actually left the room with their Q&A session (thank god).
After I got the epidural they told me I was at 8 centimeters. So much for not waiting as long this time! Shortly after that, my labor nurse arrived and she was as awesome as the previous nurses had been annoying. After a little while she asked me to do some practice pushes. I think we pushed five times? Then she told me to stop and she called the doctor. With the doctor I pushed four times and the baby was born.
One really big difference between the two labors: with Zoe and that epidural I felt nothing at all. With Liam, I felt pressure while having contractions and when he was born I actually felt him leaving my body. It was a very interesting sensation, just that feeling of emptiness after so much pressure. I asked to see the placenta this time because I hadn't seen it with Zoe. Also very interesting.
The labor and delivery were uncomplicated. My water broke at 8:15; he was born at 1:55. We stayed in the room for a couple of hours, then they took me to my recovery room. One nurse told me we needed to stay two full days; another said we could leave after 36 hours. Since I knew Zoe was at home and a little freaked out about us being gone, we chose to leave after 36 hours and came home. Plus, our bed is way more comfortable than being at the hospital and I wasn't really having any problems.
Overall I think the second delivery was easier (with the exception of the preceding month of contractions). The one complicating factor was that, as a second-time mom, I got a little overconfident at times. I have pushed things a little too far too quickly and exhausted myself. Also, with breastfeeding I was a little too casual because I felt like I knew what I was doing. However, a newborn does not know how to nurse yet, not the way an infant who has been nursing for months does, so Liam was not always latching on correctly and I let it go on too long. I ended up with cracked and bleeding nipples (!) and had to pump for a couple of days while I healed. Needless to say I have been more careful since then and so far we are doing much better.
Zoe started off very excited about Liam. I think she still is, but the excitement is wearing off a little bit. I think she's finding waiting hard to deal with, and how much of my time he requires. But overall she is very sweet with him and asks to hold him all the time. She's also offered to nurse him, which I thought was hilarious.
Liam seems to be a better sleeper than Zoe. Of course he isn't quite two weeks old so I could be wrong! I also think he's already regained his birth weight and then some. He's gotten pretty heavy. He's still got his days and nights mixed up so he sleeps mostly during the day and is more alert at night. This should start changing over the next few weeks and I'll do what I can to encourage it.
I'm feeling very lucky. I have two healthy, beautiful kiddos and I had a pretty uneventful pregnancy and delivery, all things considered. Nate and I were talking the other night, mentioning how we have had so much change over the past couple of years. Now we can relax. We're in our house; we have our kids. Everyone is here and things are in place! Now all we have to do is enjoy.
Liam
10/24/10
1:55 a.m.
7 pounds, 12 ounces
19 3/4 inches
By the end of October I was very frustrated. I was tired of having contractions every day, especially when I'd go into my doctor's appointments and find out I hadn't even started dilating yet. It seemed like a cruel joke to have all that pain and no progress.
On Friday the 22nd, I went into a regular doctor's appointment where he told me (yet again) that I wasn't dilated. I was about 90% effaced, though. I was also 39 weeks and he said if I was tired of the contractions, we could induce on Monday. I was ready to have the baby already so I scheduled the induction.
On Saturday I felt a little out of it. I slept in, was exhausted all day, and took a really long nap in the afternoon. My mother-in-law was in town; we'd all been expecting the baby to arrive for days. My brother-in-law and nieces came over for a quick visit and to say hello. They left around 6:30 p.m. The contractions seemed to be increasing in strength, but not frequency. At this point, I was so distrustful of the whole contraction situation that I didn't necessarily think it meant anything.
We had a great dinner--a fish fry, mashed potatoes and cole slaw. As we were clearing the dishes, Zoe was running around the table and ran face first into the corner of our marble-topped bar. I was in the middle of a contraction, but I saw that she was holding her breath in shock and turning blue. So I walked over and told her to start breathing while simultaneously trying to breathe through my contraction. I sat in a chair and had Zoe half on my lap (belly was way too big at that point to have her fully on my lap). She was crying and already starting to bruise, so Nate grabbed an ice pack and I soothed her. A few minutes later around 8:15 I felt a gush. I stood (luckily, none got on the chair!) and Zoe got up too. At some point she had wet her pants. In the moment, it felt very chaotic with bruising, crying, water, pee.
I went to the bathroom to change and Nate called the doctor. His office told us to go ahead and come in. Our bags were already loaded and we said goodbye to Nate's mom and Zoe, who looked worried and confused.
We live in southwest Austin and we delivered in north Austin so it took us about 20-30 minutes to get to St. David's. They checked me in. At this point the contractions were pretty painful but I was able to talk and joke in between them. I had two intake nurses--one who was in training--who told me I needed to be monitored for half an hour before they would take me to labor and delivery.
The nurse in training asked a TON of questions. What happens if this? Where is the supply closet? What does this mean? On and on and on. At first I could tolerate it because the pain was still bearable. After the half an hour they checked and I was about six centimeters dilated. They had asked about pain management and what, if anything, I wanted to do. Before I knew I was 6 centimeters dilated I had said I wanted to make sure the labor was progressing well and if it was then I was ready for an epidural. I'd gotten one at 8 centimeters with Zoe and felt like I didn't need to wait that long again. So I let them know I was ready for an epidural and they took me to the labor and delivery room.
Miss 20 questions continued her inane chatter. At one point Nate asked me if I wanted him to turn off the light. That was his subtle way of encouraging them to take their conversation elsewhere. However, I was entering transition so his subtlety was lost on me. I was like, light? What?
They had told me they needed to analyze some of my lab work before I could get the epidural; meanwhile they started the IV. They said the lab work would probably take about 20 minutes. Forty-five minutes later we asked them if they could call. And at that point I started getting insistent and ruder than I had been before so they hustled and actually left the room with their Q&A session (thank god).
After I got the epidural they told me I was at 8 centimeters. So much for not waiting as long this time! Shortly after that, my labor nurse arrived and she was as awesome as the previous nurses had been annoying. After a little while she asked me to do some practice pushes. I think we pushed five times? Then she told me to stop and she called the doctor. With the doctor I pushed four times and the baby was born.
One really big difference between the two labors: with Zoe and that epidural I felt nothing at all. With Liam, I felt pressure while having contractions and when he was born I actually felt him leaving my body. It was a very interesting sensation, just that feeling of emptiness after so much pressure. I asked to see the placenta this time because I hadn't seen it with Zoe. Also very interesting.
The labor and delivery were uncomplicated. My water broke at 8:15; he was born at 1:55. We stayed in the room for a couple of hours, then they took me to my recovery room. One nurse told me we needed to stay two full days; another said we could leave after 36 hours. Since I knew Zoe was at home and a little freaked out about us being gone, we chose to leave after 36 hours and came home. Plus, our bed is way more comfortable than being at the hospital and I wasn't really having any problems.
Overall I think the second delivery was easier (with the exception of the preceding month of contractions). The one complicating factor was that, as a second-time mom, I got a little overconfident at times. I have pushed things a little too far too quickly and exhausted myself. Also, with breastfeeding I was a little too casual because I felt like I knew what I was doing. However, a newborn does not know how to nurse yet, not the way an infant who has been nursing for months does, so Liam was not always latching on correctly and I let it go on too long. I ended up with cracked and bleeding nipples (!) and had to pump for a couple of days while I healed. Needless to say I have been more careful since then and so far we are doing much better.
Zoe started off very excited about Liam. I think she still is, but the excitement is wearing off a little bit. I think she's finding waiting hard to deal with, and how much of my time he requires. But overall she is very sweet with him and asks to hold him all the time. She's also offered to nurse him, which I thought was hilarious.
Liam seems to be a better sleeper than Zoe. Of course he isn't quite two weeks old so I could be wrong! I also think he's already regained his birth weight and then some. He's gotten pretty heavy. He's still got his days and nights mixed up so he sleeps mostly during the day and is more alert at night. This should start changing over the next few weeks and I'll do what I can to encourage it.
I'm feeling very lucky. I have two healthy, beautiful kiddos and I had a pretty uneventful pregnancy and delivery, all things considered. Nate and I were talking the other night, mentioning how we have had so much change over the past couple of years. Now we can relax. We're in our house; we have our kids. Everyone is here and things are in place! Now all we have to do is enjoy.
Liam
10/24/10
1:55 a.m.
7 pounds, 12 ounces
19 3/4 inches
Monday
Baby Talk
My due date is Oct. 28. I don’t think I’m going to be pregnant for that long, though. A few things are happening that make me think no. 2 is going to arrive a little earlier. First of all, for reference, I’m 35 weeks and 37 weeks is considered full term. Zoe was born at 38.5 weeks or so.
Last week I experienced contractions Sunday–Wednesday. They were real contractions, not Braxton Hicks. With BH the surface of your stomach tightens. It’s slightly uncomfortable but not painful. With these contractions I could actually see my stomach changing shape. It felt like a muscle flexing and I could feel downward pressure on my (just stop reading now if you don’t want to get into bodily things) cervix.
Sunday wasn’t so bad. They were very erratic. Monday night was steady and starting to get somewhat painful. At one point they were coming every five minutes or so. But I figured, if it’s really labor, I better get some rest. I’ll wake up if things are really happening. So I went to bed and Nate timed contractions for a couple of hours until I fell asleep. Tuesday I dropped Zoe off at school and almost immediately they started again (they get stronger when I am sitting straight, like when I’m driving, or standing for too long). They were fairly erratic but at that point I was on my third day and Nate wanted me to call the doctor.
The nurse said that unless I had six or more contractions every hour, or my water broke, that I didn’t need to call or come in. I kept getting five every hour and eventually I left work because I thought things were happening. Turned out they stopped. I followed the nurse’s advice and drank lots of water and rested on my left side. They gradually slowed to four an hour, then three an hour, and around 11 p.m. they were gone.
Wednesday they were all over the place but by then I’d figured out that when sitting at my desk at work I need to sit at an angle with my feet up and I need to stay off my feet as much as possible. Since then I get random contractions when I don’t adhere to those guidelines, but not more than one or two at a time.
I had an appointment with my OB/GYN later in the week and he believes it’s all prep. He said my body is getting ready; this is very common with second or subsequent babies. If it’s really bothering me, there’s some medication he can give me that is normally used to treat asthma but will make the contractions stop. So far I’ve been able to deal by resting a lot.
This past weekend I entered full nesting mode. I did loads and loads of laundry, including some baby clothes I may have previously washed but wasn’t sure about, so why the heck not? And I organized closets. The baby room is ready. All we need is a little munchkin to go in there. It got to the point that on Saturday night I made homemade laundry detergent (you know you are in irrational nesting mode when you find yourself doing things like that, but so what?). With Zoe the nesting phase preceded her arrival by about 10-14 days.
The other things that make me think he might be early: people keep telling me that I look like I’m about to have the baby any second now. He has dropped a bit; I commonly feel his head in my pelvis (so comfortable!). My hips pop when I do things like shift or get out of bed. And my stomach just feels huge and heavy. I don’t remember this sensation with Zoe. I do remember getting really big at the end, but right now it just feels like a heavy weight. The skin on my stomach hurts. I think he may be bigger than his sister. I’ve also started feeling his feet in my ribcage, so I think he’s running out of room.
No. 2 is a lot gentler than Zoe. He’s always done more body rolls and turnovers. In contrast, Zoe was a strong jabber and kicker. I wonder if this is any indication of personality? Even when I feel his feet in my ribs it isn’t too bad. I hope that remains the case.
If I had to guess, I would say he’ll be here the weekend of Oct. 8-10ish. I could be completely wrong, but if this turns out to be this case, this will be the third year in a row we’ve had access to free tickets to ACL but have been unable to use them. (First two years due to moving and this year potentially due to baby arrival.) By the time we’re finally able to go I probably won’t be able to get free tickets!
We’re all ready for munchkin to arrive. Zoe’s been talking to her teachers about the baby coming, Nate is ready to have a wife who isn’t huffing and puffing between cleaning out closets and making laundry detergent, and I’m ready to not feel like I’m carrying a watermelon in front of me all the time. I’m also just ready to meet this guy! I feel like I’ve been waiting for him for a very long time.
Last week I experienced contractions Sunday–Wednesday. They were real contractions, not Braxton Hicks. With BH the surface of your stomach tightens. It’s slightly uncomfortable but not painful. With these contractions I could actually see my stomach changing shape. It felt like a muscle flexing and I could feel downward pressure on my (just stop reading now if you don’t want to get into bodily things) cervix.
Sunday wasn’t so bad. They were very erratic. Monday night was steady and starting to get somewhat painful. At one point they were coming every five minutes or so. But I figured, if it’s really labor, I better get some rest. I’ll wake up if things are really happening. So I went to bed and Nate timed contractions for a couple of hours until I fell asleep. Tuesday I dropped Zoe off at school and almost immediately they started again (they get stronger when I am sitting straight, like when I’m driving, or standing for too long). They were fairly erratic but at that point I was on my third day and Nate wanted me to call the doctor.
The nurse said that unless I had six or more contractions every hour, or my water broke, that I didn’t need to call or come in. I kept getting five every hour and eventually I left work because I thought things were happening. Turned out they stopped. I followed the nurse’s advice and drank lots of water and rested on my left side. They gradually slowed to four an hour, then three an hour, and around 11 p.m. they were gone.
Wednesday they were all over the place but by then I’d figured out that when sitting at my desk at work I need to sit at an angle with my feet up and I need to stay off my feet as much as possible. Since then I get random contractions when I don’t adhere to those guidelines, but not more than one or two at a time.
I had an appointment with my OB/GYN later in the week and he believes it’s all prep. He said my body is getting ready; this is very common with second or subsequent babies. If it’s really bothering me, there’s some medication he can give me that is normally used to treat asthma but will make the contractions stop. So far I’ve been able to deal by resting a lot.
This past weekend I entered full nesting mode. I did loads and loads of laundry, including some baby clothes I may have previously washed but wasn’t sure about, so why the heck not? And I organized closets. The baby room is ready. All we need is a little munchkin to go in there. It got to the point that on Saturday night I made homemade laundry detergent (you know you are in irrational nesting mode when you find yourself doing things like that, but so what?). With Zoe the nesting phase preceded her arrival by about 10-14 days.
The other things that make me think he might be early: people keep telling me that I look like I’m about to have the baby any second now. He has dropped a bit; I commonly feel his head in my pelvis (so comfortable!). My hips pop when I do things like shift or get out of bed. And my stomach just feels huge and heavy. I don’t remember this sensation with Zoe. I do remember getting really big at the end, but right now it just feels like a heavy weight. The skin on my stomach hurts. I think he may be bigger than his sister. I’ve also started feeling his feet in my ribcage, so I think he’s running out of room.
No. 2 is a lot gentler than Zoe. He’s always done more body rolls and turnovers. In contrast, Zoe was a strong jabber and kicker. I wonder if this is any indication of personality? Even when I feel his feet in my ribs it isn’t too bad. I hope that remains the case.
If I had to guess, I would say he’ll be here the weekend of Oct. 8-10ish. I could be completely wrong, but if this turns out to be this case, this will be the third year in a row we’ve had access to free tickets to ACL but have been unable to use them. (First two years due to moving and this year potentially due to baby arrival.) By the time we’re finally able to go I probably won’t be able to get free tickets!
We’re all ready for munchkin to arrive. Zoe’s been talking to her teachers about the baby coming, Nate is ready to have a wife who isn’t huffing and puffing between cleaning out closets and making laundry detergent, and I’m ready to not feel like I’m carrying a watermelon in front of me all the time. I’m also just ready to meet this guy! I feel like I’ve been waiting for him for a very long time.
Reading List 2010
The Tibetan Art of Living, Christopher Hansard
Little Bee, Chris Cleave (book club)
Little Bee, Chris Cleave (book club)
Thursday
Reading List 2010
No Country for Old Men, Cormac McCarthy: Gorgeous
Fantasy in Death, J.D. Robb: brain candy
Wings to the Kingdom, Cherie Priest: Wanted to finish her first full series
Seek My Face, John Updike: can't remember how I heard of this but it is based on the artist Lee Krasner and I got interested
Fantasy in Death, J.D. Robb: brain candy
Wings to the Kingdom, Cherie Priest: Wanted to finish her first full series
Seek My Face, John Updike: can't remember how I heard of this but it is based on the artist Lee Krasner and I got interested
Tuesday
5.5 months
This was from a couple of weeks ago at Enzo's birthday party (super hero theme). I already feel much larger!
Friday
No. 2
I am 26 weeks pregnant today. I feel guilty because this is a typical second child in the sense that I have had very little time to think about being pregnant this time around, unlike the first time when I catalogued feelings, cravings, and experiences. I mean, just read the title of this entry for pete's sake. The second time is less surprising in some ways, of course. You’ve been through it before. But I’m also busier. We’re in our busiest time at work, we bought a house and moved, and I have a three-year-old to take care of. So I haven’t devoted a lot of time to thinking about little numero dos.
Now that I have hit 26 weeks and have only 14 left to go (theoretically), this pregnancy has become more real. I’ve also made a commitment to go to prenatal yoga more often and that has helped me really think about the upcoming arrival of our son as well. I want to write more about this pregnancy so when no. 2 asks me what it was like I remember.
Overall my pregnancy with Zoe was an easy one. I didn’t have morning sickness, and the only thing that made me nauseous was my morning coffee. This pregnancy has been, if anything, easier. Maybe it’s because I’ve been busier and haven’t had time to dwell, but I can even drink coffee this time around, though I try to stick to decaf most of the time.
Even though my pregnancies have been “easy,” I have to confess I don’t particularly like being pregnant. There are some women who really enjoy the experience (maybe it’s the hormones?). I tend to feel limited. I can’t run, I feel like I’m carrying a barrel around my midsection, and generally I’m just waiting for it to be over. I endure the pregnancy to get my prize: the baby. This time I am trying to appreciate the little things because it is probably the last time I’ll be pregnant. We aren’t completely ruling out a third child, in case we change our minds, but we both think a third is unlikely.
Cravings
I have become a sugar fiend. That happened with Zoe, too. I normally don’t have much of a sweet tooth and don’t drink sodas, but both times I’ve been pregnant all I seem to want to eat is chocolate and Coca-Cola is my crack. I have tried to drink root beer (since it doesn’t have caffeine) with cane sugar, but man, sometimes only a Coke will do. I also went through a serious ice cream phase where I had to have a vanilla cone every night.
The other funny craving was I constantly wanted to eat eggs. Sometimes I would eat as many as four in one sitting. With Zoe it was Cheerios and soy milk and with this one it’s eggs. Otherwise, nothing strange on the food front.
The chubs
I seem to be gaining approximately the same amount of weight. I looked at some old entries and at 6.5 months I’d gained 25 pounds with Zoe. I will be at six months next week and have gained 19 so far. Pretty close.
With the exception of the month around moving into our new house, I’ve exercised more with this pregnancy. I did Crossfit until 4 months, when my growing belly made it uncomfortable to jump and run. The timing coincided with our move so I was unable to work out anyway, due to being incredibly busy and settling in. Now I’m doing prenatal yoga and trying to walk when I can (easier to say than do in the heat of summer).
Illness
With Zoe I got really sick three times during my second trimester—sick enough to be in bed for several days—twice with a stomach virus and once with a really bad cold. So far I’ve been sick once (now) in the second trimester with an upper respiratory thing. I visited the doc yesterday and he gave me an RX for antibiotics. He favors a conservative approach for pregnant women though, and advised me not to take the antibiotics unless I get worse. I’m waiting to see what happens tonight because I’m really tired of feeling this terrible.
Preparation
I have much of what I need for the baby this time around, with the exception of clothes and a few other things, but we haven’t yet started working on the nursery. When we moved we used the baby’s room as storage and we’ve been slowing clearing it out. We are going to have an extra set of hands this weekend, so I hope to completely clear his room of everything non-baby related. Both my mom and mother-in-law will be visiting in August, so I think by the end of the month the room should be ready.
This time around I know what I’m looking for in terms of care. We hope to have munchkin join Zoe at her Montessori school. Right now we’re number one on the list for the month I’m heading back to work, so we’re hoping this works out.
Gender
When I was pregnant with Zoe I was convinced I was having a boy. So much so that I was a bit shocked when the ultrasound revealed a girl. Back then I thought I would prefer having a boy, but I have really loved the experience of having a daughter. She’s been perfect. When we got pregnant this second time, I just assumed it would be another girl. So I was shocked (again!) when the ultrasound revealed a little boy. It took me quite a bit of time to adjust to the idea. I already had everything for a girl! I know how they work! How in the heck do you change a boy’s diaper? How do we feel about circumcision? But now I’m getting used to the idea and I think it’s going to be really fun to experience both a daughter and a son. I find it funny that I was wrong both times about the gender. So much for mother’s intuition.
Timing
Zoe’s due date was May 27 and she was born on the 19th. This baby’s due date is Oct. 28. I suspect he will be early as well, though who knows? In any case, he will be here in approximately three months and that is not a lot of time. I’m trying to get things set up at work so someone can take over while I’m out, and also get ready at home. Having been through it before, I’m not that worried. I know things will come together and work out. And as long as he’s healthy, everything else is just icing.
Now that I have hit 26 weeks and have only 14 left to go (theoretically), this pregnancy has become more real. I’ve also made a commitment to go to prenatal yoga more often and that has helped me really think about the upcoming arrival of our son as well. I want to write more about this pregnancy so when no. 2 asks me what it was like I remember.
Overall my pregnancy with Zoe was an easy one. I didn’t have morning sickness, and the only thing that made me nauseous was my morning coffee. This pregnancy has been, if anything, easier. Maybe it’s because I’ve been busier and haven’t had time to dwell, but I can even drink coffee this time around, though I try to stick to decaf most of the time.
Even though my pregnancies have been “easy,” I have to confess I don’t particularly like being pregnant. There are some women who really enjoy the experience (maybe it’s the hormones?). I tend to feel limited. I can’t run, I feel like I’m carrying a barrel around my midsection, and generally I’m just waiting for it to be over. I endure the pregnancy to get my prize: the baby. This time I am trying to appreciate the little things because it is probably the last time I’ll be pregnant. We aren’t completely ruling out a third child, in case we change our minds, but we both think a third is unlikely.
Cravings
I have become a sugar fiend. That happened with Zoe, too. I normally don’t have much of a sweet tooth and don’t drink sodas, but both times I’ve been pregnant all I seem to want to eat is chocolate and Coca-Cola is my crack. I have tried to drink root beer (since it doesn’t have caffeine) with cane sugar, but man, sometimes only a Coke will do. I also went through a serious ice cream phase where I had to have a vanilla cone every night.
The other funny craving was I constantly wanted to eat eggs. Sometimes I would eat as many as four in one sitting. With Zoe it was Cheerios and soy milk and with this one it’s eggs. Otherwise, nothing strange on the food front.
The chubs
I seem to be gaining approximately the same amount of weight. I looked at some old entries and at 6.5 months I’d gained 25 pounds with Zoe. I will be at six months next week and have gained 19 so far. Pretty close.
With the exception of the month around moving into our new house, I’ve exercised more with this pregnancy. I did Crossfit until 4 months, when my growing belly made it uncomfortable to jump and run. The timing coincided with our move so I was unable to work out anyway, due to being incredibly busy and settling in. Now I’m doing prenatal yoga and trying to walk when I can (easier to say than do in the heat of summer).
Illness
With Zoe I got really sick three times during my second trimester—sick enough to be in bed for several days—twice with a stomach virus and once with a really bad cold. So far I’ve been sick once (now) in the second trimester with an upper respiratory thing. I visited the doc yesterday and he gave me an RX for antibiotics. He favors a conservative approach for pregnant women though, and advised me not to take the antibiotics unless I get worse. I’m waiting to see what happens tonight because I’m really tired of feeling this terrible.
Preparation
I have much of what I need for the baby this time around, with the exception of clothes and a few other things, but we haven’t yet started working on the nursery. When we moved we used the baby’s room as storage and we’ve been slowing clearing it out. We are going to have an extra set of hands this weekend, so I hope to completely clear his room of everything non-baby related. Both my mom and mother-in-law will be visiting in August, so I think by the end of the month the room should be ready.
This time around I know what I’m looking for in terms of care. We hope to have munchkin join Zoe at her Montessori school. Right now we’re number one on the list for the month I’m heading back to work, so we’re hoping this works out.
Gender
When I was pregnant with Zoe I was convinced I was having a boy. So much so that I was a bit shocked when the ultrasound revealed a girl. Back then I thought I would prefer having a boy, but I have really loved the experience of having a daughter. She’s been perfect. When we got pregnant this second time, I just assumed it would be another girl. So I was shocked (again!) when the ultrasound revealed a little boy. It took me quite a bit of time to adjust to the idea. I already had everything for a girl! I know how they work! How in the heck do you change a boy’s diaper? How do we feel about circumcision? But now I’m getting used to the idea and I think it’s going to be really fun to experience both a daughter and a son. I find it funny that I was wrong both times about the gender. So much for mother’s intuition.
Timing
Zoe’s due date was May 27 and she was born on the 19th. This baby’s due date is Oct. 28. I suspect he will be early as well, though who knows? In any case, he will be here in approximately three months and that is not a lot of time. I’m trying to get things set up at work so someone can take over while I’m out, and also get ready at home. Having been through it before, I’m not that worried. I know things will come together and work out. And as long as he’s healthy, everything else is just icing.
Thursday
Reading List 2010
Traveling Mercies, Anne Lamott
Catching the Big Fish, David Lynch
Getting the Pretty Back, Molly Ringwald (This last one is our book club selection; everyone wanted something light this month.)
My favorite quote from the David Lynch book:
"We are like the spider. We weave our life and then move along it. We are like the dreamer who dreams and then lives the dream. This is true for the entire universe."
--Upanishads
I'm casting about for something to read now. I seem to be out of ideas, though I really just need to visit the library or a bookstore to get a few.
Catching the Big Fish, David Lynch
Getting the Pretty Back, Molly Ringwald (This last one is our book club selection; everyone wanted something light this month.)
My favorite quote from the David Lynch book:
"We are like the spider. We weave our life and then move along it. We are like the dreamer who dreams and then lives the dream. This is true for the entire universe."
--Upanishads
I'm casting about for something to read now. I seem to be out of ideas, though I really just need to visit the library or a bookstore to get a few.
Monday
Life and Other Calamities
Long time no post, huh?
Well a few things have happened that I don't think I've stated explicitly here, though I have said things on Twitter.
I am five months pregnant today. Looks like we're having a boy in late October.
We bought a house and moved in late May.
I am in the busiest time of year at work.
We've had to deal with several unexpected and unpleasant situations regarding both our old rental house and our new house (we seem to have horrible home karma).
I am tired and cranky.
We had an unexpected guest.
We are dog sitting an anxious dog who is used to eight acres in the country and not a suburban house/yard.
I had a bit of a breakdown this past weekend.
There have been some good things, too, and maybe I will get to those later. I have gone from an incredible high over my birthday weekend to an incredible low exactly one week later. I could blame hormones, and that might even be partially true. But much of it is simply that we have been hit with a series of tough situations. One by one they are each manageable, but all together in one week...well, I can't drink, I can't run, so instead I felt physically sick, freaked out because I am pregnant, and then I ate ice cream and cried. And decided that I really need to start saying no to some things.
For the most part Nate and I want to help people when they ask us. It is not a burden; it is something we like to do. However, these are unusual circumstances and I've realized I'm simply at my limit. When you are pregnant, you gradually realize there are some things you can't do anymore. It sneaks up on you. You used to run three miles every day, say, and now your belly is so big that the bouncing up and down becomes uncomfortable. You wonder why you can't do it anymore, but it is simply a shift, and a temporary one at that.
Both times I've carried a baby I've been a little slow recognizing the physical limitations of being pregnant. And it seems I'm slow at recognizing the emotional and psychological ones as well. I let myself get stressed out to the point of feeling physically ill, and that's not a good thing when you are pregnant. That is when I had my mini-breakdown and ate too much ice cream. But I do have to cut myself a break there. All of my normal coping mechanisms are temporarily unavailable to me.
So. I am taking a step back, and trying to let some of these things go.
I will give you an example. We got hit with a double whammy by both our landlord when we were moving out and by the sellers when we moved into our new house. In one case the behavior was unethical. In the other it was probably illegal. And lots of well-meaning people have given us advice about how it isn't fair and how we should do this or that. Here is the thing. We've been through similar situations before; we sued the landlord in one of those situations, and tried to recover money from insurance in the other from someone who was at fault, and in both cases this is what we learned. People can be shitty. They don't do what is right. They don't do what is fair. They lie. And sometimes they get away with it all on a technicality, or because businesses are too busy and it isn't worth it financially for them to keep pursuing the matter. In other words, in both cases we got screwed. It wasn't fair, but we had pursued all the avenues we could and there it was. Not fair; deal with it. People do every day. And we realized the amounts of money involved were not, in the end, worth the stress in the first place. But back then we kept thinking we should fight for what was fair.
So those experiences have altered our perspectives a bit. We look at things more analytically, as in, is the effort this takes worth the outcome we want? Fairness is almost irrelevant in the equation.
Now that we find ourselves in similar situations, one dealing with an ethically shady landlord and the other with an insurance situation where we may end up paying a deductible for damage someone else is at fault for...well, in the end the only way to get "what is fair" is to sue. And considering the money involved and the fact that I am pregnant, I don't think either of us thinks it's worth it. Especially when one of the players is a lawyer and it ain't either of us.
Fair? No. But I'd rather put it behind us instead of continue to let it stress me out at this particular point in time. Because right now the priority is the baby I am carrying and not what other people are doing (or not doing). All I can do is control what I do and how I react, say no when I can and ask for help when I can't. So if you ask me something over the next few weeks the answer is likely to be "no" or "help." Or possibly "ask again later" if I've already hit the ice cream.
Well a few things have happened that I don't think I've stated explicitly here, though I have said things on Twitter.
I am five months pregnant today. Looks like we're having a boy in late October.
We bought a house and moved in late May.
I am in the busiest time of year at work.
We've had to deal with several unexpected and unpleasant situations regarding both our old rental house and our new house (we seem to have horrible home karma).
I am tired and cranky.
We had an unexpected guest.
We are dog sitting an anxious dog who is used to eight acres in the country and not a suburban house/yard.
I had a bit of a breakdown this past weekend.
There have been some good things, too, and maybe I will get to those later. I have gone from an incredible high over my birthday weekend to an incredible low exactly one week later. I could blame hormones, and that might even be partially true. But much of it is simply that we have been hit with a series of tough situations. One by one they are each manageable, but all together in one week...well, I can't drink, I can't run, so instead I felt physically sick, freaked out because I am pregnant, and then I ate ice cream and cried. And decided that I really need to start saying no to some things.
For the most part Nate and I want to help people when they ask us. It is not a burden; it is something we like to do. However, these are unusual circumstances and I've realized I'm simply at my limit. When you are pregnant, you gradually realize there are some things you can't do anymore. It sneaks up on you. You used to run three miles every day, say, and now your belly is so big that the bouncing up and down becomes uncomfortable. You wonder why you can't do it anymore, but it is simply a shift, and a temporary one at that.
Both times I've carried a baby I've been a little slow recognizing the physical limitations of being pregnant. And it seems I'm slow at recognizing the emotional and psychological ones as well. I let myself get stressed out to the point of feeling physically ill, and that's not a good thing when you are pregnant. That is when I had my mini-breakdown and ate too much ice cream. But I do have to cut myself a break there. All of my normal coping mechanisms are temporarily unavailable to me.
So. I am taking a step back, and trying to let some of these things go.
I will give you an example. We got hit with a double whammy by both our landlord when we were moving out and by the sellers when we moved into our new house. In one case the behavior was unethical. In the other it was probably illegal. And lots of well-meaning people have given us advice about how it isn't fair and how we should do this or that. Here is the thing. We've been through similar situations before; we sued the landlord in one of those situations, and tried to recover money from insurance in the other from someone who was at fault, and in both cases this is what we learned. People can be shitty. They don't do what is right. They don't do what is fair. They lie. And sometimes they get away with it all on a technicality, or because businesses are too busy and it isn't worth it financially for them to keep pursuing the matter. In other words, in both cases we got screwed. It wasn't fair, but we had pursued all the avenues we could and there it was. Not fair; deal with it. People do every day. And we realized the amounts of money involved were not, in the end, worth the stress in the first place. But back then we kept thinking we should fight for what was fair.
So those experiences have altered our perspectives a bit. We look at things more analytically, as in, is the effort this takes worth the outcome we want? Fairness is almost irrelevant in the equation.
Now that we find ourselves in similar situations, one dealing with an ethically shady landlord and the other with an insurance situation where we may end up paying a deductible for damage someone else is at fault for...well, in the end the only way to get "what is fair" is to sue. And considering the money involved and the fact that I am pregnant, I don't think either of us thinks it's worth it. Especially when one of the players is a lawyer and it ain't either of us.
Fair? No. But I'd rather put it behind us instead of continue to let it stress me out at this particular point in time. Because right now the priority is the baby I am carrying and not what other people are doing (or not doing). All I can do is control what I do and how I react, say no when I can and ask for help when I can't. So if you ask me something over the next few weeks the answer is likely to be "no" or "help." Or possibly "ask again later" if I've already hit the ice cream.
Reading List 2010
A list of books I've read recently.
All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers, Larry McMurtry
I read this back in college, or just after, and really liked it. Liked it the second time, too. Reminds me in some ways of Strange Peaches. SP is about Dallas with more drugs and violence, and Friends is about Austin and a little more innocent, but in both cases you have these male narrators stumbling around with women, having adventures, traversing the country, and getting into trouble. And, of course, they both end up in Mexico at one point or another.
The next three were all books while I was traveling. I prefer mind candy when flying.
Visions in Death, J.D. Robb
Big Jack, J.D. Robb
Holiday in Death, J.D. Robb
I saw the movie Coco and read this after.
Coco Chanel: Her Life, Her Secrets, Marcel Haedrich
Found this on my book shelf and had no idea how it got there. Decided to read it and then sent it to Goodwill.
Running Scared, Elizabeth Lowell
I love me some Ursula LeGuin and really enjoyed both of these books.
The Beginning Place, Ursula LeGuin
City of Illusions, Ursula LeGuin
All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers, Larry McMurtry
I read this back in college, or just after, and really liked it. Liked it the second time, too. Reminds me in some ways of Strange Peaches. SP is about Dallas with more drugs and violence, and Friends is about Austin and a little more innocent, but in both cases you have these male narrators stumbling around with women, having adventures, traversing the country, and getting into trouble. And, of course, they both end up in Mexico at one point or another.
The next three were all books while I was traveling. I prefer mind candy when flying.
Visions in Death, J.D. Robb
Big Jack, J.D. Robb
Holiday in Death, J.D. Robb
I saw the movie Coco and read this after.
Coco Chanel: Her Life, Her Secrets, Marcel Haedrich
Found this on my book shelf and had no idea how it got there. Decided to read it and then sent it to Goodwill.
Running Scared, Elizabeth Lowell
I love me some Ursula LeGuin and really enjoyed both of these books.
The Beginning Place, Ursula LeGuin
City of Illusions, Ursula LeGuin
Reading List 2010
The Bird's Nest, Shirley Jackson
Private Demons: The Life of Shirley Jackson, Judy Oppenheimer
The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson
I'm on a Shirley Jackson kick. I'm about to start rewriting my second novel as soon as things let up at work a little, and I'm reading her for inspiration. My story is dark, kind of gothic-y and creepy.
I can feel the writing building up in my brain. Almost ready to revise, as soon as my evenings are free from work projects again.
Private Demons: The Life of Shirley Jackson, Judy Oppenheimer
The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson
I'm on a Shirley Jackson kick. I'm about to start rewriting my second novel as soon as things let up at work a little, and I'm reading her for inspiration. My story is dark, kind of gothic-y and creepy.
I can feel the writing building up in my brain. Almost ready to revise, as soon as my evenings are free from work projects again.
Tuesday
Reading List 2010
This is a strange combination of books, but there you go.
Cheating Death, Sanjay Gupta (he was a visitor to work and we got copies of his book)
We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson (very tight and good)
Summer Sisters, Judy Blume (I found this on my book shelf and literally did not know how it made its way there so I wanted to read it and rehome it)
I think there's one more I'm forgetting so I'll need to update when I figure it out.
Cheating Death, Sanjay Gupta (he was a visitor to work and we got copies of his book)
We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson (very tight and good)
Summer Sisters, Judy Blume (I found this on my book shelf and literally did not know how it made its way there so I wanted to read it and rehome it)
I think there's one more I'm forgetting so I'll need to update when I figure it out.
Thursday
To Celebrate
I think it's good to reward yourself when you've accomplished something. And I have recently finished a first draft of a novel and a short story. So, I might get myself:
a Meyer lemon tree
this pen
this print or
this one
Now to decide...
a Meyer lemon tree
this pen
this print or
this one
Now to decide...
Wednesday
Reading List 2010
Amigoland, Oscar Casares
Making a Literary Life, Carolyn See (read the whole book but I focused on the revision section because I will be revising in a few weeks)
Totally Killer, Greg Olear (book club)
Making a Literary Life, Carolyn See (read the whole book but I focused on the revision section because I will be revising in a few weeks)
Totally Killer, Greg Olear (book club)
Tuesday
Word Count: Done!
I am finished with what some writers call the "down draft" (just getting it down) and another writer calls "draft zero."
It is shorter than I thought it would be and I now know two things. I will have to cut a lot of filler where I was figuring out what was going on, and now that I know what's happening there's some detail I will need to add. Overall I would guess the cutting and adding will cancel each other out and I will end up with approximately the same length, plus or minus 5k words.
I also need to do some research. I like to have the story part done first, and then do the research to back it up. I want just enough background to tell the story convincingly. The reason for this is that I really like research and can entertain myself for far too long with interesting factoids and not ever get to the, you know, actual writing part.
So now that I am "done" for this little bit, I will set novel #2 aside for the next four-six weeks. I'm going to do some reading, some research, and may revise one short story and write another. Then in April or thereabouts I will start the next draft.
I finished a half marathon on Sunday and finished this first draft on Tuesday. Not a bad week all in all, except that I am sick. I spent much of today sleeping and I think I'll get to bed early again tonight. Hopefully I'll be healthy enough to return to work tomorrow.
Thursday
Sunday
Word Count
Today was a good writing day. I am definitely going to come in short of my 80k goal. I have only two-three chapters left to write, but I also know I'm going to have quite a few holes to fill in on the next draft.
Either way, the end is in sight!
Either way, the end is in sight!
Tuesday
Monday
Word Count
This may not seem like great progress but I'm getting to a weird place where I need to figure out where a few elements in the story go, and those decisions impact other things. So even though the word count is not terribly high, it's a productive time for me.
I also think this might be an unusual case when I write less than I was expecting. Normally I overwrite and end up having to cut. This may be an exception to my normal tendencies.
However, I shouldn't be surprised. When I first thought of this idea I imagined it as a novella and just figured I'd might as well shoot for 80k because that would put this story in the typical novel range. I'm not going to force the length, though. No padding. But right now I'm thinking I probably won't make 80.
Sunday
Friday
Thought for Friday
"I have born 13 children
and seen most all sold into slavery
and when I cried out a mother's grief
none but Jesus heard me. . .
and ain't I a woman?
...
that little man in black there say
a woman can't have as much rights as a man
cause Christ wasn't a woman
Where did your Christ come from?
From God and a woman!
Man had nothing to do with him!
If the first woman God ever made
was strong enough to turn the world
upside down, all alone
together women ought to be able to turn it
rightside up again."
Alice Walker Reads Soujourner Truth from Voices of a People's History.
Wednesday
A Few Things
I haven't done as much writing as I would like lately. I've been working a lot, and also working out. I am going to participate in the Austin Half Marathon as a member of Team LIVESTRONG in honor of a friend who was diagnosed with cancer last year.
If you're so inclined, you can donate to the cause. Any donation is welcomed and appreciated.
I'm not really prepared to run a half marathon. I suspect I will be walking quite a bit of it, but in the end I'm not doing this for athletic/training reasons so that's okay. But I am trying to do enough training so I don't get injured and that, naturally, has cut into my writing time.
Also, Nate and I started rewatching the first season of Lost and talk about a time suck. We intend to watch one episode and then keep watching. As I'm writing this I wonder if that's the wisest use of my time when I'm getting closer to finishing this draft, especially since my workload will only get busier so now is the best time to try to finish.
I'll ponder that but leave you with this:
I have somewhere between 7-10 chapters left to write. I have a list of things I still need to write about but I can see how some might be combined into one chapter. Hard to say for sure, though. Sometimes what I expect is going to be a short section grows and others I expect to be long are handled quickly. But 7-10 is a rough idea.
If you're so inclined, you can donate to the cause. Any donation is welcomed and appreciated.
I'm not really prepared to run a half marathon. I suspect I will be walking quite a bit of it, but in the end I'm not doing this for athletic/training reasons so that's okay. But I am trying to do enough training so I don't get injured and that, naturally, has cut into my writing time.
Also, Nate and I started rewatching the first season of Lost and talk about a time suck. We intend to watch one episode and then keep watching. As I'm writing this I wonder if that's the wisest use of my time when I'm getting closer to finishing this draft, especially since my workload will only get busier so now is the best time to try to finish.
I'll ponder that but leave you with this:
I have somewhere between 7-10 chapters left to write. I have a list of things I still need to write about but I can see how some might be combined into one chapter. Hard to say for sure, though. Sometimes what I expect is going to be a short section grows and others I expect to be long are handled quickly. But 7-10 is a rough idea.
Sunday
Reading List 2010
First two books I read this year were zombie books. That seems foreboding, doesn't it?
World War Z, an Oral History of the Zombie War, Max Brooks
This book showed some serious research and a Renaissance man's knowledge. Also, I admired the fact that he wrote so many oral histories--different ages, genders, nationalities and was able to make them sound distinct. A trait not many writers possess in their toolbox.
Boneshaker, Cherie Priest
This book made me think about some anti-ebook commentary I've read. I'm of the generation that had computers pretty early on but we didn't grow up with them as a matter of everyday existence the way the current generation has. I love physical books, but I also have no issues with reading a book on a Kindle (or other device) screen.
My strategy with physical versus ebooks is this. There is absolutely no reason to buy a mass market paperback. As objects, they are not beautiful. They fall apart and they take up space on your book shelf. For me, that translates into a book I will read on my Kindle or check out from the library.
With trade paperbacks and hard covers, I think about a few factors. Is the book itself beautiful? Is it something I will read over and over again? If so I will probably buy the physical book. If it's just your standard trade paper or hard cover, I will compare prices between the ebook and physical book but chances are I will buy the ebook. My shelves are already full so you need to be very good or beautiful to make it up there now.
I bought Boneshaker as a physical book because it looked different (different font color, for one thing) and I liked the way it was produced. And it makes me think books are going to have to do things differently to continue to thrive as physical objects. I have no doubt people will continue to read (we can argue if short attention spans may change what they read, but that's a discussion for a different time), but how they read will change.
Younger people have been trained through Netflix and other services to expect instant gratification. If they hear about a book, a movie, a TV show, they want to be able to experience it instantly. They don't feel like waiting, planning a trip to the bookstore, maybe finding out it's not in stock (with those short attention spans if your product isn't available they'll probably move onto the next thing that catches their eye).
I don't think I'm saying anything new or different from what others have said, but I hear people my own age and older talking about not wanting to read on a screen. I think it's an inevitable change, whatever form it ends up taking. We're in the beta/VHS wars of ebook readers but I have no doubt in the future we'll be in the Netflix/DVR version of books and it's going to happen a lot faster with books than it did with movies because other industries have paved the way.
I'm excited. If there was a way they could figure out a good way to showcase magazines or newspapers on these devices I would subscribe to more.
Anybody out there have any thoughts on the matter?
World War Z, an Oral History of the Zombie War, Max Brooks
This book showed some serious research and a Renaissance man's knowledge. Also, I admired the fact that he wrote so many oral histories--different ages, genders, nationalities and was able to make them sound distinct. A trait not many writers possess in their toolbox.
Boneshaker, Cherie Priest
This book made me think about some anti-ebook commentary I've read. I'm of the generation that had computers pretty early on but we didn't grow up with them as a matter of everyday existence the way the current generation has. I love physical books, but I also have no issues with reading a book on a Kindle (or other device) screen.
My strategy with physical versus ebooks is this. There is absolutely no reason to buy a mass market paperback. As objects, they are not beautiful. They fall apart and they take up space on your book shelf. For me, that translates into a book I will read on my Kindle or check out from the library.
With trade paperbacks and hard covers, I think about a few factors. Is the book itself beautiful? Is it something I will read over and over again? If so I will probably buy the physical book. If it's just your standard trade paper or hard cover, I will compare prices between the ebook and physical book but chances are I will buy the ebook. My shelves are already full so you need to be very good or beautiful to make it up there now.
I bought Boneshaker as a physical book because it looked different (different font color, for one thing) and I liked the way it was produced. And it makes me think books are going to have to do things differently to continue to thrive as physical objects. I have no doubt people will continue to read (we can argue if short attention spans may change what they read, but that's a discussion for a different time), but how they read will change.
Younger people have been trained through Netflix and other services to expect instant gratification. If they hear about a book, a movie, a TV show, they want to be able to experience it instantly. They don't feel like waiting, planning a trip to the bookstore, maybe finding out it's not in stock (with those short attention spans if your product isn't available they'll probably move onto the next thing that catches their eye).
I don't think I'm saying anything new or different from what others have said, but I hear people my own age and older talking about not wanting to read on a screen. I think it's an inevitable change, whatever form it ends up taking. We're in the beta/VHS wars of ebook readers but I have no doubt in the future we'll be in the Netflix/DVR version of books and it's going to happen a lot faster with books than it did with movies because other industries have paved the way.
I'm excited. If there was a way they could figure out a good way to showcase magazines or newspapers on these devices I would subscribe to more.
Anybody out there have any thoughts on the matter?
Thursday
Output
I did not work on my novel over the holiday break. First there was traveling and Christmas, then I was in the grips of what I think was the flu. Nate and I were both sick 11 days or so and we're still not fully functional. That seems more severe than a cold. So, not much work on the novel.
I did, however, write a short story that's just over 5,000 words (even my short stories tend to be long). I'm not really sure where the story came from. But they come when they come and it's possible to for the train to go off the tracks if you don't ride it when it's time. So I have a draft, I'm letting it sit, and hoping to get back to the novel now that I am more or less healthy again. I'll revisit the story after it's had some time to ferment.
In other output news, Zoe has been making some great strides in potty training. Our pediatrician said that the term potty training is inaccurate because you don't "train" them so much as they reach a point where they are physically and mentally ready and they start using the potty on their own. For the most part that seems to be happening.
She started using the potty around 18 months and did really well until she passed her second birthday. Then using the potty sometimes became a power struggle and if you fight with a two year old chances are you will lose, so I tried not to push it.
Over the holiday break we often found her on the potty on her own initiative. We weren't asking her over and over if she needed to go and she wasn't telling us she needed to go. She figured out she needed to go and we'd find her in the bathroom doing her thing. Needless to say, this is very exciting. It isn't 100 percent of the time and she still has accidents, but it seems like we've turned a corner.
All in all, not so bad on the multiple output fronts.
I did, however, write a short story that's just over 5,000 words (even my short stories tend to be long). I'm not really sure where the story came from. But they come when they come and it's possible to for the train to go off the tracks if you don't ride it when it's time. So I have a draft, I'm letting it sit, and hoping to get back to the novel now that I am more or less healthy again. I'll revisit the story after it's had some time to ferment.
In other output news, Zoe has been making some great strides in potty training. Our pediatrician said that the term potty training is inaccurate because you don't "train" them so much as they reach a point where they are physically and mentally ready and they start using the potty on their own. For the most part that seems to be happening.
She started using the potty around 18 months and did really well until she passed her second birthday. Then using the potty sometimes became a power struggle and if you fight with a two year old chances are you will lose, so I tried not to push it.
Over the holiday break we often found her on the potty on her own initiative. We weren't asking her over and over if she needed to go and she wasn't telling us she needed to go. She figured out she needed to go and we'd find her in the bathroom doing her thing. Needless to say, this is very exciting. It isn't 100 percent of the time and she still has accidents, but it seems like we've turned a corner.
All in all, not so bad on the multiple output fronts.