It’s been a while.
I gave birth to a healthy boy on September 11 at 2:29 in the morning. There were no complications during labor. He’s nursing well and gaining weight rapidly. He’s nursing almost too well–I’ve been getting hardly any rest. Unfortunately he never received the pediatrician’s memo stating that infants can go two to three hours without eating. Even if he had gotten it, alas, infants can’t read. It doesn’t help that my two-year-old is teething. He’s getting his two-year molars. He goes to bed late, wakes up frequently, and then wakes up early. Our schedule has settled into an unbearable hell:
10 PM: toddler finally asleep (his bedtime is 8:30)
11 PM: after housework, tidying, nursing infant, my bedtime
12 AM: partner reassures wakeful toddler
1 AM: nurse the baby for an hour
2 AM: partner reassures wakeful toddler
3 AM: nurse the baby for an hour
5:30 AM: nurse the baby for an hour
6:30 AM: toddler awake
7 AM: nurse the baby and start day
With that level of sleep deprivation, I’m not in full possession of my faculties. I make silly mistakes and my attention and memory are less than optimal. I’m nervous about returning to work in November.
Other than that I’m working on writing again. I’m compiling critiques from my novel into a revision outline so that I can query agents with a completed manuscript soon. I’m also working on revising and submitting more short stories and expect to be up to writing fresh drafts soon.
But that could be my optimism speaking rather than my good sense. :)
I do have good news: I received my contributor copy of Unidentified Funny Objects 6 (UFO6), an anthology of humorous short stories edited by Alex Shvartsman. You can find my story, “Dear Joyce,” near the end. The anthology is for sale on Amazon.
If your autumn is as rainy as mine is, I hope you’re finding time to curl up with a good book, a bright candle, and a hot cup of tea.
