Ten True Things

Cindy tagged me on this... Ten true things about me (that I'll share):

1. I had a crush on a boy in first grade. And I still remember his name. (No, I can't find him on facebook.)
2. I used cloth diapers on my daughter. But now I'm too lazy to do it for my son. And I feel guilty.
3. I don't like football.
4. I used to play rugby. (I love rugby.)
5. Anything science-related is super exciting for me. I've been glued to the Science Channel and Discovery Channel too much lately. I say it's for my future sci-fi book, but I really just use that as an excuse to stay on the couch.
6. My mom kept me backstage when she was doing dozens of plays, but I've only been in two myself.
7. In fourth grade, I told a boy I was going to name my daughter "Rebma" because it was my name backwards.
8. My math skills are subpar. I rely too much on hubby.
9. I killed a deer with my car and then spent a year without eating meat in penance.
10. I have nearly converted to half a dozen religions, leaving me confused.

Yeah, they're a little random. I was going to nominate other people, but hubby is calling for help so I must go now.

Merry Christmas!

My mom, sister and I used to decorate cookies every year for Christmas, but I can't remember the last time we actually sat down and did it. Until this year. (We even got Toddler Help.)




See our Iorek Byrnison cookies??


Wintry seals...


A Penguin Parade...


And when you've had too many cookies, you can lay by the fire and read a book. (In this case, Laini Taylor's Blackbringer, which my sister was reading before it was "aquired.")

वहत दो व्रितिंग मोम्स दो दुरिंग ठिर मतेर्निटी लीव?

I hope that title still isn't in sanscrit (or whatever language that appears in the title block at the moment). Anyway, it's supposed to say: What do writing moms do during their maternity leave? (Someone tell me WHY it's in another language!)

The answer is: change diapers, experience life as a cow, and stare at tiny feet while daydreaming their plot that they know they should be working on. Oh, and in my case, trying my best to convince Child #1 that Child #2 is not a toy.

Seriously, I was staring at my baby's toes last night after he started his milk coma and thought: I should be writing. Then I felt guilty because no, I should not be writing. I should be sitting on the couch, like I was, watching too much TV and wearing my son's spit-up on my shoulders. But honestly, I want to get back to my story. Ali had just exited a prison and then---I stopped writing. I got wrapped up in querying agents and then revising ROHANA. Then I became obsessed with being pregnant and then trying to become un-pregnant. Now that my baby is two weeks old, I'm ready to get back to work.

Only, I get on a computer once every four days and barely check my email.

So what do new writing moms do during this postpartum period? They work their brains and rest their fingers.

Well, it's what they do on the days they get naps.

Henry

I haven't been posting because I had a baby. :-)



Henry was born last Sunday, just after sunrise. Since then, I haven't had much of an urge to touch my computer. He seems to eat constantly and Elizabeth has been a little over-eager to help and hold him, so I've had my hands full. (And I don't mind one bit.)





Forgive him his Yoda feet here. I swear it's just the pants.

Now, back to mothering and pondering plot for my WIP.

Remembering New Zealand

I think labor may be starting now, and I'm trying to distract myself by looking at old pictures of dreamy, inspiring New Zealand. We went there in October of 2007 to do research for my first book. (I was going to post pictures of St. Petersburg, but I can't find them.)

Here's the golden coastline of Chatham Island, where my novel ROHANA takes place.


One of the carved kopi trees. Each carving is done on a live tree, and most represent the spirits of Moriori ancestors. Unfortunately, many trees were cut down, the carving peeled off, and taken "home" to England and elsewhere to be put on display. The peeled carvings don't have the breath of life in them that the living ones do. Sadly, the trees are dying out (even though protected) and no one remembers exactly how to carve new dendroglyphs.


I don't remember the name of these falls, but the hike to them was amazing and the roaring was awe-inspiring. It's in the southeastern part of the South Island.


This is a snapshot of Lord of the Rings country, in the center of the South Island. The water is freezing cold and deep blue due to the mineral deposits from the mountains. Unreal, really.


One of the last days of our trip (as you can tell by Jim's beard). This was at a campground just north of Auckland, on the North Island. The trip is etched in my memory as one of wonder, excitement, and family bonding and bliss.


Anyone else been to New Zealand or somewhere equally beautiful? Share and link pics on your blog if you have!

Waiting

Nothing is going on in my life worth reporting, which is why I haven't posted anything. Just some never-ending pre-labor/early-labor. The baby will come soon, but "soon" is a little ambiguous. It's kind of like having a Baby Bomb in my belly with the timer set to "random."

Last night I made the mistake of thinking I was in real labor and went to the hospital. I will never do that again. It was awful. If I could re-do my prenatal care and planning, I would have set up a homebirth. It would be so much more relaxing to labor here, away from monitors and un-comfy beds and not-so-nice nurses and their hourly cervical checks.

So far, the first pregnancy was so much easier than this one.

America

Today I feel about America as I did when I was in second grade, or thereabouts. It's a grand, hopeful, challenging, wonderful nation with an optimistic path to the future.

And I can sigh in relief.