Rambling Update

I got the word yesterday that I have a little over two weeks before I get induced. This is a two-edged sword. I am the type of person who would have my baby at home, if I could. I'm high-risk in multiple categories, so I couldn't. I insisted on the least amount of ultrasounds and forewent the amniocentisis.


However, in addition to the medical conditions that I started out with, I've developed pre-eclampsia and so, will have to be induced at 37 weeks. Besides a c-section, inducement is a worst-case scenario for me. Extremely difficult to do without an epidural (I'm going to try, but I'm not going to be a hero), and it tends to lead to more and more intervention...more difficult delivery, forceps, vacuum, and in almost all cases, the aforementioned epidural. Not to mention, a higher incidence of the dreaded c-section.

I have had a difficult pregnancy and it is a miracle that my Little Man has made it this far. My high-risk doctor performed my final ultrasound (grand total of 3, one was an emergency in month two) yesterday and said that my son looks like a million bucks. But, the longer he stays in, the more dangerous it becomes for him. So, inducement in two weeks, while not my dream situation, it is the best thing for baby. The only intervention I've managed to escape is the amnio. Usually when a baby is induced before 39 weeks, they require one. But, since they are going to take him at 37 weeks no matter what, it is not necessary. Score one for Momma.

During this gestation, I've had very limited energy.  I've had about two good workable hours most days.  Some, I haven't gotten out of bed, except to go to the bathroom every hour.  So, I've had to streamline my activities.  I am also getting a sense of a new set of priorities.  I guess I'm going through the transition from Mom-to-be to Mom-in-living-color.  Since I've had limited workable hours, I've focused on my home and family almost exclusively.  No journaling, no working on my novel, no socializing (almost none), and very little blogging. 

I have been doing a wee bit of writing, though.  I've outlined a book (working five minutes at a time, here and there) on my family's frugal lifestyle.  I got the idea when my sister came to visit last month.  She commented on what a high quality of life we had on such a little bit of money.  I even sent her home with a tip that will save her two dollars every time she goes to Starbucks (that really impressed her.)  So, little by little, I started taking notes on strategies we've developed over the last six years of marriage.  I was stunned when my outline reached three single-spaced pages.  I had never thought about our lifestyle in a structured way before, but we have amassed quite a stash of frugal knowledge.

I've been amazed at how happy I am when I am working on this project.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy writing fiction.  But, I never have had the feeling that I was doing anything important.  But, with this project, I feel that I could have a true, positive impact on a lot of families who are going through tough times.  Not to get too mushy, but I think that Little Man's impending arrival has refocused my energies and I, too, am going through a birth, of sorts.  I hope it sticks. 

The Other Blog

Just for fun, I've started another blog...here...it is about all the fun my family has saving money.  I know that doesn't sound like much fun.  We are southerners stuck in NY for a twelve year span. We have seven more to go.  The cost of living is OUTRAGEOUS.  We are not only trying to survive, but have enough money to finish college for ourselves, send Lil' Bit to college, pay off all of our debt, and buy a house down south when we leave.  These are rather lofty goals considering our cash flow. 

The only way to do it is to have an extremely tight budget.  Budgets are no fun, but we've managed to make saving money a game.  We all try to outdo the other in making a buck stretch.  For example, The Big Guy bought a brand new bread machine at a yard sale last year for $1.  Lil' Bit bought a full-sized Sanyo keyboard for $8 two weeks ago.  These are just two of our many, many frugal victories.  Anyway, I started that blog to cheer our family on in our Low Falutin' ways.  Stop by if you like to save a buck.

Re-visiting the Anti in Anti-Perfection

So, I had a minor freak-out last night about all the things that I'm not accomplishing. My gentle husband had to remind me that the only thing I have to do, grow our son, is progressing nicely. Everything else is incidental. I love it when he puts things in perspective for me.

This was me two months ago...I am now officially humongous.

Taken about two hours ago.

The Great Silence…broken

Since the Great Egg Fertilization of 2009, I've been reduced to about two, maybe three good hours of energy a day. I have been under a couple of deadlines that had to be met. Therefore, I have had to streamline my day to just the bare essentials. I did manage to finish my bookkeeping course on schedule. Barely. And my apartment no longer looks like Sid and Nancy live here. I can now resume my pleasure activities…writing, sewing, shaving my legs…oh wait, what?

Just Checking In

Hi All,
My computer crashed and I've been without the net for a week...aaaagh! I bought a netbook yesterday to fill the gap. It has taken me four hours to write this (tiny keyboard.) More to come....
April

Gaming the Lemon Tree

Ah, procrastination.  Where would I be without you?  Probably in my beach-side condo enjoying the fruits of my best-selling novel, stopping only to refresh my mojito and consult with my stock broker.  But, alas you are a lemon tree.  Generous in providing a constant supply of lemons for my lemonade making pleasure.  Can I game the Lemon Tree?  Can I actually use procrastination to my benefit? 

Ways I creatively procrastinate:

Scenario 1 - I've been putting off starting a big project.  I also hate doing the dishes.  So, I decide that I only have to set up my project and get started on the first part.  I get the project set up and all of a sudden, those dishes have to be washed right now, by gum.  This works so well, that sometimes I'll pull out the big project even when I don't need to work on it, just to scare myself into doing chores. 

Scenario 2 - I've hit a slow spot in my WIP.  All of a sudden, that idea that has been percolating in the back of my head starts demanding attention.  Write me now, write me now.  In the past, I would just drop what I was doing and run after the new shiny.  But, I've learned to seduce myself with the new activity.  If I get one more page done, then I can procrastinate with the new idea.  Then working on the new thing seems more like a guilty pleasure than work. 

Scenario 3 - Reading.  OMG, I love to read.  You see the books I've read column?  Those are only the ones I've finished.  Multiply that by about four or five, to account for the ones I scanned or didn't finish, and you get some kind of idea of my literary appetite.  *I used to finish every book I started, but if it doesn't do it for me, away it goes.  Life is too short for sucky books.*  When I'm in a big project, I limit my reading to books on writing and those in my genre (unless a book comes out by a favorite author, like today.) Go, Kim, Go.
  That way, if the reading jones hits me too hard, I am still working.  I'm reading about my craft or doing market research. 

There are so many activities to choose from during my day.  I try to keep a steady supply of profitable ones in rotation, so that if I'm running from one, I'm still moving forward.  For someone like me, with a short attention span, it is a remarkably efficient way to stay on track. 

What ways do you all have to creatively procrastinate?


Here's an interview with Ms. Harrison. Enjoy!

Putting the Smackdown on Perfectionism

The main reason that I started this blog was to put the smackdown on my ridiculous perfectionism.  But, this last week or so it has reared its ugly head.  I've found myself not posting because I didn't have that perfect topic.  So, in the spirit of anti-perfectionism, here is a possibly lame update on what is going on in Aprilville. 

In my last post, I mentioned that I applied to be an editor at BellaOnline.  Well, I didn't get it.  They gave it to some Dr. Whateverhernameis.  The nerve.  Moving on.  I also submitted four articles for review at Constant Content.  I was amazed when the first was approved.  They are notorious for being grammar snobs.  I, however, am not.  So, after a gazillion rewrites, I hit submit.  It took five days, but my first article was approved.  Then I submitted another.  Repeat acceptance process two more times. 

Yesterday morning, I woke up to find an offer for one of my articles.  What?  Someone wants to buy what I've written?  Yowza.  So I accepted the offer and have my first sale.  That was an amazing feeling.  Of course, now I'm stalking my account, psychicly willing my articles to sell. 

I've also managed to put together a complete outline for a novel.  I've been toying with this idea for a while.  It keeps morphing on me though, and I haven't been able to hold it down long enough to write the damn thing.  Hopefully, this outline will help. 

Now that I've got a strangle-hold on the perfectionism, I can tackle my procrastination.  Maybe later.