At least it feels like it! Well, I really have never lost twenty pounds before except with the labor of my two children. Men can’t beat it. They stand around talking about how they started working out and lost ten pounds in two weeks. Any woman who’s birthed a child can drop the line, “Oh, yeah? I lost ten pounds in one day!”
Just in case you’re reading this and haven’t experienced the joy of birth yourself, let me review a few facts:
~labor can be painful and is definitely hard work
~the birth itself is messy and miraculous at the same time
~the second it’s over, the mother forgets how hard it was and the pain was all worth it
Today, the 28th day of February, I gave birth to my second book! (Depends on how you count it though, as I only wrote half of the book with Mom–so my 1 1/2 book?) The baby was conceived sometime in July, dug into the nutrients of my brain on the 26th of that month, but grew slowly until November. By November 14, I only had written 12653 words. I know this because I kept a baby journal, as all obsessive mothers do.
But I buckled down and made writing my job. Today at 3:07 PM, I wrote the last of 91,294 words and Undiscovered came into the world. “Now wait,” some of you authors are saying. “It’s not born until it’s published.
I beg to differ. I brought neither of my children home with me from the hospital, but left them in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. My novel is now in the MICU–Manuscript Intensive Care Unit. I can go visit it often, feed it, burp it, change it, but it’s not ready to be out in public yet. The more care I give it, the more purposefully I edit the junk away, the healthier it will be when it does leave the MICU.
But I’m twenty pounds lighter! I’ve got tons of writing related tasks scheduled for the next month, but no more quotas to meet until April. The weight on my shoulders–the one I call Should–has left for a time. Should likes to sit on my back and tell me YOU SHOULD BE WRITING while I read emails and blogs, play with the kids, do the dishes, scratch my husband’s back,…. And, when I’m writing, Should says YOU SHOULD BE WITH YOUR FAMILY.
Good riddance, Should. See you in April.
I SHOULD be working but I am reading your Blog. I enjoyed it very much. As a man I am glad that I don’t have to give birth to a child and as a non-writer I am glad I don’t have to write a book. Both sound very painful.
I’m with Kevin, I SHOULD be working. Congrats on the book, can’t wait to read it.
Good job Christina. Congratulations. I can’t wait to give birth to my next book, being the gestation period for mine is the same length of time as an elephant. But, after my youngest daughter’s wedding on March 10th, I can get this baby to grow and be birthed into this world.
Ernie
And I’m the proud grandma!! Congrats on meeting your deadline through thick and thin. I marvel at your ability to be so focused and still care so well for your family. I’m so proud of you!
Love, Mom
Wow Christina! Congratulations!! So, is it a boy or a girl??? (do books have a gender??) I’m so happy for you. I can just imagine the relief you must be feeling.
I really believe we should celebrate our goals and accomplishments. I hope you’re going to go do something fun to celebrate this one! You deserve it. Now, let’s get those publishing houses going so we can all meet this new baby for ourselves. 🙂
Congrats. I know that feeling, that happened to me in oct. Now I’m out of MICU and in Peds. Hopefully it’ll be in Preschool here in a few months. LOL!
Oh, but I’m in the pregnacy stage of a new one.
Congrats, lady!! So cool to smack that newborn on the butt and hear it scream, huh?
Hey, good work! I agree with you that just because it isn’t published doesn’t mean it isn’t born. I just read a blog from my missionary friends in Africa. They went to a baby’s coming out party. The baby is kept inside for a couple months, and a big celebration occurs when it’s brought out of the house for the first time. People in the village gather and take turns throwing the baby in the air, if you can believe that. It’s amazing, here’s their blog address if you want to check it out. (It’s short.) http://www.salemec.com/glancys
Anyway, congrats! Tammy