Family

It's been a month now since I last posted, but alas this month has been busy. Christmas is now upon us, and I'm finally able to get out into the hustle and bustle.

Anywho...here are some family pics that we just took with our amazing photographer, Megan.

Enjoy!

He has Arrived!!

I'm happy to announce that I have a new son, Mathias, which means "Gift of God"

born November 14, 2009 at 6:16 p.m.

Weighing 7 lbs, 10 ounces

Measuring 21 inches long

Maternity Photos

Here are a few of my maternity photos. I was 27 weeks in these pics.

These photos are the work of Megan Parker at www.meganparkerphoto.com/

She's amazing as you can see!

And now, a few maternity photos from my last pregnancy!

Yeah, I know, I'm a bad blogger. I stick my head in about once every two months for an update, but what can I say? Life's busy. Especially now when I've got a toddler with mounds of energy and a new baby to plan for.

I am excited so that's why I'm posting. My husband and I, with our daughter, just got back from our maternity session with the best and most pleasant photographer in our city. I want to post some of the pics here, but I need to make sure I have persmission first, so here is the link to her blog with a few of the photos posted.

http://meganparkerphoto.com/blog/
Just scroll down to the August 15 post.

I cannot wait until the newborn session we'll take with her once Mathias is here.
I've got 13 more weeks until due date and I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!

My cup runneth over.

Writing Reflections

I don’t blog much about my writing. I guess because I know if I get started in that habit that I might never stop and then there’d be no boundaries left at all. I’ve read horror stories about writers who have crossed the line in the TMI category and I have been determined to avoid it. What I’ve done is essentially end up in the opposite camp. One who never blogs about writing. Aye de mi!

I’ve been doing a lot of editor/agent blog reading lately and have been filing away quite a few tidbits about the industry. It’s like a maze out there and I can say that I am feeling my way around in the dark. My agent definitely helps me out in that regard, but I am such a nerd that I find myself compelled to learn all there is to know about publishing.

I want to know about book deals, and clauses, and foreign rights, and everything….well, everything except rejections, of course. I find myself scouring the internet for any relevant piece of information.

There are a few blogs of anonymous editors that I particularly like (such as editorial anonymous and editorialass) as well as one authored by an anonymous intern. They are truly eye opening and not in the normal sense. Everything I read on publishing is devoured in seconds, but what is startling to me are the strange things some writers do to get noticed. I am at a loss for words at some of the things that writers will do to attract the attention of an agent and/or editor. I am no stranger to the feeling of desperation of wanting your work to be on display. I often get impatient with the process and find myself daydreaming about my moment of Glory (which is really God’s moment since he is the reason for my success, should I ever garner any), but good ole common sense will preclude me from ever acting on any of my non-sensical whims, if I ever had any that is.

I mean, if pregnancy can’t teach a gal to be patient then I suppose publishing can finish the job. Maybe it’s no coincidence they both begin with the letter P.

Maybe that could be my next novel….Publishing and Pregnancy: one’s a pain in the membrane, the other’s a pain in the ____.

Really, I’m joking and although you might not be laughing, I’m cracking myself up. Lol. Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t be writing comedy.

Farewell My Summer Love

Farewell….

To the great Michael Jackson
(b. August 1958-d. June 25, 2009)

He was an amazing performer and musician. He can’t be topped. He had the best selling record worldwide of all time and no one has ever come close. In this day of downloading and ripping CD’s, I doubt anyone ever will.
Michael Jackson and I go way back. Maybe not as far back as others have gone, but far enough. My first memory of MJ was when Thriller came out. I was about 5 years old and too young to watch it without getting nightmares. It took me another 5 years to gather the courage to watch it alone. I have a old memory of finding my older sister Stephanie's Thriller LP album cover and setting it up on my nightstand as a poster. My next memory is of Stephanie’s lifesize poster in her bedroom. He had on the yellow vest and had a curl. He was so cute. And more than that, the man was just plain coooool.

(His lean was waaay hot before Matrix made it hot)

In 1999, I had the opportunity to intern in France for the summer. While I was there I learned that MJ was having a benefit concert in Munich, Germany. I bought my ticket and hopped on the train and joined the thousands of fans from all over the world as we witnessed a bit of history. That concert tour was called “What More Can I Give”. There I also had the pleasure of seeing Luther Vandross perform as well. I even made a sign that had the USA flag behind the words “We Luv U 2”. I did’t want him to think his American fans had forgotten him (some people thought I meant the band U2, which was kind of frustrating. I thought the message was clear, but I guess not). Michael is the reason that I met a wonderful French girl by the name of Celine that summer. We bonded over MJ's music and she told me that she first learned English by listening to MJ's lyrics. We saw each other for the first time since 1999 in October 2007 when my family and I went to Italy. It was a wonderful reunion and I cherish the memory. This is just one example of how MJ has brought people together all over the world.

I have posters, buttons, magazines, even a wallet that I bought for about 3000 lire (which was like a dollar back then) in Italy. I have a Michael Jackson watch and plenty of T-shirts. One with the infamous tippy toe feet. That one is cool.

I have every album he’s ever made. Even those of The Jacksons and The Jackson 5. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the Jackson 5 Christmas Album. It’s a tradition in my home. I played that album so much when I was little that my younger sister, Lori, caught on and now it’s a tradition in her home as well.

Words cannot express what his music has done for so many people. I guess that's why so many fans showed up at his hospital, and the Apollo, and his Neverland ranch in California. Regardless of all the other hoopla that occurred over the years, only God judge him now. But, rest assured that we’ll miss the music Mike. We’ll definitely miss the music.

Interesting Childbirth article

If you’ve read my blog and/or clicked on my links then you know I’m an advocate for natural childbirth. It’s the most effective and safest way to give birth and I’d personally rather weather the storm of labor pains than to increase my likelihood of caesarean section or worse.

Anywhoo…here is an interesting tidbit I’ve learned from Midwifeinfo.com. What do you think?

I for one am all for alternatives to epidural anesthesia. Also, if it doesn't take the pain completely away then your body can still respond to the contractions, thus allowing a mother to effectively push her baby out. This would result in fewer c-sections and less inductions (which are the devil I tell you!).

As Ms. Rooks notes in her editorial in the March 2008 edition of the journal Birth, "most U.S. women also lack access to many non-pharmacologic methods to cope with labor pain that, although less effective than epidural analgesia, provide sufficient and satisfactory pain relief to a significant proportion of the women who use them during labor." American women might be surprised to learn that "nitrous oxide is used by the majority of women in many countries
that are relatively similar to the U.S. in general socioeconomic and medical standards,” including 48 percent of the women who gave birth in Finland (2005), 46 percent of those who gave birth in New South Wales, (2004), forty-three percent of women birthing in British Columbia, (2004-5, either alone or with other agents), and fully half of all women birthing in the U.K. (2000). So what happened here, where nitrous oxide was once commonly used in hospitals around the country? Ms. Rooks faults "the evolving epidural monoculture in some hospital obstetric units" where the options for women have become, effectively, an epidural or nothing, perhaps a bit of synthetic narcotic (usually promoted by the nursing staff to get the patient through until she can have her epidural). The complete editorial, entitled "Nitrous Oxide for Pain in Labor--Why Not in the United States?" can be found in Birth, Volume 34 Issue 1 Page 3-5, March 2007.

So, we had another ultrasound this morning….

And we were blessed to find out that I am indeed having a baby boy!

His baby boy parts were very evident on the screen so I can rest assured that there will be no confusion on the day of his birth.

I am so excited because now I can go shopping!!! I truly felt like I couldn’t shop right. I will forever hold to my assertion that shopping for yellow and green isn’t nearly as fun as shopping for pink or blue. And since I have no patience whatsoever it was imperative that I find out the sex as soon as possible.

Now, I can shop in pink, size 2T for my daughter and shop in blue, all sizes for my son. Wow. My son. That’s soooo cooool! I’m so on cloud nine right now.

If you haven’t been reading my posts, the reason I knew it was a boy was only because of the name I found.

My daughter’s name is Anaiah, which means “God has answered”. She was an answer to a prayer. When I got pregnant with her, I had several boy names picked out: Isaiah, Elijah, and Micah. All biblical, but I had no true connection with the names. I also wanted a biblical name choice for a girl, so when I found Anaiah, my hubby and I quickly agreed that it would be the one.

Hubby and I both hoped for a girl, but I didn’t want to claim it because I was too nervous. He said that he knew all along.

This time around, when I found the name Mathias, which means “Gift of God”, I knew from that moment on that he was a boy. Since he was a surprise baby, he's like a present that someone knocks on your door to hand you that you never knew you always wanted. Call it coincidence if you like, but I call it FAITH. God certainly knows better than I.

I knew that the same way Anaiah’s name is a testimony to her life, Mathias’ name would be a testimony to his.
Do I have to tell you how long the 12 week wait was to find out? It felt more like 120 weeks.

Mathias, I can’t wait to introduce myself to you as your momma!

Strolling Down Memory Lane

This pic is of me and my hubby on our fourth anniversary. I can truly say that I love him more today than ever before. He and I have grown so close over the last six years since we met. Yes, I would definitely marry him all over again. (Sorry for the cleavage. In pregnancy, it's hard to avoid it, considering how they are preparing to serve their one true purpose and all, Lol.)

May 21, 2009

Just a Glamour Shot (sorry, vanity runs in my family. I got it honest)

In honor of my anniversary, here is a pic of me and my loverboy, May 21, 2005.

St. Louis Zoo Pic (See Mr. Leopard in background) -
see previous post for explanation of St. Louis/Zoo Trip.

Me in my bridesmaids dress, passing time until the wedding began. This was for the wedding I was in on May 23, 2009, for one of my closest pals since college.

Me and the Bride, goofing off (at her wedding).

Me and the Bride (from above), goofing off (at mine!)

Random Life Update

Hi all!

I've been pretty busy lately, so my blogging has suffered.

Dex and I celebrated our fourth anniversary on the 21st of May. We got a babysitter (thank you Jesus!) and went to a great restaurant (because, again, food runs my life), and went to see the newest Terminator flick (which was AWESOME!!). I have watched Terminator 1 and 2 so much that I know the dialogue by heart. I can't wait to own this one. I love superheroes. Plus, Batman as Terminator was great. What a wonderful anniversary this one was (was that a Yoda-ism?).

I was also a bridesmaid for one of my dearest, oldest friends two weekends ago. She was my first roommate in college and we both hated each other when we first met. "What? You mean we have to share?"

It didn't take long for us to become bosom buddies.

I won't mention the bridesmaids dresses (Not very flattering on pregnant women). Wait, was that a mention?

Hubby, daughter and I had a fabulous time while we were in St. Louis. Met a fabulous, Christian couple who was also expecting and had a two year old daughter. They invited us to church and then we all went to the St. Louis Zoo. Had a wonderful time and forged friendships that I believe will be time tested. I will post pics in next post.

Basically, right now I am excited about two things: My book and my baby.

I won't really elaborate on my book, except to say that I am done with revisions (which feels great!).

I find out on Wednesday whether or not I am correct in my assertion that I am having a boy.

Honestly, I don't really care either way, but I am certain that his name is Mathias, which means "gift of God". His life is another testimony of God's grace. So on Wednesday, I'll be sure to post to let you know the outcome. I can't wait to tell every one I told you so. If you know anything about Pentecostals then you'll get me when I say "I feel it in my spirit". Lol.

Off to post pics now.

Photos

I wouldn't be me if I didn't post my pics at least a month late.

So, better late than never, here are a few pics of my family this past Easter. This was also my husbands 33rd birthday. We had just come back from Orlando (Disney World).

Smelling the Roses

Life is a challenge
Not a competition
You can still smell the roses
And be on a mission

This is a quote from an India.Arie song. I adore her. She has a wonderful outlook on life that shines through her music.

The words really mean something to me. I find myself always running around with a goal. People have often told me to stop and smell the roses. I’m always on a mission. This verse is right. You can do both.

This Sunday is Mother’s day and I’m excited. My husband told me last night that he’s taking me out of town this weekend, but he won’t tell me where. I’m pretty sure he’s taking me home. I really want to see my niece get ready for her prom and I’ve been making comments about it. Other than that, I’m not really sure where we’re going.

Here’s to hoping wherever it is, it has a spa.

Whoa is me

Yeah, okay, another whoa is me post. I know how I sound. Pathetic right? But really, you gotta hear this.

So, one night I go to bed as usual (remember, we co-sleep) and since my daughter is older now, she basically sleeps in the middle of us. I had forgotten to get rid of the bed rail that we attached to the bed. On this particular night, I slept in the oddest position that I, of course, don't remember, except for the painful reminder I awoke to the next morning.

The next day, I had an excrutiating pain in my shoulder. Since I am a nerd, I self-diagnosed myself as having shoulder tendinitis, or more specifically an inflamed rotator cuff. If you've ever had tendinitis then you know it's no joke. I dealt with the pain for a few days, but then it became debillitating where my arm was essentially glued to my side (this was last week, btw) so I made an appt with a specialist. By the time the appt time came (a few days after I made the appt), the pain started receding and since I've had tendinitis before, I knew it was probably getting better on it's own and no reason to go the doc.

Now, let me preface my decision to not see the Doc by saying that about a month ago, I went to the ER b/c I had the most severe ear pain I've ever had in my life. My ear was screaming at me and in turn I screamed back. After waiting 5 hours in the ER (by myself b/c hubby was home with our daughter, no way I was taking her to the ER for nothing), I get to the back and see the nurse (I hate this practice, btw; who wants to pay "dr" money to see a nurse?) and he tells me that he's going to give me steroids for it. It wasn't an infection, just fluid behind my ear drum. My whole fam had been sick recently and it's typical with congestion. So I tell the nurse, hold up, look at my chart, I'm pregnant. I am also a chemist so I know there's no way I can take steroids right now (especially in the 1st trimester). He then basically closes the case by saying "Oh, well then you'll have to take some benadryl then and hope for the best". You've got to be kidding me. Five-Hours-In-The-Er.

So....fast foward. If my pain is in fact subsiding, then I see absolutely no need to go the doc for no reason so they can tell me that I can't have the cortisone shot that I so desperately need. And guess what? Hallelujah, pain is really fading. Not all the way gone, mind you, but fading. That was Thursday, last week.

Now, at 10pm on Wednesday of the next week. Said pain returning in same arm. Ow.

Debating on my plan of attack. So far my defense has been icing it down. I just don't want another ER episode, ya know? I can't even take advil. It's an NSAID (which would relieve the inflammation) and is not recommended for pregnancy.

So, like the title of my post. Whoa is me. I need a spa day.

Love makes me choke

But in a good way, though. Right now, my emotions are stitched on my sleeve. I can’t help it either. Anything that pops up on TV that has the smallest hint of love, or charity, or compassion, makes me blubber like a baby. I guess it’s fitting.

Yesterday, for the millionth time, I watched one of fav movies, Practical Magic. I love Sandra Bullock, don’t you? Well, in the end when she sacrifices for her sister and cuts her hand and says “my blood, your blood” I got sooo choked and tears began streaming down my face. (Oh no, it’s happening again!). Nevermind that I’ve seen this movie a gazillion times. Nevermind that I know it’s coming. It still got me.
And that’s not the worst of it. I boo hoo’ed one day watching HGTV. This poor girl bought her first house and later found out that the contractors who built the basement apartment did a shoddy job on everything and she had to spend $40K to fix it. Then, the new contractors she hired didn’t fix it and took her money. So she called HGTV and they came out with their lifesaver contractor crew and fixed it right for another $40K. While she told her story, she was crying like a baby and if I had her number I would’ve called her and told that I definitely could feel her pain. I’m a total sympathy freak right now.

But, I guess things could be worse, right?

I could be having daily conniptions over food. Wait, a minute…that’s already happened. Yikes!

Remind me one day to tell you about the hamburger fiasco.

Happy Birthday Mommy!!!

Oh and before I forget!

Happy Birthday Mommy!!!

Smooches!

Two goals down….

Ninety eight more to go.

First goal:
I’ve recently acquired an agent to represent my middle grade fiction novel. She’s a wonderful woman who I feel very blessed and honored to have as the champion for my work. Her name is L. Spencer Humphrey and she has lots of experience in publishing and I am sure she will do an awesome job pitching my story.

Philippians 4:13

Second goal:
My new agent gave me some excellent editorial advice on how to make my story stronger and more compelling and I took her advice and capitalized on it. It took me about 5 weeks (I think), but I’ve recently handed her the revised copy of my completed middle grade novel. The book is intended to be a series and book 2 has been drafted, but still needs work.

So, now all that’s left is for her to take her time perusing it and then offer her opinion on it. I am truly hoping that she think it’s ready for submission to editors. If not, then I trust her explicitly and work my tail off to make sure the book lives up the premise (which is awesome, I might add).

So wish me luck!!!!!

LOVE/HATE

Only in pregnancy can a person have a true love/hate relationship with food. Those of you who have carried a baby in your tummy know exactly what I’m talking about. For those of you who have yet to enter into motherhood, or who are male, let me elaborate a bit for you.

When you are pregnant, you are in the process of creating a new human being on the earth. This new mass/matter does not come without other new mass entering into the woman’s body (i.e. food). It’s the first law of thermodynamics: Energy cannot be created nor destroyed. So, basically in order for a baby to grow, you need to create tissues. In order to create tissue, you have to EAT mountains worth of food. Well, not really mountains, but sometimes it sure feels like it.

So what does the body do? It makes you eat. It makes you eat, by making it extremely painful for you not to eat. Do you know why? Well, because if our bodies didn’t have some sort of mechanism by which to make us (or in other words remind us) to eat, then we’d just go about our busy little days and never nourish ourselves. How many of you, in your rush to get the morning started have ever skipped breakfast? Exactly. But the thing is, when you’re pregnant, this type of behavior goes out the window. If you do not eat, you will experience horrible, horrible consequences.

So that’s the Love part, believe it or not. You live for food. You live to find the next morsel of something you can tolerate so that you can pop it into your mouth and savor it. Food begins to sum up your existence on this earth.

But what about when you’re hungry (and sick as a result of the hunger) but can’t find anything, absolutely NOTHING, within reach that you can eat? Or better yet, what if you simply CAN’T eat?

Again, let me clarify. Sometimes when you’re pregnant, you get that familiar tug in your tummy that reminds you that you’d better get some food (and quick!) or else. But, because we are those busy little bees, we don’t always do what we’re told. Sometimes, we push it back a tad longer. And then what happens? Well for me, it’s morning sickness (as if I didn’t have enough already!). Scientifically, when you are pregnant, certain hormones (namely progesterone) are present in abundance so that the uterus can remain strong and the lining of it can remain thick enough to keep the baby safe. As a result of this, it also creates an excess of stomach acid which in turn causes more morning sickness (a very queasy, nauseous feeling for me). (There is also another theory regarding HcG, but we’ll save that for another day, shall we?). So when you feel morning sickness, sometimes it makes it impossible to eat at all. And other times, because of your body’s needs, you might be craving the one thing on the earth that you can’t find or just can’t have.
For me, it’s tuna. I looooove tuna when I’m pregnant. But, with tuna being a rather large fish, it also has an abundance of mercury (Hg) in it so it is not recommended to eat more than 8 or so ounces a week. I could down that in one sitting right now.

So that’s the hate part. You live to eat, but sometimes you just can’t. Which means that food further runs your life and now you’re a slave.

Okay….done with that lecture. Now on to cravings…..(I could so write a book).

Random Musings

Ooh la la, it’s my favorite day of the week! And you know what? All I want to do is SLEEP! I haven’t been getting enough Z’s all week and it has really been catching up with me.

I have a friend whose daughter has just been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes and went to see her in the hospital yesterday so I didn’t get much shut eye last night. After I got home (which was after 10pm) I couldn’t stop thinking about and praying for this little girl so that kept me up a little longer. She’s such a little lady, and she’s going through the hardest time of her life right now. It’s hard for someone so young (she’s 11) not to feel like life is unfair. I sat with her and parents as the nurses came in to prick her fingers (for the millionth time) and inject her with insulin. The poor thing had throbbing little fingers and I know it was so hard for her mother to bear.

I bought her High School Musical 3 today…she said she knows 1 and 2 by heart, but has never seen 3. I thought it was a golden opportunity to show this little girl how much she’s loved and to hopefully allow her a couple of hours to check out of this world and jump into an imaginary one. She is so much like me when I was her age. She absorbs books like she’s a sponge, and she loves the same kind of cute, rinky-dinky movies that I did. (Of course, for me it was Grease 1 and 2…can you say “cool rider?”)

The baby in my tummy (thinking of Yo Gabba's song, "there's a party in my tummy" as I say this) is making me the hungriest chick on this side of the Ohio River. I can't seem to get enough of it. So far, luckily, I have managed not to put on any weight, which is really good. At one point, I even lost 5 lbs (just couldn't eat) but have since gained that back. Maybe it water weight, who knows. I think this baby is a boy. Why? Just say I have a divine intuition. God said he will give us the desires of our hearts, and not to mention that we've picked out a name that is a testimony to his presence in our lives. If it is indeed a boy, his name will be Mathias. It means "Gift of God" which is absolutely perfect. I can't remember if I told you this or not. But either way, boy or girl, this baby will loved fiercely, and wholeheartedly every single day of his/her life.


My little toddler has been keeping me on my toes as well. She’s saying all kinds of words now and we’re having a ball listening to her sweet, little melodic voice.
This is a list of her vocabulary as of yesterday:

Wow Wow (from Wow wow wubzy, a cartoon show)
On (she says this everytime we turn on a light or when she gets in the car and wants the backseat DVD player on)
Dora (need I say more?)
Door (she points to the door when we open it)
Bye (such a simple word, but it melts my heart when she says it!)
Hey baby (we greet her like this so now she says it to us!)
Dog, roof, roof (learned this at daycare)
No
Daddy
Mama
nose (points to her nose, but when she says it, it actually comes out like nor)
I (we’re trying to teach her I love you, but she’ll say I, but then she won’t say love)

Maybe this list isn’t very impressive (I honestly have no idea one way or the other), but let me assure you that the child knows and understands everything we say to her. It’s amazing really. Finally we have our little go-getter (or fetcher, whatever you want to call it). “Go get mommy’s glasses, please” and she’ll go straight to my glasses on the ottoman. “Go get the diaper and baby wipes” and she’ll bring that to you to. Needless to say, she’s fetched the remote more than once.

Orlando, here I come!

So it’s official…We’re going to Disney World!! Yaay!

My husband’s 33rd birthday is April 12 and I’ve been trying to figure out what to do for him. He’s off work on the 10th and I have a mandatory vacation coming up (long story, company forcing all of it’s 400K employees to take 40 hours of vacation. It’s sucks, but it’s better than layoffs). The only real downfall is that he has to be back at work on the 13th (TCAPS—he teaches 5th grade and they have testing that week).

So I managed to schedule us for a mini-vacay from the 10th to the 12th to Orlando. We have to be back for church (Easter!) so we leave out on Friday at 9:30 am and will return at 9 am on Sunday morning. We’re going to Disney World on Saturday, not sure what we’ll do on Friday, but there’s lots of shopping in Downtown Disney so I am willing to bet that’s where you’ll find us.

We booked fabulously cheap airfare through Allegiant Air and will be staying in the Seaworld area. We’ll probably check out Seaworld too, if we can reconcile the cost with a two day mini-vacay. We’ll see about that one. I’d much rather go for a spa day.

Quick Reflection:

My daughter will experience Disney World before she’s even old enough to remember it. We include her in almost all of our activities. We love having her with us and until she’s older, we plan to continue to tote her around with us. My daughter also went with us to Italy (and celebrated her 1st b-day there). No doubt, that we won’t be able to top that for her 2nd. And, I'm already trying to think of ways that baby #2 won’t feel like a step-child on his/her 1st birthday. I can hear it now “why did Naiah get to go to Italy and all I get is Chuck-E-Cheese?”.

Sigh.

But, really, it’s interesting how much more each generation gets to experience than the one that came before them. I was tremendously spoiled as a child, but it’s nothing compared to the things we’ve done for my daughter. I guess, as time goes on, things become so much more easily accessible. For example, when I was eleven, there was no way I was getting a cell phone. Shoot, I thought I was bad when I got one of those huge Motorola phones my Senior year in high school. But, nowadays, lots of my husband’s students have them. And you know what? My daughter will likely get one too. As time goes on, and the world gets more frenzied, parents worry more. Besides, the cost of these things has gone down so much that it’s not necessarily considered “luxury” anymore. More like “standard”.

Having children is so wonderful. It really keeps you young, earns you patience, and makes your life soooo worth living. My daughter might not remember Disney World, but we’ll have the photos and videos of our time together. And that, as MasterCard would say…is priceless.

(Okay, so I’m cheesy. Wanna make something of it?)

*Writing Update*

I haven’t signed on the dotted line just yet, but I have an agent who has expressed interest in working with to get my story published!! I don’t usually blog much about my writing…I guess b/c writing the stories takes so much time out of my day that I don’t usually care to blog about the process, ya know? I don’t know. To each, his own, I guess.

But, I digress….This agent is the agent that I had great feelings about and really wanted to work with. I actually had one other agent express interest in my work, one who didn't want any major revisions. One full blown, unqualified offer and then this one, which was contingent upon a rewrite that I ended up agreeing wholeheartedly with. It really makes you feel validated!!

I am in the process of revising the manuscript now, it’s coming to an end soon, so hopefully, said agent will be pleased with my effort and want to shop it around soon to publishers. I am currently looking for beta readers (critiquers) who have a good eye for middle grade language and pacing. Also, someone who can easily connect with multicultural or urban dialect. My characters are funny, strong and innocent and you’ll fall in love with them, I promise.

*Life Update*

So life is going really well right now. My cup is overflowing and I am reveling in it. I’ve begun the early symptoms of pregnancy, such as tiredness, massive hunger, some morning sickness, but nothing too horrible. It’s funny b/c in my mind, since I’ve done this once already, I assumed that I’d be more patient as the days/weeks/months droned on. Um, not the case. I’m almost 7 weeks pregnant and I am subtracting from 40 thinking that 33 weeks is FOREVER away. Ugh!

So, other than being impatient at how long it will take for my little blessing to arrive, I’ve been at my happiness (although laziest) in a long time. We had to hire someone to help us clean the house last weekend. Yes, it had gotten that bad. It was a friend of mine and even with her help, it took me and my hubby pitching in hard core to get it all done. I am rather ashamed to admit this, but we actually had to take our clothes to the Laundromat in order to get it all done. You know, they’ve got those ginormous machines where you can get like 4 loads of clothes in at a time. Yeah, that was us on Sat. Now that we’re caught up, we should be okay. Or at least I should say, my husband will be okay. I DO NOT DO LAUNDRY. I hate laundry and feel that it is not my God-given talent and we must, absolutely must, operate within our God-given areas in life! If I have on clean clothes, 99% of the time, it’s b/c of my wonderful, patient, sexy husband. But just so you don’t think I am this spoiled doll living inside a bubble, I clean the kitchen and I mop and sweep and stuff (occasionally….joking!). How’s that for domestication!

Anaiah is growing like a weed. She’ll be 18 months on Monday and I just realized that she needs 24 months onesies now! OMG! This child is going to be tall. Tall runs in the fam, although it skipped us, so it’s no big surprise.

Oh the irony!

Okay, so last week I was I was on this workout kick, right? Well, I joined a gym, hired a personal trainer, got my mind right for the rigorous weeks ahead. But now, all that has changed.....drumroll please......because my husband and I are expecting a new addition to the family!

Although this wasn't planned, I'm thrilled about it. We weren't really planning to have another so soon after our daughter, but God definitely knows better than we do so I might as well revel in his infinite wisdom.

It's really early and most people don't believe in sharing the news this fast, but I don't believe in superstition, only God's sovereignty.

More on this later. I just wanted to share the good news.

No pain, no gain!

Okay, so I admit, I've put on a few pounds since I married my husband (just how many, I'll never tell). Now, don't get me wrong, I still look good (and you can take that to the bank!), but the older I get, the more sedentary I become. This is a time-tested recipe for disaster that I choose not to entertain.

As such, I've just joined The Rush. I mulled over this decision to join this mega gym for about 3 months. Finally, I came to conclusion that the elliptical machine currently sitting in my living room is not going to cut it. I need aerobics. More specifically, I need Step. There's something about Step aerobics that really gets me moving.

Today was my first Step class in about 2 years (pray for me tomorrow, the pain is coming!). I got about halfway through the hour long workout before I realized that I was so not the girl I used to be. But, it won't be long at all before my stamina is rebuilt and I'm kickin' butt (and taking names!) again.

I'm a bridesmaid in a wedding in May. It'll be two days after my 4th wedding anniversary and just in time for bikini season.

I'm posting this blog so that I can be held accountable for my goals. I'm doing this for so many reasons. Vanity for one, (I must be honest) and just a plain old healthy fear of cutting my life short with my terrible habits. Heart disease runs in my family and so does diabetes. I'm breaking the cycle baby. Wish me luck!

Spell it with me now, F-R-I-D-A-Y!

So, I'm back and it's Friday. Better yet, it's Friday night. What does this mean to me? Well, let me first tell you what it used to mean. It used to mean that I would be getting dolled up and prettied, sliding into clothes that were waaay too small, so I could head out for a night on the town. It meant stopping by the liquor store to pick up a bottle of wine (or worse, in my college days) so I could get sufficiently buzzed before I hung out with my hubby (or my girls, in my college days). Now, it means that I clean the house, settle down with my hubby and our little girl and have a blast. We laugh, we play, we chat, we have a freakin' fantastic time! Now, if my 21 year old self peeked into her future, I doubt she'd say we were having a blast, but I guess it's a good thing I grew up before I was thrust into such a lifestyle. I love my life. My cup runs over daily, nightly, hourly, and every minute and second that passes.

It's amazing how much your perspective changes over the course of your life. I can only imagine how many more times my mind will change over the next chapter in my life. If I am so blessed to have another 30 years on earth (I'm rooting for 50), I wonder how I'll think when my daughter and other (future) children come to me with some crazy song, or way of life and needs my input on it. That's the cool thing about blogging. I haven't been doing it long, but I can imagine at some point, maybe a year from now even, I'll look back and admire myself in some posts and cringe in others. Then of course, I'll delete those, or then again maybe I won't. It's me, truthfully, so why not leave it on the page as evident of growth?

There's a gospel song that goes like this:
When I look back over my life,
And I think things over,
I can truly say that I've been changed,
I've got a testimony.

Right now, these lyrics envelope my way of thinking. It's amazing how 30 years can bring about such a change. It's amazing how becoming a mother can grow you up. It certainly makes you pray harder. I can't tell you how thoroughly grateful I am that I grew up. Now, don't get me wrong, I still need my mommy. I call her all the time needing advice, a shoulder to cry on, and just for plain old companionship. She can still tell me what to do (well, kind of...) and she knows how to shut me up when I'm being sassy. What I mean is that my priorities in life have shifted.

My younger sister (who's 27) said recently that I act like an old woman. That I act like I'm 60. She might be right, but the point is that I have no desire to 'act' any other way. I like who I've become. I've been in and out of the club scene since I left home for college when I was 17. I had a fake ID (from my older sis) and was out pretending I was 30 (ha!).

So according to her, I am supposed to live like I'm 17. I guess that means I'm lucky that 30 has now become the new 17 . Or is 30 the new 25, I forget ;) Whatever. 30 is good enough for me.

Random Happenings

It's been a while, yes I know. I'm a terrible blogger. But! I aspire to be a great one! Starting today! Um, tomorrow...

It's Friday again. This week was fairly typical at work. Life at home has been great.

Valentine's day was pretty cool I must say. The hubby and I usually go out and have dinner and maybe a movie, but this year we decided to include our little girl. We went to Chuck E Cheese for pizza and fun. We had a fantastic time.

My husband had two job offers this week for a teaching position. He just finished his Master's Degree in Elem. Ed/Curriculum & Instruction and now he's finishing out the semester teaching 5th grade. How cool is that? I might try to slip my middle grade novel into the curriculum. Wouldn't that be a cool extra credit project? Believe me, little girls think my book is the bomb. Little boys, not so much.

So, we filed our taxes this week. Hallelujah! In 10-15 days you might find me at Macys. Scratch that, I might take a much needed vacay. My mom tried to convince me to pack my bags and hit the road with them to the Bahamas. My lil' sis and mom are riding a charter bus to Port Canaveral and then cruisin' to Freeport. I'd love to go, but I don't think I can stand to leave my daughter for a whole entire week!! OMG! I'd die. The longest I've left her was a day and that was for a work trip. I would feel totally guilty leaving her behind to frolic at the beach.

Now, next year, when she's two and talking more, maybe...I can picture me and Dex at the beach under the Carribean sun. Or maybe Maui. I dunno. We'll see. We just got back from Italy and in July we're going to Edmonton, Canada. Of course, Edmonton isn't a vacay destination, but it'll be a relaxing, company paid trip. We'll make the most of it.

I've got some great news coming, but I won't share it just yet. We'll see how things play out first.

Ta Ta for now! It's Friday night, and I just got paid!!

Affect the World

If I had to choose one lyric that enveloped how I feel about the world it's this.

"Gonna make a change, for once in my life.
Gonna feel real good, gonna make a difference.
Gonna make it right.
As I turn up the collar on, my favorite winter coat,
the wind is blowin' my mind.
I see the kids in the street, without enough to eat.
Who am I, to be blind, pretending not to see their need...

I'm startin' with the man in the mirror.
I'm askin' him (her) to change his ways.
No message coulda been any clearer,
If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make the CHANGE."

Do you know this song?

If not, you're too young to be reading this blog! Go to bed! (just jokes, my friend).

Pics for fun

My husband Dexter playing at a Jazz Lounge in DC on January 19th, 2009. There was a musicians jam session that we happened upon. He was geeked!

Me, my husband and my younger sister in DC this January for the inauguration.

Me and Dex in line for our inauguration tickets. It took us four hours to pick them up. The line was wrapped all the way around the federal office bldg. Whew!

This one was of my husband in December when he graduated with his Master's in Curriculum and Instruction with Licensure in Elem. Ed. Go Dex!! Supastar!

Me and Naiah-bean at the graduation. Right after this, she threw up a gallon of oatmeal all over me. The organic milk that we had bought for her was spoiled (even though it wasn't expired!) and made her sick. After she threw up in front of the entire graduating class and their guests, she was back to normal. Mommy, however, wasn't too happy.

Can you tell I love pics?

All work and no play makes me a dull chick

Today is Monday and have I ever mentioned how much I abhor Mondays?

I live for the weekends. Fridays are the best. Why? Because on Friday, at 5:01 pm, it's the farthest away from work that I can get. And not to mention that Saturday still hasn't come yet (which is actually the best day of the week) so there's no danger of it disappearing too fast. Then Sunday comes and although I enjoy church, it's bittersweet. Why? Because Monday is looming.

So now that Monday is nearly over. What say you Tuesday? Will you be as monotonous and uninspiring as your former day of the week? Will you??

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, I might be just a tad bored. Just a tad.

So, right now at work I've got a deadline approaching. I have an abstract due for a meeting presentation that I am doing in July. The abstract will contain results from research I've done over the last 6 months. I am not very excited about it because I wasn't able to add more to it like I wanted to. My instrument was down (not USA made) and it set me back getting the results I wanted. The abstract will suffice (and add nicely to my list of chemistry pubs) but it's not the five star level I desired.

My job can be slightly stressful at times. Of course, we get paid well for the stress, but it can be extremely difficult working in a field such as mine. You always have to be on your toes and your mind is always stretched to the limits. The bottom line is the almighty dollar and not "science for science sake". Science is ever-evolving and therefore, we must be able to adapt. I cherish my experiences in my field, but I must admit there are times when I wish I were a secretary. No offense to any secretaries or admin. assts. out there, but sometimes I secretly wish for a day job where I can just sit and file and answer phones and plan meetings for other people. Whoa is me, right? Yeah, right.

I am thoroughly blessed, this I know. But would I be human if I didn't at least consider the grass on the other side? Is it possible that even if it's not greener, than it smells nicer?

Inaugural Events

I know I'm a little behind in my reporting (as always), but better late than never.

Just in case you're wondering...The inauguration was fantastic! We had purple tickets and by our estimates, we were about 100 yards from the action. There were 1000's of people with purple (and blue) tix who never got in at all and were trapped in the 'tunnel of doom'. We would have been one of those people, but divine providence gave us the notion to move from where we were and trek over towards a large mass of people. It was like rats packed in a drain or something. You move an inch, you stop for twenty minutes, you move two inches...whoa, there's the gate opening! We were lucky (another shout out to Congressman Duncan!! Whoo Hoo, go Tennessee!!).

We had a great time in our Nation's capitol. It struck me as ironic, when we stood in front of the Capitol building, that slaves built it and now a man of African descent (with his black family) will occupy it. Finally! If only Frederick Douglass, Harriett Tubman and MLK, Jr. could have seen it. So many people died for this country to get where it is today. I am in the middle of the Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass and I am quite moved by the idea that he witnessed History from his place in Heaven.

Here are the pics. At the time, all we could see was the fourth picture (the Capitol plus lots of people), but in the pics I can actually see Michelle Obama's outfit as he takes the oath. I had to zoom my camera a bit to get these shots.

Now this is from back in October 2008...

This picture is on my desktop at work. I live in the heart of a major Republican state, so I can only imagine how this photo might grate on their nerves. *insert evil witch cackle here*