Here I am, at the coffee shop.
It’s early-ish, about 10:15 a.m. I managed to get up and out of the house by 9:30, leaving a still stuffy Poo with her beloved babysitter. I had a long conversation with my editor yesterday, and it seems she wants me to start writing again.
I have 15 columns in the bag, and we generated ideas for 17 more. That sounds like a lot, no? But the double-edged sword she dropped on me gave me a panic attack.
“I know we said we were going to run you every other week, but the feedback we’ve gotten is just too good,” she said. “We’d like to have you weekly.”
Yikes!
First of all, wow. I mean, like … geez. I didn’t know what to say. Like most writers, I am convinced that every word on the page stinks like a piece of really old fish, and that I’m doomed to toil away in obscurity for the rest of my life, dusty unread manuscripts and unopened Word documents piled up in forgotten corners.
So to get praised like that? Blew me away.
But then the other part – weekly! Gah!
It sounds like an easy assignment, but I’ve got this whole second-kid thing going on. I’m already tired, and I know from reading this and this and holy shit this that I’m in for some fresh hell when Shaggy is born.
While I appreciate the honesty – like from my friend Leeanthro, who said, with a serious death-face, “Yeah. Two is really, really hard.” – I admit that I’m a teensy bit freaked out.
Sleep deprivation was the worst part of The Poo’s newborn days. She slept through the night on the very day she turned two months old, and from that moment on I was golden.
Unfortunately, she’s recently decided that sleeping by herself all night is for the birds and calls me just about every morning around 3 a.m.
“Mommy! Mooooooommmmmmyyyyyy! Come n’ get me outta my criiiiiiiib!”
Oy.
Her big-girl bed was on back-order, and doesn’t arrive until March 14. Kill me. Please.
What does all of this have to do with my gig? Well, I want to – nay, I need to – stockpile a goodly amount of work before I pop this kiddie in August. Because writing funny when you’re recovering from being sawed in half, dealing with a newborn and her supastar older sibling?
Fegeddaboudit.
So here I am. Back in the saddle, with all the angsty college kids and the bearded professors. I fit in better now, thanks a new skinny scarf knitted just for me by the glorious Flutter, and the fact that I decided I should really start wearing my glasses again.
I’m scoping out sources, sneaking peeks at your blogs (hey, I’z in yer internetz) and wrapping my hand around a huge, curved, yellow mug of green tea.
Although, I have to say, the belly kinda makes me stand out.
Belly or no, it feels good to be here today.
*****
I hemmed and hawed about sending you over to see my new stuff at the new place. You see, my family reads me over there, and they don’t know about this blog.
And I like it that way.
But if you want to go take a look, go ahead. Can you figure out which one is me? If you do, just pretend you don’t know me, capisce?
And while you’re there, check out all the other great stuff. And if you have any ideas about what you’d like to see in a family travel column, please let me know. I need all the help I can get. Did I mention the whole “every week” deal-i-o?
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I get the fear thing. The Tree-Hugger is only 12 1/2 months. That will put her and little no name 19 months apart. I don’t know how I’ll handle it but my guess is not well. Congrats on your editor’s vote of confidence.
Mothergoosemouse pretty much had it exactly right. Sorry – the first few months will suck ass. There’s no sugar- coating it. On the bright side, I did find it went a lot more quickly with #2.
And yay for your extra writing assignments! Not terribly shocking, as everyone over here knows you’re talented. I took a peek over there – pretty impressive (yes, I do know your real name…)
Weeee.. I’z in yer Internetz too!!
Enjoy your time at the coffee shop!
I just love you, you know?
First, congratulations on the weekly writing gig. That’s awesome, and well deserved.
(or send her to me. which ever.)
Second, you’ll figure out how to juggle two kids (oh, that sounded bad) and working. What saved me when #2 was born was keeping #1 in daycare a few days a week…so, definitely KEEP your babysitter. Maybe even up her hours
Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have been so honest when I said that it’s actually 3 times the work with 2 kids.
But here’s another fact: you will be much more laid back and easy-going with the second because you won’t have first-time-mom fears and doubt. And you already know that there are only a few months of horrid sleep deprivation and you’ll get through it. And you’ll be an old pro (no, I’m not calling you old, you are my age) at it.
And now that the baby is almost 10 months (how time flies) it’s not so hard. The pregnancy (along with all the back aches and fatigue) is a flitter in the back of my mind. And those first few months that seemed to pull me in every direction (the 3-year-old seemed to need to poop on the potty with my help every time I sat down to nurse) are long gone. Nursing has worked itself out (we’re on breast and bottle now) and I can hardly remember all the work it took to make it work (toe-curling pain and all).
It all works out and you just have to try to remember in the moment that it will.
And the writing gig- great for you. Even if its not the best timing, you are a writer, a real, paid writer. And I can tell you that there will be time, with a sleeping baby beside you and your computer on your lap, to write.
I say embrace it and go for it. A positive outlook does wonders for the soul.
Okay, first thing, two IS hard at first and then it’s like, “gee this isn’t that bad. Why was I so freaked out?!”
I’m surviving. You’ll survive.
Secondly, congrats on the weekly gig, that is FANTASTIC! I’d kill to have an ounce of your writing talent.
Hard, schmard, they’re like goldfish.
(((snorting)))
Sweetie, you are going to be just fine. Honest. And the writing, it’ll come. let us rejoice in what you’ve been waiting for – paid writing and a second miracle.
Hugs.
I always love reading your stuff (even though I don’t always comment)! Do you have the option of trying weekly and cutting back if it’s too much? You definitely don’t want to overload at this point in time…your health comes first.
And the big girl bed? Don’t wish for it too soon. We switched ours last weekend and now get a nightly visitor who tends to come in and turn the BIG light on, announcing “it’s morning!”. Ugh.
You’ll be stellar. Yes, 2 are harder than 1. At first. Jennifer & Leeanthro wrote exactly what I was going to write so I’ll just say, “What they said.”
And CONGRATULATIONS on the weekly writing gig. Totally fab!
You are freaking awesome and hysterical and too talented to not get paid.
Just don’t forget about us little people, ‘k?
You know it really doesn’t have to be really really hard. It can be really really fun. You will be raising two delightful people who will grow into amazing adults. If you want it to be really really hard it will be, but if you determine to make it fun and rewarding it will be that. My girls are 15 months apart in age, 20 and 21 now, and are amazing individuals.
There’s an awkward adjustment period, when you feel guilty about not being able to be with your oldest all the time.
Then you try to go out to the post office with both of them (haha).
And then you look at them both, together, and you can’t imagine it any different.
You’ll be just great.
I’d worry more about that damn toddler bed. heh.
oh how i heart u!! thanks for the link love – u really know how to make a new blogger blush!
as for the big news…congrats and yes u can totally do it. do it for me, who only wishes she had a pinky full of your talent!
That’s awesome about your writing gig.
And two kids? Yeah, it’s sort of hard at first in some ways, and not hard at all in others. How will you get through it? You just will and then you’ll look back on it and think “it wasn’t that bad at all really.” And maybe you start to think about #3…oh wait maybe that’s me.
Seriously though, the really hard part is minimal in the grand scheme of things. They’re little for such a short time that before we know it we’ll be watching our grown children talking to one another about their children and think about how easy it all was.
And I forgot to comment about your article. Love it. No wonder they want you to write more. Good stuff.
Of course they want you to write more. You are amazingly talented!
And the 1-to-2 transition, while difficult, was astonishingly easier than I imagined it would be. Before Lucy was born, I would weep in the corner just at the thought of making a trans-continental move with a 3-week old and a 19-month old, but by the time we were on the plane I was as cool as a cucumber. #2 is much easier at the beginning because the anxiety level is almost nil comparatively. You can do it!
a) I loved your article, over yonder. It’s fun hearing your voice in a different format.
b) I swear that baby #2 wasn’t near as hard on me as baby #1. Granted, both were colicky (because I am that lucky) and I had rough spots, but Lexi broke me in. My expectations were different by the time Zack came around 3 years later.
I think you are going to be just fabulous at this life full of kids and writing assignments.
(It’s the glasses. They make you look ever so assured.)
That ROCKS. Congrats!
You’re already perfect, but the additional practice will make you even more so.
Two is harder — but it gets easier. I promise. That’s no consolation now, but keep on stocking up on columns you can fall back on when you’re in tears from hormones and lack of sleep. Remember, this too will pass, and while you’r ein it, it will provide all kinds of quotables and topics for your writing.
Congratulations! You can do it! I love that you lead a secret life.
Hey, two isn’t that bad. Here’s how to get some sleep:
First, get big girl bed for big girl. She will probably wake up even more after the baby comes, which is fine. Make it clear that she gets to fall asleep every night in her bed, but she can creep into your bed anytime. It’s not a big deal, but she mustn’t wake you! No waking Mommy! She may decide that as it’s not a big deal she won’t bother, as my eldest did, and stay in her bed all night. If she is like my second, she will creep quietly into your bed at 2 a.m.
Keep the baby in your bed too, and diapers nearby for changing her. That way, you never have to get up! When baby squeaks, pop a boob into her and doze off again. She can suck all night if she wants to, and you will be blissfully asleep.
Soon, baby will want to sleep in a room with the groovy big sister, and you will sigh and miss the old days when they slept with you!
Oh, I hope you have a big bed