Celebrate the Small Things-June 28, 2019

It's Friday! Let's Celebrate the Small Things with Lexa Cain! I am her co-host.

I'd like to start by wishing a Happy Independence Day to those of you who live in the United States. My boys are excited to see the fireworks.

I'm also celebrating the fact that my husband has the next week off of work. While we don't have any fancy plans, it'll be nice to spend some time together as a family.

Lastly, I'd like to celebrate the fact that I recently discovered that one of those little free libraries has been installed in our neighborhood. If you don't know what those are, you can read about them here. While our town also has a wonderful public library, there's always room for more libraries large and small, right?

What would you like to celebrate?

Celebrate the Small Things-June 21, 2019

It's Friday! Let's Celebrate the Small Things with Lexa Cain! I am her co-host.

Daisy is growing like a weed. Since her birth a little over a month ago, she has gained two pounds and grown two inches. She's also sleeping up to six hours straight during the night, which has allowed us all to get some much needed rest ourselves. That's certainly a cause for celebration!

I'm also celebrating the fact that my boys voluntarily decided to clean their room. I usually have to pester them to do it. It's a small victory, but I'll take it. I can only hope this happens again sometime in the future.

Now that life is settling into a routine, I'm working on my writing again. I haven't been able to do a lot, but I'm just glad to be doing it at all.

What would you like to celebrate?

Celebrate the Small Things-June 14, 2019

It's Friday! Let's Celebrate the Small Things with Lexa Cain! I am her co-host.

I'm celebrating good health this week. Jude is still doing well after his mysterious illness, and Daisy is also healthy. Fingers crossed that we don't have any more sickness for a good long while.

Daisy is going to be one month old tomorrow. I can hardly believe it's already been that long. She's eating well and growing fast. She's also been sleeping pretty well at night, so I'm grateful for that.

Finally, I'd like to celebrate the fact that my children have such a great father. It is Father's Day this weekend, after all, so it seems like an appropriate time. I'd also like to wish a Happy Father's Day to all the other dads out there.

What would you like to celebrate?

Celebrate the Small Things-June 7, 2019

It's Friday! Let's Celebrate the Small Things with Lexa Cain! I am her co-host.

I'm going to start out by celebrating good health. As many of you who visit my blog regularly may know, my newborn baby Daisy fell ill with pneumonia shortly after birth. Then, just last week, my oldest son Jude fell ill with a mysterious rash. That, along with other symptoms, landed him in the hospital. Fortunately, both of them are now healthy again. Daisy has been thriving at home for the last two weeks, and my son seems to be back to his normal self. He even got to return to school for the last two days of the school year. He was thrilled that he could finish the school year with his friends.

My husband and I celebrated our twelve year wedding anniversary earlier this week. In fact, my son got out of the hospital on our anniversary. That was by far the best gift we could have received. We happily spent a quiet evening at home with our family to celebrate.

Finally, I'm celebrating a beautiful weekend weather forecast. Hopefully we can make the most of it.

What would you like to celebrate?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group-June 2019

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time for another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has gathered another wonderful cohort of co-hosts: Diane Burton, Kim Lajevardi, Sylvia Ney, Sarah Foster, Jennifer Hawes, and Madeline Mora-Summonte.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website for great writerly resources!

This has been a crazy few weeks for me. Since the last IWSG posting, I had a baby. That alone would be enough to make life feel chaotic. Unfortunately, we also had a few health-related problems in our family. First of all, my newborn daughter had to spend a week in the NICU due to her catching pneumonia. Then, after we'd all been home for a few days, my oldest son started to get sick with a mysterious illness. He broke out in a full body rash and couldn't keep any food down. It got so bad he had to be hospitalized for it. The good news is that he's home now, but all of that has left me feeling emotionally drained.

With all of that going on, I don't feel like a writer right now. Every time I try to sit down to write something, I feel tired. My brain doesn't want to cooperate. The thought of composing a story is overwhelming, and an irrational part of me fears that I will always feel this way. I keep trying to tell myself that this is temporary. A lot has happened in a short amount of time, and I need to give myself time to work through it all. I understand that, but I still can't banish that insecurity.

Hopefully I'll work through it all soon.

Now, let's move on to the optional question for this month: Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why?

Science fiction is my favorite to write. I love looking into the future and wondering where humanity will end up. I like thinking about what it means to be human and how that concept might change over time. There are limitless possibilities in science fiction, and I love that. Your story can be set anywhere and at any time. You can write science fiction to think about the tough questions life throws at you. You can also write it as an escape from real life. That versatility makes it exciting and rewarding.

What's your favorite genre to write?

WEP/IWSG June Challenge-Caged Bird

Hello everyone! It's time for another WEP/IWSG Challenge. This month's prompt is Caged Bird.

I'll admit I initially didn't know what I was going to write for this one. I was focused on the impending birth of my newest child, so I figured I would come up with something after that. And I suppose I did. The birth of my daughter inspired my piece, but not for the reason I first thought it might. I didn't anticipate that she might get sick and have to spend several additional days in the hospital.

And now, as I post this, she is home. My oldest son, however, has fallen ill with something else completely different. He's now the one in the hospital, so I suppose I will dedicate this piece to both of them. I can only say this has been a difficult month.

Spread Your Wings

You took me by surprise, little one. Our house already felt full with three children. Then we learned we would be adding a fourth to our brood. The revelation caught us off guard for a moment, but then we quickly adjusted to the news. It wasn’t long at all before we were eagerly awaiting your arrival.

The surprises in life can complete you in a way you never dreamed possible.

As your birth crept closer, I felt like I knew what to expect. After all, I’d been through the experience three times before. While each time was different, I was confident I could handle anything that came my way.

I should have known better. Life likes to throw curve balls when you least expect them. You were born on a Wednesday evening, and by all appearances, everything was going well. You were absolutely perfect. Maybe I’m biased, but your daddy agreed with my assessment.

Then, not long before we were due to take you home, a nurse discovered a potential problem. A doctor ordered some tests, and before long, we heard the awful news. You were developing pneumonia and needed to stay in the NICU.

For seven additional days, I had to watch as you remained tethered to the IV they put in your head. I sat with you by a hospital window and looked forward to the day I could take you out into the world. Lingering fears echoed inside my brain.

What if that day of freedom never comes? Will you be caged inside these walls your entire life? Will we ever be able to bring you home?

Fortunately, you proved to be stronger than anyone knew. You were far too fierce to remain a caged bird for long. After those seven days, you were well enough to fly free.

Now you’re home, and I wish I could say that was the end of my worries. That isn’t how life works, though, is it? Though all seems to be going well, I find myself second-guessing everything. It’s like I’ve just become a mother for the first time all over again. My confidence is shaken. All I want is for you to be happy, healthy, and safe. If only I were powerful enough to guarantee such a thing.

I can only do my best and enjoy the moments I get to watch you spread your wings.

Word Count: 397

FCA