My Life Update: November Edition

Whew, good thing I squeezed this post in right before the month disappeared on me. This November can sneak past you pretty quickly sometimes. I've always been more apt to pay attention to it more than other months because it happens to contain my birthday. But that ends before we're even half way through, so I stop monitoring the month far too soon. Anyway, November is indeed wrapping up and this year is only one month away from being in the record books. As I've said before here, it has been a pretty bittersweet year with some massive heartbreak and major stress events along with some of the most exciting news and events you could imagine. It was the definition of a mixed bag, but then again, that is often how it ends up going anyway.

But more specifically, how has my November been?

Professionally: The fall as a whole has been a bit of a disappointment. After the summer hauled in so much work, I was expecting the fall to bring work in by the truckloads. Unfortunately, the truck must have got a bad tire because it never made its way to me. I'm not saying my family is being shipped off the poor house now, but I am saying I learned a bit about the unpredictability of freelancing. More importantly, I learned the value in creating strong and lasting relationships with clients who can not only refer you to even more clients but also give you a rather steady stream of work. I definitely need the steady stream of work this winter because. . .

Daddy Update: The due date of January 4th is fast approaching, which also means the actual time the baby could be healthily arriving is even sooner. The baby has continued to do back flips and somersaults in mommy's tummy, in order to prepare itself for a run at Olympic gold. The baby seems to be warning us that he/she will be an active one, and I should be investing in a track suit and good running shoes. An active baby will be good for me, since my only forms of exercise at the moment are walking Summit and allowing my fingers to run on my keyboard all day.

I've already had a bit of a glimpse at the potential parent I may be. There were a few things over the last few months that could have led to some potential complications for the pregnancy. It was the sort of deal where it wasn't major, but could lead to something awful. Yet I found myself getting filled with anxiety and was rather worried about the possibility of the fulfillment of such complications. I found myself hovering over the tummy on a much more regular basis and constantly wishing my baby the very best. It seems my sweet words were enough to avert the problem, but it sure revealed to me the type of dad I might end up being. Not that I should be too surprised, since I am also the apparent reason my dog is a giant fluff of suckiness. I know this revelation is a shock to many who know me.

I'm ready for this dad thing. Most days. I still see myself fretting a little about being the major source of income come the next year and also have my moments I dread the evaporation of my sleep and relaxation time. I like relaxing, but I see it minimizing to an extreme degree. On the other hand, in the last bit I've been pulling some 14 hour work days, so it isn't like I've been floating in a sea of slothfulness or anything. I also realize that when I'm not begging for the baby to sleep a little bit more or trying to clean up the hourly baby surprise, there is going to be some really magical moments with my child. The type of treasures that I'll never want to let go of, and will always be firmly implanted in my heart and soul. I know this, because I'm currently getting those types of moments with my wife's moving tummy. I have a feeling it gets even better when you actually have a little life to hold in your hands.

Family: As you know if you follow this blog, some tragedy and heartbreak hit the family last month. It was expected, but it was still hard. But there has also been some good that came from this extremely sad event. I feel Emily's side of the family has never been closer, and we've already had a few opportunities to gather in a positive way since the loss. It has also reminded me the huge importance of family, and has motivated me to also stay connected to my own side of the family. Both Emily and I have decided that it is one of our key goals to try to keep our families close, and continue to have many memorable and happy gatherings.

November as a whole has actually been pretty crazy. I've spent much of the time trying to track down long term clients, and pitch a few projects to companies and publishers. Emily and I have also spent time trying to prepare for the coming bundle of joy, which has either meant spending lots of money on baby or attending classes/appointments. We've also just been trying to deconstruct all that has happened this year, which some days are easier than others. On top of that, we decided to throw in a few more extra complications that have been taking up our time, and that doesn't include a few issues that came about without our aid or wanting. All in all, it has been busy, but at least, our city wasn't burnt down by a horde of dragons -- it would have made it so much harder for the Santa Claus parade.

So, that is my life in blog form. How has things been with you crazy kids?

Comments