Manhattan Beach Pier. Photo by Aasulv Wolf Austad.
January’s Over! The Baby’s Asleep! and…What Lies Ahead ?
Is January ending already? Where did it go? Actually, I’m still trying to figure out where the past few months went. Friends and family told me to savor every moment with my new baby because time will just fly by. They also told me to take as many pictures of little Mimi as I possibly can because she’ll change so much every week. (And of course, my cinematographer husband reminded me to make back-up copies of all photos). Well, friends, family and husband: I listened to you. For a change. And I’m so glad I did.
As much as I’m enjoying maternity leave, I’ve occasionally felt a bit isolated from the rest of the world. We’re fortunate to have a baby who has been sleeping through the night since she was about five and half weeks old. Despite that, we’re still caught up in the endless cycle of feeding, diapering and comforting this little creature. Just when I think everything’s groovy – when, for example, she has fallen asleep in my arms and I put her in her crib to sleep for hopefully a few hours – I hear a cry that pierces the air and my heart at once. Probably because this is my first child, I spend more time than I might need to comfort and soothe her than is necessary. But I do it. And before I know it, the day is gone. Not a single news site has been visited, not one magazine has been browsed, hardly an email has been replied to. Novels? How I miss them. I used to be critical of friends who I thought were over-reacting to their child’s every cry. Now I’m one of them. Parenthood. It’s a very humbling experience.
In some of my more lucid moments, I’ve been thinking a lot about what’s next. As a self-employed freelance writer, I get to decide when I’m ready to go back to work, which looks like mid-February, early March at the latest. Also in those clearer moments of mine, I’ve been contemplating what lies ahead for The M Report.
A lot!
I plan to continue to write about people who are doing interesting things. And I hope to have regular guest bloggers. I also want to highlight photography by people other than myself and my husband. A podcast is coming soon, too. In fact, several people have suggested that I record all of my posts. I must know a lot of people who hate to read…Seriously, there are lots of fun things coming this way, and I do hope you’ll stick around for them. Since I don’t have a full-time nanny, how often I’ll post is a good question. As often as I can. And I will continue to strive to make whatever pops up here as interesting, memorable and meaningful as I possibly can. I have a feeling this will be a good year.
Cheers!
Manhattan Beach Pier (II). Photo by Aasulv Wolf Austad
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