Great Expectations

So the way I see it, I'm roughly 2 & 1/2 months along. Not actually pregnant. Oh heavens, no. Been there, done that. Got the scars to prove it, if need be. I'm anticipating the birth of my first "child in print." She's due to deliver sometime this year, closer to the fall if my calculations are correct. My lovely publishers are working out all the details as we speak.

At this stage of the game it's a lot like walking around with a tiny fetus in your belly. The joy of it being just you two, before the world gets its hands of your little bundle of joy. Conceiving a book baby requires greater effort than the average real baby. For some folks the real baby conception needs little more than a Friday night and a bottle of chilled Patron. But I digress.

It's a quiet and special time, lest for the morning sickness. Soon the planning, the editing, the rolling up of the sleeves. The nesting. It's all coming. Minus the 30 extra pounds in the mid-section. (Graciously.)

Next thing I know, I'll be panting, trying to remember to breathe, sucking on ice chips, and eventually welcoming her into the universe. Naturally I'll have all the typical new mom worries. Does she have all her pages in place? Is she warm enough in her ISBN?

And the new mom anxieties.

Will the other books take kindly to her? Will she fit it, stand out, be liked, maybe even loved?

For now, I'll sit with my expectations. Waiting. Enjoying the moment.