Hummingbird heart

At my last OB appointment, I heard the heartbeat of our little baby. It was a miracle moment, a teary moment. Oh my word, I have a tiny person in my tummy! Until now, it's really felt like an illness with the nebulous hope of something good coming of it, but now I'm starting to get excited. Around 4 months, when you can feel the baby kick and the nausea is passed, that's when it gets fun.

Max is a letter nut. He loves finding letters everywhere, and it's frankly shocking how he has started to read. These are the words he's read for me so far: Ca (his aunt's nickname), Isi (his aunt's dog), no, Max, Mama, Papa, ball, moon, and cat. He loves it. While we eat breakfast, he wants me to write words on paper and he'll say all the letters. When we're done, he likes to go back and read the words on his own. This is particularly amazing to me because he's 2 1/2 and is almost reading more words than he's speaking. He's been very slow to talk, and yet he'll spell most any word. The little nut.

austenland is finished! I did one last primping draft and it's gone to production. Now I'm back working on YA 5 (soon to be titled, we're trying one out that we like). I've had a lot of interruptions on this draft, so I'll be doing a couple more before sending it back to my editor. Right now I'm most worried about pacing and establishing the setting. I really love the main character. I'm always excited to work on it and spend more time with her.

Max woke us up three times in the night, calling out for Mama or Papa. When we went in there, he made adament pig noises. This was to tell us that he couldn't find Mr. Fuzzy Pig, his favorite snuggle toy, though it was right beside or behind him. Though I could've done without the sleep interruption, there's something marvelous about being called into your son's room in the middle of the night to hear him do pig noises. And they're very good pig noises--none of your average "oink, oink"--these are heartful grunts and snorts. He's so clever.