Thursday, October 7, 2010

Overdue

Robert was two weeks overdue. Ryan was not only overdue, but when we finally went in on a Friday to be induced, the maternity ward was overflowing and they told us to come back on Monday. Lizzy, being our good child, came on time.
With both Robert and Ryan there came a point in the overdue time that we decided we probably weren't having a baby. Before the due date, every day was met with "this could be the day!" When the due date passed by without a whimper, we began to ignore all those rules we'd so carefully followed. We took day trips well over an hour from the hospital. We didn't worry about taking that stupid overnight bag with us everywhere because it just wasn't going to happen.
That's kind of how I'm feeling now. My agent has had my manuscript out to publishers for months now. No one's turned it down, but no one has said "Yes." For a while there was such a feeling of expectancy. Every morning was met with, "this could be the day!" Now? Not so much.
When I was good and overdue with Robert we sat behind these two little old ladies at church one night. They cheerfully asked when I was due. When they found out the expiration date was long gone, they got so flustered. They sat on pins and needles through the service, just knowing that at any minute they were going to have to deliver a baby. Mike and I giggled at their nervousness thinking, "Silly ladies, we're never having this baby."
Folks around me now talk about reading the book when it comes out and I just think, "Silly people, its never going to be published."
Overdue is a weird place to live.

1 comment:

Marti Pieper said...

Been there, done that, bought the--well, never mind. But do you know what? When they want it, everything starts moving in hyper-speed. And you forget about the delay because, well, you're just too busy taking care of that precious little one.

Books and babies. Both require intense work and incredible patience. And both are worth the wait.