Last Night I Dreamed I Went to Manderlay Again
 - I need to work on Black Cat Vol. 15 today.
- The editor on two of my as-yet-unannounced Viz projects is leaving. I’d be more bummed, but KIT FOX is taking over at least one of the titles. I heart Kit Fox. So… yay. Here’s hoping Kit’s got room in his schedule to take both.
- Speaking of Kit, I just got the comp copy of our last project together — Portus — in the mail yesterday. [Thank you, Kit.] For some reason the Amazon pre-order page lists Annette Roman as the editor… it was Kit though. Huh. I wonder how that happened. (Don’t get me wrong — Annette’s great; we’re on a different title together right now in fact.)
- Pregnancy Progress: 37 weeks, as of yesterday. What does that mean? We made it to full term! The kid’s not due until September 21st, but could come any time now.
- What else? I’m freaking out. A little. Here’s a tip: don’t try to tell me I shouldn’t be worrying — I’ll rip your head off. Apparently, it’s hormonal, but honestly, even when I’m not pregnant I’m not fond of having my concerns poo-poo’d. Who is? Also: I’m mean. Probably meaner than you are. I will hurt your delicate feelings. I will find your button and I will smoosh it… I wouldn’t risk it.
- Last night I dreamed not of Manderlay actually, but of the kid’s impending birth. Suddenly in the middle of everything, I realized I’d been given an epidural. I didn’t remember asking for one or having one placed and no one would answer any of my questions. I wasn’t exactly disappointed that the birth was painless, but I was angry that I wasn’t given the chance to even try the low-intervention approach. As merely the vessel, I wasn’t consulted. When the kid was born I was informed that Fraction had changed its name from what we’d agreed upon. …Think I’m having some control issues?
- Mom and Frank are here, helping us with the nursery. [Read: Mom and Frank are working on the nursery while I work downstairs, avoiding the wallpaper stripper fumes and Fraction remains chained to his desk cranking out scripts. I feel horribly rude, but that wallpaper stripper stinks.] Hopefully we’ll have something like a closet for the kid by Tuesday.
- Speaking of Fraction and cranking out scripts, we’ve GOT to get him a new set up. Poor guy’s wrists are about to explode. I think the desk is the problem. One day, when we have money again [Buy comics, you bastards!], we’ve got to get him a set up that will allow us to mount they keyboard on some kind of pullout drawer. We should probably invest in one of those ergonomic keyboards, too.
- As I write this I’m drinking half a mug of coffee and a non-alcoholic beer. From separate glasses. Fraction is nonplussed.
- 20th Century Boys is being adapted to anime.
- I feel bad for Barklage’s ass, but this made me laugh.
- I’m so far behind on thank you notes I should be shot. (Speaking of, does anyone have a mailing address for Lolokickyou? Han? Jill?)
- Fat Cobra Strikes!! on Facebook.
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mini-series from Marvel Comics and for co-writing 
with 
I have an address but I don’t know if it’s current. I’ll get back to you. Did she send what I thought she sent? Isn’t it SUPERCUTE?!?!
Mean? You? I dare you to be meaner than me. I am so mean that right now, The Bug is doing some apres-nap crying, but since he hasn’t called for Mama, I’m not going up yet…
Re: Matt’s wrists, we might have an under-the-desk-pull-out hanging around, not in use. Attaching it to the underside of any desk is pretty easy – I did it myself. If I can find it, you want I should send it (barring stupid-high shipping costs)?
Oops, there’s the “Mama” call. No time to poo-poo your worries right now (no no, I would never).
I’m scared to offer contradicting advice because I’m afraid you’re going to crush my skull with freakish preggo strength, but the under desk keyboard drawer caused me more problems than it helped. For me, the best help for my wrists was a deeper (wider) desktop and higher chair that allowed me to get a good ergonomic pad for my keyboard and had plenty of room for my arms. Not sure if it’s my horrific posture or bizarre Popeye-esque forearms, but having my seat higher and being able to rest my arms on the ergo pad thingy made a huge improvement in the wrist pain I was feeling. I also would wear a brace on my wrist at night when I was feeling particularly sore, and that helped a great deal.
As for poo-pooing your worries, I don’t know you can NOT be worried. I mean… You’re bringing a child into the world! You know how vulnerable those things make you to zombies? If you’re carrying a baby, you can’t use a pump-action shotgun NOR get a proper swing with a baseball bat, and where’s THAT put you during the undead swarm? In the rear with the gear, that’s where! And I won’t even mention how much of a disadvantage you’d be during an alien fight, that’s even scarier…
please don’t hurt my delicate feelings
I remember a year ago when I hit 37 weeks. Exactly one week later I had a little baby girl.
Congratulations.
-D.K.
Your doula will probably tell you this too, but first time Moms usually go late, like a couple weeks… Because it isn’t really late when you’re juggling gestational age vs. the obligatory cyclical age. Anyhow, pregnancy’s a great excuse to get out of remodel work. My wife loved it.
As far as poo-pooing of concerns go, I guarantee that you are not a tenth as concerned as you’re going to be after the baby is born. It’s flabbergasting how many crazy things they do that don’t make any sense that you can’t tell are supposed to be happening or not. I am so pleased that it’s far easier to figure out the second time around.
//I have an address but I don’t know if it’s current. I’ll get back to you. Did she send what I thought she sent? Isn’t it SUPERCUTE?!?!//
It is SUPER AWESOME.
(For those playing along at home: it’s a cute little blue onesie that says, “3 out of 2 kids have trouble with fractions.”)
//Mean? You? I dare you to be meaner than me.//
Well, I did say “probably.” You’re clearly an exception.
//Re: Matt’s wrists, we might have an under-the-desk-pull-out hanging around, not in use. Attaching it to the underside of any desk is pretty easy – I did it myself. If I can find it, you want I should send it (barring stupid-high shipping costs)?//
Yeah. I think Fraction’s going to need a new desk regardless, but either way it’d be good to try.
Let me know what it would cost you to ship it?
//I’m scared to offer contradicting advice because I’m afraid you’re going to crush my skull with freakish preggo strength,//
You’re new. And I sense that you mean well. You get a free pass.
// but the under desk keyboard drawer caused me more problems than it helped. For me, the best help for my wrists was a deeper (wider) desktop and higher chair that allowed me to get a good ergonomic pad for my keyboard and had plenty of room for my arms. Not sure if it’s my horrific posture or bizarre Popeye-esque forearms, but having my seat higher and being able to rest my arms on the ergo pad thingy made a huge improvement in the wrist pain I was feeling. I also would wear a brace on my wrist at night when I was feeling particularly sore, and that helped a great deal.//
Yeah, I think you and Fraction may be built differently. He’s got a huge desk and a wide assortment of pads, but he is still in constant pain and — I kid you not — he actually suits up to work in a set of skateboarding wrist and elbow pads. We spent a few hundred dollars on a new chair, hoping that was the issue, but it seems to be coming down to the desk, alas.
Bit of a bummer as that’s a beautiful desk.
//You know how vulnerable those things make you to zombies? If you’re carrying a baby, you can’t use a pump-action shotgun NOR get a proper swing with a baseball bat, and where’s THAT put you during the undead swarm? In the rear with the gear, that’s where! And I won’t even mention how much of a disadvantage you’d be during an alien fight, that’s even scarier…//
I knew you were my people. I just sensed it.
//I remember a year ago when I hit 37 weeks. Exactly one week later I had a little baby girl.
Congratulations.
-D.K.//
From your mouth to God’s ear, darling.
//Your doula will probably tell you this too, but first time Moms usually go late, like a couple weeks… Because it isn’t really late when you’re juggling gestational age vs. the obligatory cyclical age.//
Yeah… anywhere from 37 weeks to 42, I’ve been told. Fraction and I are both only children (and thus both first born) and neither of us were late. In fact, he was 3 weeks early. And since we were using an OPK when we conceived, our due date has already been adjusted away from the standard wheel date.
Which isn’t to say we might not go late anyway, but I’m hoping for anything after September 17th (my last deadline before baby) and before the 21st.
//Anyhow, pregnancy’s a great excuse to get out of remodel work. My wife loved it.//
I’m afraid we’re a bit short of hands, time and money around here, so I really need to be able to work — both around the house and at the computer. Low energy days frustrate the hell out of me. I may not have the proper demeanor for pregnancy.
//As far as poo-pooing of concerns go, I guarantee that you are not a tenth as concerned as you’re going to be after the baby is born. //
…Great.
[...] A little slow, but I responded to all the comments on the previous post here. [...]
//Yeah. I think Fraction’s going to need a new desk regardless, but either way it’d be good to try.
Let me know what it would cost you to ship it?//
I’ll look for it… No, wait, I found it. It’s still attached to the underside of the old “desk” (and I use that word very loosely), in the garage. It’ll probably be next weekend by the time I can get to it to take it off, but once I do that, boxing it up and sending it will be quick.
As far as whether you’ll go late because Henry is your first, I say “eh, maybe. But maybe not.”
The Bug was due on 3/14. On the 10th, my OB said there was nothing happening at all, and the kid would probably be late. He made me an appointment for the 15th, and we discussed when to induce if there was no sign of The Bug coming out on his own. And of course, The Bug was born on the 12th.
So there you have it.
And as far as this goes:
//As far as poo-pooing of concerns go, I guarantee that you are not a tenth as concerned as you’re going to be after the baby is born. //
I’m going to go ahead and disagree. You’ll be concerned about different things, yes. And I’m sure it’s true that some people are far more concerned after the birth. But you? I’m going with “not.”
And I, too, know the pain of having to buy much larger shoes during pregnancy. I love you, dahlin’.
Oh!! Han agreed that there was no way that Henry could NOT have that onesie, to the point that he even sacrificed being the one to gift it since he’s just afraid enough (or nice enough) of me to admit that since I saw it first I should get to be the giver.
The owner of Sandbox emailed me to say how glad he was that he noticed the recipient’s name and that this may be one of his favourite orders that he’s ever filled.
//And I, too, know the pain of having to buy much larger shoes during pregnancy. I love you, dahlin’.//
I love you too. Did yours go back? I DON’T WANT TO BUY ALL NEW SHOES.
//Oh!! Han agreed that there was no way that Henry could NOT have that onesie, to the point that he even sacrificed being the one to gift it since he’s just afraid enough (or nice enough) of me to admit that since I saw it first I should get to be the giver.
The owner of Sandbox emailed me to say how glad he was that he noticed the recipient’s name and that this may be one of his favourite orders that he’s ever filled.//
Ha ha ha! AWESOME.
Apparently Han confessed to Fraction that he was sore tempted to try and talk you out of getting it so that he could get it himself, but his better nature prevailed.
I heart you both.
Was thinking about you and so visited the site. Our local September-baby-watch (Pete’s colleague’s) came today. Both Sam and Ben were right on time – OK Sam was 12 hours late, but I don’t think that counts. You are supposed to be worried, but I believe you will be great at this and your doula should rule out your not being consulted. Breathe deeply.
Hope my brother was helpful and well behaved.
Peace,
Edith.
Oh! And my feet went back to normal. I still have way different hair (much thicker) than I had before pregnancy, and I get car-sick now – a reasonable trade-off I guess.
I will say that having an 8-year-old is very unsettling. Now I dream about their being attacked by zombies and I can’t reach them. I hate those dreams.
Edith.