Dissertation Dramas and Baby Wipes

This time in five weeks I'd have finished all my uni work. My dissertation is due a week on Monday. I started working on it over summer last year and had hoped it would be in by now. No such luck. Writing a novella seems to have taken me a great deal of time. Writing the perfect story takes months! I wonder if I'll have the patience to write a complete novel? I wonder if the likes of JK Rowling, Marian Keyes, Brian Keene, Nicholas Evans etc worry about punctuation and repetition of words? Or do their editors do it all? I have read my story, Pony Tales, so that many times that it bores me to death and sometimes, when I'm trying to make sure the punctuation is where it should be, the words merge together into a big blob of black. 16 pages, 7500 words and 9 drafts have taken a good 9 months to write but I think I've done it. I've exhausted myself and I'm ready to hand it in.

Last week the final amendments were interrupted with the news of my niece. My brother found out he was a father to a 5 week old baby girl. It was quite the shock but most of the family have responded well to this news. Emily, now 6 weeks is a beautiful little blue eyed girl who is going to have the best aunty anyone could ask for. I've been eying up little pink dresses, white booties and cute cuddly toys to present to this lovely little girl. I cannot wait for her to get a bit older so I can babysit and play with her. If I ever end up getting married I'll have a little flower girl to join me at the alter. If I have children of my own she will have someone to play with. All of a sudden the possibilities, the future as well as the present have been turned on their head by the appearance of this little girl. My brother is proud to be her father and doing the things I never expected him to do (like changing nappies). The family will have some adjusting to do but this is one of the most exciting things that could happen to a family. New babies just bring smiles and joy and peace and laughter. I think a story may be brewing in my mind. Oh and that is the other ace thing I can't wait to do. Write her stories and read fairy tales to her.

But now last week has passed, a wonderful Easter weekend has slipped by and I'm back at my desk, typing furiously away on statements, critiques and essays. xxx