Well, things have been happening… If you don’t care, feel free to overlook this post.

First things first, we are having another baby girl. She’s due sometime around August 23. I will have a c-section, so it’ll be a week or so before that. She’s healthy and apparently comfortable in my uterus. Unlike my experience with my daughter Fiona (who tested incredibly high risk for a chromosome disorder which would probably cause birth to kill her) this one is low risk for all chromosome disorders. That’s a huge, huge relief.

We can’t agree on a name. In fact, I don’t think either of us can even think of a name that makes us anything that says anything but, “meh.” Fiona (the very proud big sister) wants to name the baby either “Starlord” or “Hedgehog Fart.”

As for all things cancer, there is some evidence that cancerous tissue is growing (again). So I’m on hormone therapy to suppress any growth and also keep me from dropping dead. This hormone therapy is tricky because if my dose is off then the baby runs the risk of being born mentally handicapped. In November I will either go through another round of cancer treatment, or another full body scan to see the status of all of my potentially cancerous friends. Normally I’d say this upsets me, but after four times of hearing this kind of news, I’m kind of numb to it. I hate admitting that, but it’s true. I left my appointment and went to Jamba Juice. Worry won’t change anything. As my doctor said, “This cancer won’t kill you, but it will annoy you for the rest of your life.” I’m more pissed off about the fact that I’ll probably never actually be cancer free. Always waiting for the next surprise is no fun. It’s kind of like living your life constantly waiting for the other shoe to fall.

But that’s really no way to live. If cancer taught me anything, it’s that you have to live your life. Period.

In non personal health issue news, I attended a convention and was on my very first panel. I kind of cornered Paul Genesse into doing it, and he really organized, promoted, and moderated the panel like a pro (he is one…). The panel was called “Disabilities in Genre Fiction.” I think it went really well, and I was absolutely AMAZED by the attendance. The room was absolutely packed, and it was probably one of the most moving panels I’ve ever attended (which I feel weird saying because I was on it). So many people had powerful insights, compelling questions, and a passion for the topic. It really did my heart good to see all that goodwill and interest in an area of diversity which rarely gets much focus.

I will be posting the audio for this panel on SF Signal, Special Needs in Strange Worlds on March 3.

Also, for those who care, I am ALWAYS desperate for guest posts for my column.

After the panel I went to lunch (and had an INCREDIBLE burger) with my author friend Mercedes Murdock Yardley. Then I met up with Peter Orullian and L.E. Modesitt Jr for a few hours of chat. Then I went home and crashed in an exhausted sort of haze. It was great, and I really hope I get to participate in more conventions in the future, hopefully when I’m less hormonal. The reception of the Disabilities in Genre Fiction panel really gives me hope.

Other than that, I haven’t been reviewing as much and I’m blaming pregnancy. I’m finally past the morning (it was afternoon/night for me) sickness, but I’ve apparently moved into the OH-MY-GOD-I-AM-SO-EXHAUSTED-ALL-THE-TIME phase (and oh, these hormone fueled emotions. Today I cried about a video of baby ducks my daughter was watching. I can’t even make that up.). I hope I pass over this soon. I read a ton, and then I get halfway into writing a review and I lose my track of thought. It all turns into, “(Details about the book). I really need to take a nap…” and then I give up.

It’ll pass. It has to. Just be patient with me while I grow this human. It is apparently gumming up the mental cogs a bit.

And that’s about all that’s been going on over here.