Ecclesia Crucis

Dissertation Update

After a two hour phone conversation with my advisor this evening, I am on my way towards finishing my dissertation.  I have a ton of rewriting to do, particularly with regard to "fronting my own voice" and my own argument within each chapter.  But the big news is that he recommends I only write one more chapter -- not three!!

Next steps:
1. Work out theological model for whole project.
2. Write chapter four.
3. Rewrite chapters 1-3 in light of theological model.
4. Write Epilogue.
5. Rewrite introduction
6. Hand it in.

Although it still looks daunting I see the light and today's conversation was a huge step forward. The goal?  Finish. 

Thanks for all your prayers and well-wishes. 

 

A bit mindless...

The ninth month.

Something has happened.  It's more than being spacey: leaving my keys in the car my husband takes for the morning; forgetting my cell phone (my only access to the outside world without a land-line) in the car my husband takes for the evening.  It's more than being fatigued: staring off in the distance as my four year old desperately tries to play trick or treat -- again; sitting on the couch with this week's Samurai Sudoku which has me completely baffled and yet I look at the numbers again pretending I'll figure it out.  It's more than anticipation: looking at the clock when a series of braxton hicks contractions go on and on and on; feeling every single bone and sinew in my body when I rise from the bed, a chair or the floor (because one must continue to play with the four year old and one year old).

Thirteen days to go and something has happened.

It's preparation and preoccupation.  Within a fortnight my time will not be my own.  As I tend to the transition from womb to world, I will shelter this little one, creating Winnicott's holding environment.  My world will become his.  His world will become mine.  I feel as though his world is already creeping into my mind.  It has happened twice before and now I've come to expect it -- not resist it -- but let this natural pattern runs its instinctive course.

Chapter four?  Oh right - chapter four.

Monday morning

What a morning.  Girls woke at 5:45 a.m.  At 6:15, I begged hubby to do the morning shift.  He obliged until the coffee pot overflowed -- so at 6:55, I'm awake.  (For a non-morning person to be awakened five minutes before you wanted to tends to start the day off on the wrong foot.)  Three hours of chaos.  Clean-up kitchen, feed girls, mutter, mutter, mutter, showers for Mom and Dad, called Verizon to argue about a phone bill, didn't start laundry, house is a wreck...I'm ready for a nap.

And yet, I'm off to write chapter four. 

I'm tired...but surviving.

Here we go...

Intro - 20 pages - DRAFT COMPLETE
Chapter One - 42 pages - DRAFT COMPLETE
Chapter Two - 60 pages - DRAFT COMPLETE
Chapter Three - 56 pages - DRAFT COMPLETE
Chapter Four - STARTING TODAY! 5 pages and a whole bunch of random thoughts
Chapters Five, Six and Conclusion - outlined

17 days to baby!

Dissertation Progress Report

With 20 days until baby arrives here is the progress report.  I have sent off the intro, chapters one and two to my professor and will be sending chapter three tomorrow.  I hope to have a substantial chunk of chapter four finished by Friday and completed by the middle of next week.  If I can churn out at least half of both chapters five and six by baby I will be very happy.

Intro - 20 pages - DRAFT COMPLETE
Chapter One - 42 pages - DRAFT COMPLETE
Chapter Two - 60 pages - DRAFT COMPLETE
Chapter Three - 40ish pages - DRAFT TO BE COMPLETE TONIGHT
Chapter Four - 5 pages and a whole bunch of random thoughts
Chapters Five, Six and Conclusion - outlined

My thanks to LZ for burning the midnight oil in the last week as my editor.

Hormones raging...Dissertation progress

Sorry to be out of touch the last week.  My thoughts are scattered between dissertation, kids and their relationship with our au pair, my own interaction with our au pair, finances, finances and finances, thank you notes for most recent baby shower, and my mobility forms which need to get to my bishop pronto, the next size clothes for BB, and the daily grind of living room, bedroom, bathroom cleaning.  Did I mention I'm teaching a course from 9-4 this Saturday, two additional Saturdays before baby and one Saturday after baby?  I'll finish my afternoon lecture tomorrow.  Of course, there is that hospital tour I'd like to get to and the sibling class for TT... 

Please send any thoughts and prayers you can muster in the direction of VA.  I'm trying to stay focused and get my chapters done.

Not much has changed in a week.  I split chapter one today for the sake of the argument. 

Intro - 12 pages
Chapter One - 30 pages
New chapter Two - 46 pages
Chapter Three - 35 pages
Chapter Four - 5 pages  (the first crack at my big contribution to the world - how's that for hype?) 
Chapters Five, Six and Conclusion - outlined in more detail