Politeness Revisited & Catching Up

Just when I thought I was doing fine with not feeling obligated to blog, I learned a reason why I should - at least every once in a while - check in with some manner of post. My Mom and Sisters-In-Law have convinced me that it just is not proper that I leave them hanging to wonder if I have either died or moved to Israel without saying goodbye. Alas, a post as proof that at least the first of their worst case scenarios is unfounded.

I will catch you up in random order:

~Currently at 29 weeks and counting, I have been put on modified bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy. For every two hours of my being up and about, I have to be horizontal for two hours. My being old and experienced at this whole birthing thing has led to some factors that can make carrying twins to term a bit more challenging. Add in a houseful of lively offspring, 100 degree days with 70% humidity, and farm animals with minds of their own, and the words change from challenging to We-could-use-a-miracle-here. My midwife and her OB have given me two goals. The first is to make it to 32 weeks, which, among other things, would eliminate my need to go to the university hospital over an hour away to birth. The second goal is to make it to 37 weeks, at which point the babies would be considered 'term'. Per the midwife, "Between 32 and 37 weeks, we will be grateful for every week we get."

~Mr. Visionary and I have been wrestling. Our first listing on our house has expired, and as much as we feel led to sell this home to remove the last hindrance to our being out of debt, it seems insane to think of trying to show our house - much less pack and move - with circumstances such as they are. We are contemplating pushing pause on this ride.

~I have gotten all the herbal medicine I could reasonably assume we might need for the next year completely made. (Cough drops, tinctures, tea mixtures, and a supply of bulk herbs for poultices and miscellaneous things that come up.) Now all of my main ingredient herbs are tinctured in large enough quantities to last for a while. I keep all my tinctures made as single-herb tinctures so that whenever I need a special formula for a certain strain of illness, I can custom mix it in smaller quantities. The most important to me is the afterpains tincture, since I can't take any pain meds after the birth, and Motrin only goes so far. I also got a ton of herbal salves that we use often made up. (If you haven't yet bought TN Farmgirl's Medicinal Herb Course, you may want to. That is where I learned to make all this groovy stuff!)

~ I got 99% of the fall/winter clothes purchased for the children, because I don't expect to be doing much shopping when the twins are small. The Spring stuff may need to be prayed in, depending on how well I adjust to having the twins here.

~ I have just about given up on making any more freezer meals. I just can't manage any more bulk cooking. I am still trying to double up here and there to put away at least one meal at a time. I am using my "up time" on the weekends to get meals made for the week while Mr. Visionary is here to run interference (read: keep the boys out of the kitchen).

~ Except for midwife appointments, I have canceled any trips to town for say, the next six months. Even before the bed rest issue came up I had announced to Mr. Visionary that I was done with trips to town. When you shop as infrequently as we do, the shopping days are looong, so as to make the trip more efficient, but it makes for a long day for the pregnant lady. Even if I got through a shopping day intact, I felt like I had been hit by a truck for the next two days and needed long naps just to get through. It just isn't worth it. Mr. Visionary and the children do an awesome job with the grocery list all by themselves. Yes, he does take all seven children shopping for a month's worth of groceries at a time - and they even remember stuff I forgot to add to the list.

~ I have a confession. Rather than being frustrated by having to rest so much, I am finding myself ever-so-glad when it is time to go down again. I had no idea I would be so tired. Every once in a while I feel compelled to stay up longer to finish "this last little thing", but the children are too well trained. They know all they have to do is call Dad and he will fuss at me to go lay down. Really, when I think of how vulnerable these tiny ones are, it makes it easy to do the right thing. My spirit is being quieted and humbled in ways I could not have imagined. It is all good.

I'll try to be more diligent about getting the laptop out during my "down time" and keeping you updated proving that I am still alive. Thanks for the lecture encouragement, Mom! I love you!