Homeschooling and the Morning Sickness Factor

As I emerge from the morning sickness and begin to feel well again, I thought I'd share some insights I've gleaned from the 5 times I have done this since I began homeschooling.

*First off, give yourself a break.  Morning sickness is not for the wimpy.  It takes a lot of energy to lay on a couch and try to convince yourself you will survive.  In fact, it takes a lot of energy just to make it to the couch in the first place (unless of course, you spent the night there).  So, give yourself permission to take a break from all things.

*Make meals as simple as possible, enlist someone to help you with laundry and dishes...better yet, use paper plates, cups, etc.  Get your husband to shop for you and keep the refrigerator stocked with easy snacks for you and the children.  Don't be afraid to ask for help.  You can be superwoman some other time.

*As for homeschooling, consider my post at The Homeschool Classroom on Homeschooling Year Round.  You can catch up later.  That is one of the many beauties of homeschooling ~ flexibility.  Is there really a need for you to stress right now about what is not getting done?  Think about the larger picture.  Will it really matter that you did not do 2 months worth of math with your 3rd grader when you can make up those 2 months somewhere else?  Older children can keep up with many of their studies on their own and with very little direction.  The short amount time you are sick (I know it feels like an eternity when you are in the midst of it), will even itself out in the long run.  It will be okay.  I promise.

*Avoid "Bad Mother Syndrome".  I am convinced that my children are the most unruly, my house the most messy, my world the most chaotic, and I am very, very afraid I will never, ever feel "normal" again.  It is during these times that it is most crucial for you to ask for the Lord's guidance.  Sometimes, these feelings are a good "jumping-off" point for us to truly analyze our shortcomings and those we see within our families, but we also must be aware that Satan will use these times when we are already down and out to knock us down further and convince us we are no good at this Christianity thing or this homeschooling thing.  He will put questions into our heads like:

"Wouldn't they all be better off if I just sent them to public school?"  

So, even in the midst of your illness, you must ask the Lord for discernment.  Ask Him to show you TRUTH and give you the ability to PERSEVERE.

*And finally, when you do come up for air and realize the morning sickness is beginning to subside, REJOICE!  Then...

take a moment to look around you and do the next thing.  What one thing that did slip while you were "away" should be re-established right away?  Do you need to take some time to get the discipline of the children back under control?  Is your husband begging  you to clean the house and have all the laundry done up?  Is everyone hungry for some "real food?"

Do not despair...what fell apart while the couch held you hostage will not take all that long to rectify with a little bit of consistancy.

So, as a final note, let me say as someone who has survived morning sickness many times and who has homeschooled through a majority of those times, I empathize completely with your plight.  It is a very difficult place to be.  I hope you find some encouragement from my words.  And a great big cyber-hug from me to you!

Enjoying Your Pregnancy - Soothing Music

 

His Master's Voice

Lately, evenings have been hard.  Really, really hard.  Here is a picture of me languishing on the couch trying to have a happy birthday... 

 

This part of pregnancy is difficult to "enjoy."  I started this series on Enjoying Your Pregnancy back when I was pregnant with Micah because I wanted to enjoy every second of his precious life.  I knew just how fragile life could be and I was determined to not just survive, but enjoy my pregnancy with him.

I figured I'd just keep going with this series during my new pregnancy, more for my own encouragement than for anyone else!  But, I'm pretty sure there are others out there who aren't finding pregnancy all that enjoyable these days.

So, today I wanted to talk about one thing that helps me tremendously in the evening hours when my stomach is reeling and my body aches.  It's music.  Soft, relaxing, flowing music.  It eases the tense muscles, gives me something else to think about for a while, and soothes my soul.

I've used music in varying degrees in all my pregnancies.  With my oldest child, it was at the end of pregnancy when the restless legs were making me crazy and sleep always seemed just out of reach.  I listened to Enya's Watermark cd over and over and over.  It was enough to lull me into a decent sleep.  I was grateful.

My current favorite is David Nevue's Whisperings.  I rarely make it past track 4 before I am sound asleep, no matter how bad my stomach aches.

I also use music while I soak in the tub.  It makes a tubby just that much better. :)

Maybe it's because music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  Maybe it's because my mom used to put classical music cassettes on for me to sleep by.  Maybe it's because I hear music in everything.  

But, I actually think it's because God designed music Himself.

Notes, taken by themselves to be plain and often discordant, suddenly resolve into unimaginable beauty when linked together in harmony.  Music is not random and accidental.  Even people who are tone deaf still hear beauty in melody.

My aching pregnant body relaxes when I hear music because God designed music to be a tool with which to praise and worship.  Even when music is not used to honor and glorify God, you can't deny that He created the notes.  They are still His, no matter what someone does to pervert them.

So, as I lay here, growing this itty bitty human being, I am enjoying not only the pregnancy itself, but the soundtrack of this pregnancy.

*****

Another thing I enjoy in the bathtub is my Homemade Bath Oil~especially during this cold, dry winter weather.  And don't miss tomorrow's Guest Post about music education in the homeschool classroom.

The 12-Week Holiday Planner

About a year ago, I received an email from Marilyn Moll at The Urban Homemaker that caught my attention. It was concerning a 12-Week Holiday Planner from Sheri Graham at Graham Family Ministries. It didn't take long for me to decide I NEEDED this planner!

Not only did it keep me focused for the holiday season in bite-sized pieces, but it was a LIFESAVER concerning the fact that I was due with little Micah right smack dab in the middle of it all!

I printed off all the pages (cuz it's an e-book ;o)), put protective covers on them, and put them in a green 3-ring binder labeled Holiday Planner. It wasn't difficult at all to keep up with and I had everything in one handy locale. Plus it motivated me to stock my freezer and pantry for the holiday and the baby!

In addition to the planner itself, you get a Jesse Tree Devotional from Ann Voscamp and recipes from Ann, Marilyn, and Sheri. (For more on the Jesse Tree Devotional, see THIS POST from last year.)

I cannot say enough good about this Planner! In fact, I can hardly wait until October 1 to pull it back out again!!!

If this sounds like something you could use this coming holiday season, consider purchasing your copy NOW! You can get a $4 discount from now through the month of September by entering in the code augsale at checkout.

Mmmmmmm....I think I can almost smell cinnamon and cedar in the air!

A Brighter Outlook

Last night I had to face a lot of things. One of those things was the possibility that my own anxieties and fears were holding back labor. While I truly believe the Lord is in control, I also know that He may very well be waiting on me to rid myself of some of the emotional baggage I am carrying around. I had a good cry and I awoke this morning with a much better outlook on the day.

My usual advice to end of term pregnant women is to find a project, make an appointment, do something that requires you to put energy into something other than sitting around thinking. Somehow, I managed to not hold myself to the same standards. So, this morning, after dreaming last night that I had rearranged my house, I decided to do something along those same lines. I tore into the bags of Christmas presents that were just sitting near the tree waiting for me to come home from the hospital and deal with them. I'm obviously NOT in the hospital and I'm obviously in need of a project, so why not. I worked most of the morning separating the gifts out and having the children put things away and making lists of what types of storage containers I would need and mentally considering what items already residing in our home could hit the trash or the thrift store. Then, I took a nap!

My dear, sweet husband is considering different things we can do to get out of the house after he gets home from work (especially since we have a built-in babysitter these days...otherwise known as Grandma!) And I am concentrating on staying away from negative thoughts and controlling the overall grouchiness that seems to be plaguing me these days.

I did ask the Lord to take away all these false contractions if possible simply because I kept feeling as though I was getting my hopes up for nothing. Well, He's done just that. I am having very few contractions now, so hopefully, once they kick back in, it will be the real deal.

Tomorrow is the OB appointment I never thought I'd make it to. I have no idea what to expect because I've never been this overdue and none of us truly believed I would make this appointment. So, we shall see.

That Cantankerous Pregnant Woman

Last night, I went to the movies. Today, I went to the mall. The secret to surviving outings when you are excruciatingly pregnant is to avoid eye contact at all costs. While I would LOVE to own a XXXL t-shirt that says, "I'm Pregnant, Not Deaf!" the less confrontational method is to just pretend like I can't see you and therefore, can't hear you.

I have also grown weary of phone calls asking if anything is happening yet. Ask me how I'm feeling...ask me how the baby is doing...ask me what I ate for lunch, but please, please don't suggest that I have gone into labor and am still answering the phone. It's not that I mind phone calls (they are actually a good distraction), but consider how many times a day I must hear, "So, are you having contractions?" I'm not even telling my husband when I am having contractions! LOL

But, hey, don't mind me...I'm just a cantankerous pregnant woman who has begun to wonder if this baby will ever come! Or wait, maybe I have turned into an elephant with a gestational period of 22 months. And yes, you can laugh...I am!

That Taboo Word...

OVERDUE!

Yes, that's me. In fact, that has been me the last 3 births. This word is so taboo that most doctors and pregnant mamas will avoid it at all costs. And believe me, there are moments when I wholeheartedly want to scream INDUCE ME!!! But, I refrain, try to make the best of it, and keep chugging along.

Thankfully, today was one of those days where INDUCE ME was not my battle cry and I did much better than just chugging. Several times today, my husband looked at me and said, "You look really good" or "You are doing great today." And I did feel good. I contracted some this morning fairly hard and regularly, but they fizzled out after a couple of hours. Then tonight, I've been contracting, but while they are regular, they are nothing to write home about. I do feel like things have changed a bit...baby feels lower and my hips are hurting more, but I am so thankful for a lovely day with my family.

We had a leisurely morning, then this afternoon, I played outside with my kiddos. We made teepees with reeds and lashed them with yucca plants. We had a late lunch out and then took the children to the park to play. Now we are home and my mom is here so that when the time does come for us to head to the hospital, we won't be disrupting anyone or having to take them all with us and meet someone somewhere. I am also on strict orders by her to let her do the work while I rest. What a blessing!

All in all, the fact that I am now OVERDUE is not too bothersome. Ask me again tomorrow. ;o)

Is It Possible?

Sorry to keep all of you in suspense, but my appointment on Tuesday went much better than expected! Baby was just barely off, so with a gentle nudge from doctor, the little one slipped into place. However, when she checked me, I had not made any more progress (still a 1). We decided that binding my belly at this point would probably only make me even more uncomfortable than I already am. Dr. felt like baby was staying pretty close to center anyway, so we opted to not bind my belly and let me go on my way.

This was very freeing to me. More so than I realized it would be. The less interventions I have, the more likely I am to be able to cope with the rigors of labor. I was very worried about what Tuesday was going to hold for me and the baby. I really wanted to know that when I started labor, it would be the "real" thing rather than some oddball contractions that started up because of interventions. I felt like I would be better able to tell the difference between real contractions and ones that would fizzle out after a few hours if they started up on their own.

So, here I sit at nearly 5am Christmas morning....wondering.

I tried going to bed a few hours ago, but contractions were waking me up and I just had a general uncomfortableness. So, I came down here to mosey around and see what a little distraction would do.

The contractions have definitely lessened in intensity, but they still continue to be about 20 minutes apart. Thankfully, I slept a lot today (or should I say yesterday), so I'm not really sleep-deprived. My husband has been so good about letting me sleep whenever, wherever lately. I just hope he's getting some good sleep tonight!

We've been praying for a Christmas baby. But, I know that doesn't necessarily mean we'll have one. I ask the Lord for whatever is within His will, but if He would consider a Christmas birthday for this little one that would make us ever so happy. We brought little Emily home from her first round of surgeries on Christmas Eve and she was able to spend her first and last Christmas at home with all of us. She was also born on a holiday (July 4), so it just seems perfect and wonderful to honor her memory with the birth of her little sibling on Christmas Day. Not to mention the fact that this little one represents hope for my husband and I. Baby Jesus was and is HOPE...I could not think of a better way to celebrate the One Who truly embodies our hope than with the birth of another blessing from the Lord.

So, I have my little Contraction Master up, and I'm timing them. I do not know if they will progress into full-fledged labor on this Christmas Day, but it would be a beautiful thing if they would.

I had about decided it just wasn't going to be Christmas Day despite my fervent prayers (and honestly, I could show up here tomorrow with a post entitled...False Alarm...or some such thing!) But, that is okay too. What I am really anxious for right now are the first rousings of my other children...the "wake up, Mommy! wake up Daddy!" in excited whispers. They are probably only a couple of short hours away!

God has given us an amazing gift by sending His son to save the people He created and loves. I am blessed no matter what! Many, many blessings to you this Christmas!

Hitting the Pregnancy Wall

It's happened...I've hit the "wall". I thought I could push through it. I thought it would subside. I even thought maybe it wouldn't happen to me. But, it did. With one month to go, I can honestly say I've hit that point in prengnacy where you wonder how in the world you are going to make it to your due date.

I remember reading where another mommy said 35 weeks was her hardest week mentally because she always thinks, "I can't do 5 more weeks of this." Well, when I hit week 35 and still felt as though I could stay pregnant forever, I thought (rather haughtily, I might add) that I was quite possibly going to escape from the end-of-pregnancy-blahs. Pride cometh before a fall...

So here I sit...and sit...and sit...because to be quite honest, getting up really does not appeal to me at this point! I tell myself a million times a day a quote from my dh's friend Dan, "I was having a bad day...until I lowered my expectations." Yet, this little condemning voice inside my head says, "It's the holidays! You have too much to prepare to just sit there!"..."Don't you know your house is a mess? Wouldn't be surprised if you find a mouse in that kitchen nibbling away at all the crumbs!"..."When was the last time you changed the 2 year old's shirt? You mean he slept in it? Two nights in a row???"

Yes, it is the holidays. And I will push through the best I can, but I really feel as though I need a plan...a way to make this house behave, a way to make the children behave, a way to make things run as smoothly as possible this last month. I'm just not sure how. You see, I've gone from a Snail's Pace to a If-I-Take-One-More-Step-This-Baby-Will-Fall-Out-Or-I'll-Fall-Down Pace.

One more month, huh? Will the holidays be ruined if I celebrate from the couch? Can a house really implode in a mere month? If I don't change the toddler's shirt for 2 days will it really pose a health risk?

If only I weren't such a visual person who needs a clutter-free environment to truly feel peaceful. *sigh* I guess all I can do is lower my expectations, try to enjoy the 4 weeks I have left, and keep pushing on the wall little by little until this precious little one is in my arms!

And please, feel free to leave all your best end-of-pregnancy tips in the comments box!

Keeping up with the Snails

Life seems to have come to a screeching halt around here. Sleep is my friend and sitting on the couch runs a close second! My hips are all loosey-goosey so that it takes me much longer to get from sitting to standing to moving. The contractions have picked up (never fear, though, I NEVER go early!). My sciatic nerve simply refuses to go up and down the stairs or do laundry. I resemble a turtle standing upright with its head on backwards. And heartburn seems to be what's for dessert.

But, I'm not complaining. I know it sounds like I am, but you really can just state facts without truly complaining...to quote the mice (I think) on Babe: "The way things are is the way things are."

Yes, I have moments where I look around the house and feel rather discouraged at my inability to do it all, but as my mother-in-law kindly pointed out tonight, "You're not a health hazard."

I posted recently on my homeschooling blog about days when you are not Superwoman. As I pointed out there, Superwoman is probably long gone for a while and that is okay. In fact, what truly matters these days is that I am spending my waking moments (though they be few and far between) with my children making memories. Tonight, rather than stress about not having all the laundry caught up, I gathered up my little quiver and we made a Thanksgiving/Blessing Tree.



This is a really simple project that even my 10 year old enjoyed doing. Make a trunk out of brown paper or a paper sack, then have all the kiddos (mom and dad can join in as well) trace their hands on construction paper and cut them out. Then, they write things they are thankful for on the fingers and tape them to the tree. They can add to them as they think of more things they are thankful for.

This is the direction I am heading this holiday season. Less stress, more fun activities. By the way, I'm not a holiday basket case and could never understand why people get stressed out this time of year, but I think that may have something to do with the fact that I am a very asthetic person, so the sights and sounds and smells of the holidays are so scrumptious to me, I could breathe them in forever. And what an awesome time to have a baby! Nothing like adding that fresh baby smell to the pine and cinnamon! lol

So, I'll just keep to my snail's pace. The rest of you can run circles around me if you like. I won't hold it against you. ;o)

A Refreshing Weekend

After the week I had last week, I decided to take a bit of a break and regroup.

I use the word "regroup" quite often when speaking of stepping back from things to take a look around and gather up all the bits and pieces of myself that have been spread about from project to project, thought to thought, task to task, circumstance to circumstance.

I know I sound a bit schizophrenic, but in all honesty, as a wife and mother there are times when I am spread very thin to the point where I begin to feel myself crack and bits and pieces of myself begin breaking off, so that when I pull away from a task or problem, I end up leaving a part of myself behind...always mulling it over, always living in that moment, never quite catching back up with the rest of me. The only way for me to bring those bits and pieces back together is to take a break from the everyday life so I can better see where I've been and where I'm going. Sometimes the every day becomes so "every day" that we lose track of where we are really heading because we are simply caught up in the day to day grind. I truly believe a change of pace is good for the mind, body, and soul.

So, this weekend, I took one these sabbaticals from the every day. My husband and I attended a La Leche League conference in a neighboring town. One of the sessions I attended on my own was called Preparing for Birth. Even though this is #6 for us, the circumstances surrounding this baby's birth have created a new scenario for me...one wrought with questions and fears (as I've shared previously). One of these looming questions is how am I going to handle this birth and the emotions that will undoubtedly be there? Something was said in this session that really struck a chord for me and I wanted to share it here.

One of the midwives leading the session talked extensively about different birthing scenarios she had encountered and how each related to being Intellectually, Physically, and/or Emotionally prepared for giving birth. In the story she told concerning a very emotional birth she mentioned that we have to consider who we are when we are our most vulnerable. What are some things we do? Do we pull away from everyone and prefer to be alone? Do we have a select group of friends and family we really need there with us in physical contact? Do we prefer support in the form of someone standing off to the side just being there? Are there certain people we NEVER call on in our times of need? Who are the people you do not mind seeing you at your most vulnerable? What/Who are you most comfortable with when you are feeling emotional?

These are all questions I am going to have to answer. In fact, these are questions my husband is going to have answer as well. We're in this together. This won't just be ME grieving and rejoicing...this will be him as well. So much of what she said made me realize that while I may not be able to map out every detail of this baby's birth (and by her advice no one really should even try), I can prepare in tangible ways for what I feel *may* happen. As she suggested, I have already alerted my OB to my feelings, my husband knows as well and we are working through just what I may or may not need during labor in the way of decisions and support, and now I am reading labor and delivery stories to help me gear up for the inevitable reality that I WILL give birth sometime in the next 6-8 weeks.

This is an exciting time. I must rely on the Lord and the support He sends me to enjoy what time I have left and the actual birthing process. Soon, I will hold a new little one. There will be healing resting in my arms that day. Not a complete healing, not a replacement for Emily, but a gift, a blessing, a very special link in the chain that makes up my life.

Why People Stop and Stare...

"No, it's not twins."
"Yes, I'm sure."

"No, I've not dropped...I have no stomach muscles."

"Yes, I WILL make it to my due date...trust me."

"Yes, I always look like this."

"No, I will not go into labor here in the checkout line...I'm not even close to my due date."

"Yes, I know I'm all baby...I birth toddlers."

"No, I don't need a cart to carry my belly around."

"Yes, I can stand up and walk without falling over."

"No, I'm not overdue...I have until Christmas." (this began in August?!)

My absolute favorite is when I get up from a table that's been hiding my belly or when I turn around after having my back to someone...

This is the look I get:


Hee Hee...The Power of the Belly!

Mind Over Belly

Get a group of ladies together and you are sure to eventually hear talk of having babies. And as sure as you will hear talk of having babies, you will hear talk of what pregnancy was like for each woman. Many of these stories sound like something out of a war memoir. In fact, if you stay long enough, they will begin to try to outdo one another.

"My back hurt so bad, I had to sleep with 5 pillows!"

"Well, my back hurt so bad, I had to sleep in the recliner!"

"Well, my back hurt so bad, I didn't sleep at all!"

or

"My morning sickness was so bad, I lost 10 pounds!"

"Well, my morning sickness was so bad, I took anti-nausea meds!"

"Well, my morning sickness was so bad, I lost 20 pounds because I couldn't keep the anti-nausea meds down!"

It's not that we mean to get into this little competition of sorts, it's just that we are certain no one had it as rough as we did and somehow we must prove it...even if we have to embellish just a wee bit. And honestly, there are some of us, who don't need to embellish a single bit to have quite the war, I mean pregnancy, story to tell.

But, is all this dreary exchange of the worst "this" and the worst "that" really a constructive use of our time? Does it help us in any way? Not really. In fact, I would submit that it actually makes things MUCH worse.

Case in point...

With my first baby, I spent the last 2 months wishing it was over. Let me tell you that was a LONG 2 months!

With my second child, I had horrid, awful morning sickness. I was terribly depressed because of it, an emotional train-wreck. In fact, I nearly went through with having my tubes tied so I would never, ever have to do that again.

Then, a 3 year gap in babies. During that unexpected time, I learned much. One thing I learned was from a friend who was carrying her first child. She NEVER complained. Even when she went long overdue, she NEVER complained. Some of the women who knew her would whisper about how she was too good to be true and they didn't know how she could possibly be content and be that overdue. Her answer to their incredulous looks of pity sounded something like this, "I don't mind. Baby will come when it is time." However, as her friend, I knew she hurt. Her hips were creaking, her back was always out of place, and she had endured the same horrid morning sickness that I had. However, she was bound and determined to enjoy every second of growing this new little life.

What I gleaned from her contentment was a new outlook on handling my own pregnancies. And when I became pregnant just a few months after she gave birth to her son, I CHOSE to adopt a positive outlook despite the difficulties that lie ahead.

In fact, looking back, I KNOW my pregnancy with our third child was by far, the most difficult. The morning sickness kept me on the couch until 20 weeks, the anti-nausea meds did nothing to help. I had horrible Restless Legs Syndrome to the point I would stay up until the wee hours of the morning bouncing on my birthing ball until with legs so exhausted and weak, I would literally fall into bed. I had hemorrhoids that required pain meds, and a host of other "issues" that need not be mentioned here lest they embarass the writer beyond recovery. Had I not worked very hard to stay positive and happy, I could have tumbled into the miry-clay of self-pity and really, no one would have faulted me one little bit.

But, instead, I made the best of everything. I even performed in a Broadway Revue where I sang "Broadway Baby" in all my 8 1/2 months of glory. I kept a smile on my face and happy words on my lips. If nothing else, I was convincing myself that this was a good pregnancy...an easy pregnancy. By golly, I could do this again!

And that, my dear readers, is the true moral of this story. What good does it do us to wallow in our aches and pains? Does it truly help to recount every awful moment of our pregnancy to anyone who stands near us more than 2 seconds? What do our other children learn from our belly-achin'? Mama hates having babies? Babies are horrible little parasites? Pregnancy is nothing but pain that ends in pain so we can bring the little pain home to live?

Not that I think it is wrong to share and empathize and occasionally vent, but to spend our entire pregnancies lamenting every single aspect of growing a baby doesn't show a whole lot of gratitude to the Giver of Life. These little blessings aren't just blessings once they get here, they are blessings from the very beginning. That is why I chose to have a section specifically about Enjoying Your Pregnancy. So many people don't. From the positive test to the first push, they are just itchin' to get it all over with.

But, what would happen if you actually tried to enjoy your pregnancy? What would happen if you put a smile on your face and looked for the good instead of dwelling on the bad? What would happen if when someone suggested you must be miserable you said in return, "Oh no! I LOVE being pregnant!" No, there wouldn't be a long exchange of war stories. No, you couldn't let them know just how horrible you actually feel. But, imagine your testimony. You feel BLESSED to be carrying a child, not BURDENED! When the whole nation sees children as a pain to be endured, you see them as a privilege to be held...inside as well as outside.

Drink those moments in, ladies! Consider all the beauty of pregnancy. Stop dwelling on every single ache and pain. Treasure those kicks. Enjoy the fringe benefits of being pregnant...the naps no one questions, the best seat in the house, the ready-made tray table, also known as your belly! It truly can be a beautiful time in your life, but you have to resolve to practice a little mind over matter...or in this case, mind over belly!

Enjoy!

Washing Away the Cares of the Day

Pregnancy often brings with it new emotions, new thoughts, and new aches and pains. It is just a fact of life, literally. Bringing a new life into this world does not come without changes and sometimes those changes are somewhat painful.

One of my favorite "remedies" for these aches and pains is a nice warm bath, complete with candles and soothing music. Indulgent? Maybe. Medicinal? Definitely!

But beyond that, this is the time of day when the house is quiet and I can start to quiet my own soul. This is when I can take the time to marvel at the new life the Lord has blessed us with. This is where I can cry out the Lord when I am missing my dear, sweet Emmy. This is where I can talk to God without interruption. As I take time to slow down, the aches and pains begin to subside and the calm I need in order to fall into a sound sleep overtakes me.

But, what about our children's baths? Is bath time in your house a time to marvel at all your little blessings? Is it a time to help them relax? Is it a time when you can talk to them about the Lord and all He has done for them that day? If it is anything like bath time in our home, probably not.

Bath time for us is often a rushed orchestration of Dunk 'Em, Dry 'Em, Diaper 'Em, Dress 'Em. Certainly, there are times when it isn't quite that quick and I sit and giggle and chit-chat with them, but even those times are not purposeful. I am not purposefully trying to help them relax, nor am I purposefully using this time when I have them completely confined to four porcelain walls to truly minister to their little minds as I wash their little bodies.

I do have a verse posted by the bathtub that reminds me not to begrudge bath time...

John 13:14-15
If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.

But, lately I feel that simply not despising something is not enough. Sure, it's a start, but it's not a finish. Just as I wash away the cares of my day, I must wash away theirs. Not only am I preparing their little bodies for bed, but their hearts and minds as well.

The Morning Sickness Has Arrived

The lapse in my entries is due to that age-old malady called morning sickness, better described as all-day sickness. So forgive me if I do not wax eloquent...I just do not feel very eloquent these days.

My morning sickness is a catch-22. I am glad for it because it means baby is developing nicely (all my miscarriages have been without morning sickness), but it is debilitating. My last two pregnancies, in which I still had nurslings, went much smoother with regards to morning sickness, but because of losing Emily, I am not nursing this time. I do not know if that is why I seem to be suffering more or if somehow her loss has made my sickness more acute or if it is something totally unrelated.

Tomorrow I go for a B vitamin shot. Will it work? Unfortunately, I am not all that hopeful. Sea bands did not stop it, Reglan, Compazine, and Zofran did not stop it, High protein helped, but did not stop it, so while I do have some symptoms of B deficiency (carpal tunnel during pregnancy, going grey early, sluggish metabolism), I have a hard time believing this shot will be my "magic pill."

But, I did not write here to complain! If you will notice, I've put this entry in the "Enjoying Your Pregnancy" section. So, how do you enjoy a pregnancy wrought with morning sickness?

Well, first off all, if you are like me and have suffered a loss, you truly understand how precious life is and how precious the sickness that goes into growing that life can be. But now matter how you determine to view your sickness, there will more than likely come a time when it will have overstayed its welcome. For me, this time comes at about 9-10 weeks gestation (I am 8.5). I find myself wondering how I will continue like this for another 10 weeks (my morning sickness peaks between 12-14 weeks and is finally gone at 20 weeks). So, I am trying to think of creative ways to ENJOY this and not just SURVIVE this.

Here are some of my thoughts (please chime in with yours!):

1. I write in a pregnancy journal. At the bottom of the pages are verses. More often than not, those verses are a huge source of comfort and just what I needed to hear.

2. I have had my older 2 children read from the Word to me. Edifying for all of us!

3. This is yet another chance for me to wholly rely on my Lord.

4. I am resolved to spend time each day recounting my blessings.

So, how about those of you in blog land? Any other ideas on how a person can enjoy their journey through morning sickness, rather than just survive it?

Also, I would encourage you to take a look at this site:
My Morning Sickness.com
Full of good information!