36 weeks...and counting

Aside from the long bouts of insomnia in the middle of the nights lately, pregnancy and our school routine, are going fairly well. I feel like a character from the Walking Dead some days, but that is good prep for new mommy (not) sleep, so maybe it may help with that transition.

I have moved into the midwife appt every week now. It seems to have come quickly, what with everyone being well and all. I even got my birth kit last week and thought "Ok. I guess I'm ready whenever it starts". Except Shane was several hours away on a 'come-over-and-let-me-pull-you-around-the-lake-like-a-rag-doll-until-you-can't-move guy trip. It's an annual thing and every year I pray he comes home in one piece and still able to earn a living. He did. So now we are good to go.

Last week was extra busy. Kateri had an appt to get fitted for a hearing aid, again. We had tried it a few years ago but she was not impressed and we decided to hold off a bit. But now that she is bigger there are more options, and hopefully ones she can tolerate better. She was lamenting, when school started, the fact there was no one to play with and how she wanted to go to the local school with all the neighbor kids. I tried to explain that it would not all be play time.  But seriously, I think she would love the routine and the social aspect of being in a classroom and do well. And she'd probably get in trouble for talking, every day.

I think next year we will put her in some of the co-op classes where the big kids take some lessons. And then I thought the hearing aid might be really useful, as the teacher would not be sitting next to her. So we went. On the way she was chatting about how it will be and how she can turn it up so when they are watching a movie and the other kids can't hear it, she'll be able to and then the other kids will be like "What?"   That was her exact word. The trial hearing aid will not be ready until next month, but she enjoyed picking it out- a marbled purple with sparkles-and getting the pink goo squirt in her ear. I am glad she is excited about it.

Then I had a midwife appointment. I hit the 36 week mark. And it hurt. I feel so ready to not huff and puff just rolling over in bed, to eat a normal sized meal, to wear whatever pants I want, and to stop collecting souvenirs of the day's events and meals on my belly. And to see my toes. I know afterwards I'll probably look back fondly on the days when there was no crying, my arms were free, and I could drink a whole cup of coffee while it was still hot. But right now I am feeling over-stretched and ready to move on and make plans for how our daily routines will change. And then I think of this:




And I remember the crying baby pulling at your feet while you stare blankly into the pantry wondering what to make, knowing that it will probably end up like the previous night and you'll ask Kateri to make French toast again. And then I think of Kateri. And how willing she is/will be to make dinner, or hold the baby, and clean the kitchen.  And then I feel like I will make it.

I found them!

The pictures I downloaded to a secret location, that is. Here a few highlights from our trip.

OK, this first one is not from out trip, but seeing as how we were all leaving, and the neighbors on that side were also going to be away, it was the perfect time to take down the pool without offending anyone's sensibilities for clean air. I suppose the rabbits had to endure the fallout, but seriously, these guys, or girls rather, think their feed bowl is also a latrine so I don't think they could complain much. Anyway, it worked and by the time we came home, the only remnant of the pool was/is the dead patch of grass.

 One of many courses from our dinner at EVOO in Canon Beach. This one was beef tenderloin with  succotash and watermelon salad with lime-habanero pepper dressing and cumin cream topped with a strawberry-tequila sorbet. It was very yummy. Sadly, little Malachi was squeezing out my ability to eat much in one sitting but every course was amazing and I enjoyed them immensely. If you want the recipes you can go to EVOO and look up the August Dinner Show. We've made several of the courses since coming home, including the tostada stack with citrus braised pork belly and the watermelon salad, with all the toppings.

The next night we went to a little french-italian restaurant there and had a lovely farewell dinner before we headed....

 to our yurt. Like I mentioned it was not very rustic at all and super cozy.

 This was the fruit basket the waiter put together for us when I realized I had no snacks and low blood sugar and felt horrible. I got better.

 The yurt had Wi-Fi and electricity, neither of which could make my pictures not blurry.

 And amazing views.

 And this is what we came  home to. Actually this is how Cyprian came home several days after we did. They are out now and it healed nicely, though it has been an effort to remind him to not wrestle while it finishes healing.

And now we are all home and are jumping right into our school year. So far it is going well. Or at least now it is. The first day I had a horrible night's sleep ( about 3 hrs ,interrupted) and was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted and then of course pregnancy hormones don't help much and once Shane was home and I was recounting things and feeling everything and then some I actually broke down and cried. Which is not something I do easily, pregnant or not. But the next night I slept better and was more on top of the day and we were actually productive and I felt optimistic about the school year. We'll see how today goes.