Happy New Year.
Today’s {MM} is a bit different than my usual format of sharing good finds from across the web.
Since I took the past 2 1/2 weeks off from any online activity in which I didn’t read blogs, think about blogging, tweet, pin, or facebook, I don’t have much to share by way of links. Instead, I’ll share what I’ve been up to.
During my hiatus I:
1) Slept a lot, napped even more.
Oh boy was that nice. Just trying to take advantage of sleep before the newborn arrives.
2) Played games with the kids.
Two fun ones–Wits & Wagers & kid charades.
3) Read more than I have in a long while.
Which according to the NY Times, nobody is reading novels anymore. To prove them wrong, here’s my current list.
Currently reading:
♦ John Grisham’s Sycamore Row–a contested will legal battle was never so thrilling (also loved his recent interview with Diane Rehm). Joseph & I are in a race to see who can finish it first.
♦ The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis–most of what he says goes over my head the first time (or second, even third time), but I like reading his work because it challenges my mind/heart/spirit to think deeper, go beyond what I know.
♦ Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe–sometimes you just have to read about polygamist African tribal cultures to really appreciate life in a post-feminist revolution, post-civil rights era world.
4) Enjoyed lots of extra time with Joseph, who had a good chunk of time off during the holidays.
We went on some fun dates, including going to the theater & watching The Hobbit (adore Martin Freeman as Bilbo) & The Butler (did you know Forest Whitaker is vegetarian?).
5) Kid’s got their fill of Christmas movies, including one of our faves, Home Alone.
6) Went on several outings, including some hiking on New Year’s day (which for you northern folks, you go hiking in the winter, not summer, if you live in Texas) around a state park that is just up the road from us.
7) Got some Christmas surprises including a tea kettle from Joseph, & some small diamond earrings–let’s just say that was a total surprise! For my part, I surprised Joseph with a nice dress jacket, which incidentally, I got for free from Kohl’s. The story is, I had ordered some stuff online for the kids, & with that shipment came this brand new, $150 jacket. Turns out, if a company accidentally ships something to you that you didn’t order, it’s yours to keep. So cool, right?
8) Another fun Christmas surprise–the boys were playing in a dirt pile next to our house, digging through dirt & rocks & uncovered a $20 bill!
9) Did quite a bit of “nesting”–you know, cleaning, organizing, re-organizing, catching up on anything/everything I can think of before baby. This included a $900 shopping trip to Costco (we’re set on toilet paper, batteries, paper plates, & diced tomatoes for the next 6 months), buying some needed baby items on Craigslist (got a double jogging stroller, a car seat & matching stroller, and a baby bouncer for $90), & washing all the baby’s clothes & blankets. We’re ready.
Speaking of which, I’m feeling very pregnant. And can I say, FAT.
Having gestational diabetes has not been easy, in fact, I’m getting pretty fed up with it & the fact that I’ve gained so much weight over this pregnancy I want to cry. I’m all about living in the present (or attempting to), but I confess I look forward to the end of this particular period. One thing that cheers me up is knowing I’ll be running, biking, & doing all the other things I love soon enough & that combined with some attention to my diet in addition to breast feeding, I’ll be back to my old self in no time. In the interim, however, I feel like a waddling, over-stuffed duck. (Though it is fun to watch my stomach move in waves as the baby does somersaults–which as luck would have it, is mostly at night.)
I’m due next week, & I’m not sure when this baby will come.
My doctors are recommending induction at 39 weeks (which is this Friday) because of the gestational diabetes & the fact that despite carefully managing my diet & adding a nightly medication, my blood sugars have become increasingly difficult to manage. Though I have been having intermittent, inconsistent contractions, which is something that happened with my last two pregnancies, several weeks before I actually went into labor.
I guess I say this because I’m not sure what blogging will look like this month, or the next.
I thought about having friends guest post while I take some time off, but then figured, hey, the reason I love blogging so much is that it’s real (or should be). For me, that means it’s a reflection of real life. My reality is that I’m about to have a baby & when I do, I have no idea how that will affect my day to day. I may only find time to blog once or twice a week, and that’s okay, because that’s my reality right now.
Anyway, hope your holidays were spectacular. It’s going to be a fab year folks.
P.S. Totally honored to be featured as a part of MJ’s 12 days of blogger’s Christmas series–check it out, lots of inspiring ladies.
Comments