Monday Musings

Today I think I’ll just write something stream-of-consciousness-MckMama-style.  So brace yourself for randomness.  Today I’m not sure who’s more worried about who.  Knut is getting distracted from work and has been debating taking time off to wait on me and take care of the kids to insure I’m off my feet.  Whether this is until December or my due date, I’m unsure.  At any rate, I talked him into at least going to work this morning and helping me out more in the afternoon, since the kids are normally better behaved in the morning.  He’s already been in the house to check on me once, though, and it’s not even 10am yet.

Yesterday Knut nearly ran himself ragged with leading Sunday School, our evening small group, running me to the grocery store so I wouldn’t have to take the kids this week, doing dishes, getting the kids to bed, etc.  He was able to sneak a little nap in, though, which was good. I did really good at sitting down yesterday, with the exception of walking around the grocery store with Knut since he gets pretty lost in there.  It was only 15 minutes of walking, but I paid for it with about 2 hours of regular contractions afterward.  Seriously, I’ve been feeling so blessed by Knut.  Somehow, knowing that he’s worried about me makes me worry less.  I feel so taken care of, and I think guys like him must be few and far between.

This morning I’m sitting at the computer, and keeping Silje going on her schoolwork, and using PBS kids as a babysitter for the boys.  I’ve been doing very very well at sitting down, but contractions have started coming on every 2-10 minutes, without any regularity at all.  I can still talk through them, so I’m not too concerned yet.  Again, this could go on for days, so I’m in no rush to head out the door.  Yesterday, that was the rate I was getting contractions when walking, so either I’m on my feet more than I realize, or they’re just coming closer together.  Seriously I feel like a walking time bomb.  Don’t laugh, but we’ve been bringing my hospital bag with us in the van whenever we leave the house.  I told Knut it was like on the farm…if you rush to get a field done before a storm, the storm passes by.  If you didn’t rush, it would have rained.  So having the hospital bag in the van is our superstitious way of making sure that this baby stays a few more days.

This morning Elias has been laughing every time I look at him.  He is seriously the funniest kid I’ve ever met.  I took a video of him laughing over breakfast, and it’s hysterical, but I can’t find where the camera cord is so I can put it on the blog.  If I get up and look for it, Knut may come home and catch me and then I’ll  be in trouble.  So you’ll just have to trust me…it’s hysterical.

Silje’s just doing spelling, handwriting, and math worksheets, none of which require my help so I’m just sitting here at the computer and am getting bored of the internet.  Last night when I was supposed to be sitting, I got caught up on all of my friends’ blogs, which was fun.  I’ve also been working on finishing this little baby’s Christmas stocking which I’m knitting.  I’m just using Red Heart yarn from Walmart which is leftover from some blanket I did in the past.  I figure Christmas stockings don’t get a lot of use, so the cheap yarn is perfect for projects like that (and blankets which use a lot of yarn!) however I’m realizing it’s not as forgiving of tension issues as wool is.  Not only that, but my wrists feel sore so much faster and I can’t knit for as long.  Arcrylic yarn must not have as much “give” to it as wool does, and I’ve grown too accustomed to wool.

*pause to play trains with Elias all over my belly for a few minutes…ok, he’s off and onto something new now.*

Elias has started calling me “Mum” instead of “Maaahhheee” which is so cute.  This morning I also finished up spreadsheets for the next 2 weeks of lesson plans for Silje.  We’re planning on giving her a school break through Christmas once the baby comes, but if she feels like doing work (which is very likely) the lessons from the various teacher guides are compiled easily, and all of the worksheets I normally print off the computer are all printed for the next 2 weeks and compiled so that Knut or anyone else watching her can just grab some schoolwork without having to dig for it. 

Silje’s complaining of a stomach ache this morning, but it only seems to bother her when she sees her brothers watching t.v. all morning this morning.  Otherwise she’s prancing around.  The mean mom that I am, I told her she could have a bucket next to her while she’s doing her schoolwork in the dining room.  She seemed satisfied with that. I think she’d like a t.v. day too, and I let them watch t.v. a lot when they’re sick because it is sometimes the only thing that keeps them still.

I think after my next bathroom break I’ll go sit and knit while I watch her do her work.  However, when I leave the basement, the boys often follow me, and when they’re upstairs they often get into trouble, and sitting becomes impossible.  Silje can’t do her work down here because the t.v. is on, so I guess she’ll have to survive the quiet room upstairs. 

My side of the family used to have sparkling grape juice at Thanksgiving, and I bought some for this year, but ended up forgetting to have it on Thanksgiving.  It’s so fun to drink it from fun wine glasses with a yummy dessert.  I think we’ll open it up and celebrate making it to December this Wednesday.  I’m trying not to think about whether or not Knut will still make me stay off my feet past then, because in all reality, maybe she’ll be here before I have to argue with him over that.  We’ll just cross that bridge when we get there!  I’m determined not to worry about it because the reality is I may not have to.

I think it’s funny how differently we’re approaching the end of pregnancy having some experience behind us.  As a first time mom, you just want to be induced as soon as humanly possible with an epidural at the first contraction.  Now that this is our fourth, and having a late term preemie and an early miscarriage in our past, we know that every single day in the womb is a gift, and sometimes in these cases patience is a virtue, and letting the body do it’s thing is often the safest.

That’s what I was praying about last night before bed.  I often soak my sore hips in the tub before bed, which often insures me a much better night’s rest.  It’s then when I pray and bring out my Bible when the whole house is quiet.  I was unburdening myself on the Lord, and he reminded me that every day of this pregnancy is a gift.  There are so many gifts from God that we don’t see as gifts, but see as work.  It’s a truth that has become more apparent to me over the last few months/years.  We don’t see something as a gift, but God says it is.  It’s only when we believe him, that we see it too.  It would be so much easier to see it and then believe it, but God doesn’t work that way.

I took Lena to a groomers last week for the very first time to get her nails trimmed and a good scrub down before the baby comes and I’m in no condition to do it, and Knut is too chicken to do it because it’s easy to cut the nails too short and have a bunch of bleeding.  She came back so fluffy that Knut said she reminded him of a beef steer at the county fair.  Seriously, only a farm boy would come up with a comparison like that. 

I’m probably the first farm wife in the family to take a dog to the groomers, but we’re also the first to have an inside dog, so I suppose they go hand in hand.  Knut’s been complaining about how much of a pest she is lately, since he has to be the one to feed her and take her out to go potty since he says I need to sit.  However, I caught him sneaking her a biscuit the other day when it wasn’t time to feed her, and petting her sweetly, so I think it’s all an act.  He’s got a soft spot for her, whether or not he’ll admit it.

Hmmm…the kids tell me it’s snack time.  Pumpkin bread anyone?