1. Today marks 37 weeks: so I've officially arrived at "full-term!" Spark will continue to be packing on the ounces between now and when she decides to make her entrance into the outside world, which at this point could be anytime. I'm still hoping she might give us until October and let me get in on sweet potato digging and wrap up a few more things at the office (as well as enjoy one final trip with friends to the Mountain House to visit Grandma and Grandpa Myers), but it also feels good to be at this point and know she is at a healthy stage of development whenever she is born. She's still quite an active little gal and has dropped giving me more room up top (aiding to increased comfort in that region) and on the flip side a lot of pressure down low (contributing to the feeling of needing to pee quite often)! This past week we had our "mock delivery" with the midwives to give Jason a crash course in what to do should they not make it in time. The girls' doll Zelda filled in for Spark and "was born" two-three times during the appointment! I guess such an exercise should make the pending transition feel more real, but I'm not sure if there is any way to fully prepare for the changes coming. I will also admit that I have felt surges of emotion as I think of this pregnancy coming to an end, knowing that in all likelihood these are my last days/weeks of experiencing what it is like to have a little one growing inside me. I'm trying to savor the kicks, jabs, squirms and hiccups. I'm getting enjoyment out of Alida using Spark as a slide (which the midwives credit for Spark having dropped so significantly into my pelvis!). I'm enjoying the belly kisses from both girls which will soon, in all likelihood and as it should be, transfer to Spark directly. The other night I couldn't keep tears from coming as I looked at my blossoming belly. I think pregnant bellies are really beautiful and amazing! I've loved having one four times over the past dozen years, each producing a unique and precious gift for our family. I am very excited to meet this fourth daughter of ours and I recognize that I will also be grieving the end of a stage of life for us. We'll see what other beautiful, stretching (maybe not quite as literally as pregnancy), life-changing stages await us!
3. Tomatoes coming to an end: Between Kali and Alida's soccer games today, I did our every other day harvesting. It feels good to see that winding down and we are helping with some of the winding down. The number of marianna, hungarian paste and drying tomatoes has been tapering off steadily. Of course I can't stand to not pick them as long as they are producing, but we also need to call an end to tomato harvesting/processing so we can move on to other things. So as of today, I chopped up the last of those varieties and all that is left are the slicers on the treliss which come in amounts we can consume. We have a good supply on the canning shelves of salsa, sauce, diced tomatoes and one precious round of ketchup. I have enough on trays for one final something or other this week (probably paste), and enough green tomatoes to make a batch of fermented green tomato pickles. But I feel space opening up, as we are bringing in a bucket or so of produce every other day, rather than several bushels! The peanuts are dug and drying in the garage, the potatoes are bagged up under the stairwell, and the squash is coming in in stages as it matures. The big things yet to harvest are the remainder of the peppers and digging sweet potatoes, followed by focusing on getting in cover crops before frost. The list appeared rather daunting when Jason and I got it all on paper the other week, but I'm feeling less urgency to it as we slowly chip away at the tasks and also recognize that some will happen before Spark and some after and that's ok. I think we both kind of wanted to have a "clean slate" when she was born but that is not a realistic hope or expectation and isn't even really necessary. We love being outside on fall days and that won't change with a baby in the house. I may not be as helpful, but I do envision doing some raking this fall with a baby on my front!
4. It's moving day: Last but definitely not least, it's a big day on the home front! Over three years ago Jonathan and Rachelle moved into the in-law quarters for a then undefined period of time. Right now the "cleaning team" (most of Tangly Woods folks minus Alida who is napping and me who is in charge of feeding everyone at dinner and who is hanging with Alida until she wakens) are busy at work upstairs readying the place for Mom and Dad. Should anyone at this point feel inclined to ask, "So when are your parents moving in?" do not bother! My answer will be the same as it has the last 5 or so years! While the feelings are mixed on a day such as this, overall I'm grateful that the time has arrived for Mom and Dad to assume occupancy (whenever they wish to be here) of the home they designed and had built for themselves. They have been incredibly generous to allow several other families to benefit from the space, while they have enjoyed the first years of their retirement in West Virginia. I hope that they will soon be able to benefit from the space that many others have found to be beautiful and comfortable. This is another one of those changes and transitions that includes some grieving, as well as looking forward to what is ahead. I'm grateful for the lessons learned through our various community-living endeavors and hopefully the practice we have had will make us better neighbors and housemates to Mom and Dad in the future. It also feels good to have the transition be a bit less abrupt since Tangly Woods meals will still continue, just with Jonathan and Rachelle joining us from their new home in Harrisonburg.
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