Selfish Me

I've had this post floating around in my head for a few weeks now, but I've been sort of reluctant to write it down. I keep thinking that it makes me selfish, or greedy, or a bunch of other non-complimentary words. This pregnancy has been the hardest one on me…blame it on the fact that I'm older or blame it on the fact the last part occurred in the hottest part of summer or blame in the fact I have perfected complaining…but here it is.

I'm excited to have this baby for several reasons, but one of the highest on my list is the fact I'll get my body back. I'll get back a nose that's not stuffy. I'll get back fingers I can wear my wedding ring on. I'll get back the ability to walk up stairs without getting winded. I'll get back the ability to walk, not waddle. I'll get back the chance to sleep on my back. I won't dissolve into tears at a moments notice. I'll get back the usually cheery disposition (Jeremy can attest to the fact, I'm always grumpy!)

It's not only the things that I'll get back, it's the things I'll lose that I'm looking forward to as well. Besides the obvious belly, I'll lose the burn of round ligament pain. I'll lose complications that most pregnant women get that you don't want me to delve into. I'll lose a body that's always hot and/or sweaty. I'll lose the rapid change in mood swings. I'll lose the eyes staring at my belly…yes, I do see you.  And by no means is this list complete!

There is one big thing that I don't want back, but I know will come back…pain from RA and having to go back on medication.

The #1 reason I'm most excited to have this baby…well, I'll get a beautiful baby girl, of course!

I have 4 weeks left until my due date. I'd much enjoy having this baby sooner rather than later, but I don't have much say in that. Grace's first day of school is August 24 and I'd rather not be in the hospital for that. Grace was born a week late and was given an eviction notice (she was induced). Anna came 2 weeks early all on her own. I keep thinking about things that could go wrong, that I can't do it again, how labor's gonna start. And I keep thinking back to the day each of the girls was born, the miracle that Jeremy and I created. (See, I'm getting teary eyed right now!) Then I think about life with a newborn and 2 big girls…can I handle it?

I have a quote at my desk. "If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it."

Garden Goodies

Some of the first things to come from our garden.  And some of the peas didn't make it from the garden to the house, a-hem.

Then I hear from some of my Facebook friends how much they are getting from their garden and get disappointed that this is all I'm getting.  But then I remember our growing season is very short and I do live at 6000 feet or so above sea level....so I think I'm not doing so bad.  The beans will be ready in a few days and I noticed we have tassels getting ready to emerge on the corn.

Jeremy has an uncle who's health is failing pretty quickly.  He's off in San Antonio, Texas, with his dad helping get the uncle's affairs in order and visiting with his uncle.  He left on Friday and is supposed to be back Friday or so.  So this is the day I say kudos to all those single parents...How in the world do they do it?  The girls are asking about him all the time and miss him terribly, as I do too.

Frontier Days

The last full week of July always brings an influx of people to Cheyenne Frontier Days.  The traffic gets crazy, don't even try to go out to eat and expect lots of people everywhere!  We usually don't do anything like go to the rodeos, the night shows or the carnival.  This year we thought we'd take an afternoon and go ride some rides and eat outrageously priced carnival food.  We started things out on the merry-go-round.

We also went on the Ferris Wheel, ate cotton candy, foot long corn dogs and some spiral spuds.  Another thing that Frontier Days always brings is the afternoon rain shower.  We participated in that too.  We got totally saturated waiting for the bus to take us back to our car.  But it was a fun afternoon, indeed!

Updated Chickens

I thought I'd show you some of the latest photos of our chickens.  The broilers are completely feathered out and probably 2 times bigger than our layers hatched at the same time.  They have the big, fat legs!  And they'll swarm you when you feed them; they are pigs!  We figure we'll take them to the butcher in a few weeks.

Our layers are growing up to look like real chickens.  Our exotic one with the strange hairdo still makes me laugh.  Jeremy and I were wondering how well she can see through her Tina Turner hair.  Hopefully they'll start laying eggs in a month or so.

Green Thumb?

As you know, we put in raised beds for the garden this year so it would be more likely I have a garden instead of a weed patch crowding out the garden.  It seems to be successful, so far.  We planted carrots, green beans, okra, corn, cucumbers and peas.  Everything is coming up and going for gusto, except the carrots.  My green beans, cucumbers and peas are blooming.


green beans



peas

Impressive, eh?

Whenever it was we built the chicken coop, several years ago anyways, we planted a raspberry bush or two behind it.  They grew, but we didn't much tend to the bushes.  Then the goats pretty much decimated them one summer.  Now they are bushy and lovely and have spread to the side of the chicken coop as well.  This year there's even tiny little immature berries on them right now.  Hopefully we get a handful or two.

on the side of the chicken coop

 We've penned off the side of the coop because that is where the broiler chickens are at the moment and we don't want them eating the bushes....


future raspberries

I also planted a rhubarb and a strawberry plant in a raised bed in front of the house.  The rhubarb is growing like mad...even tho they have me some weeds in the rhubarb pot.  The strawberry looks like a wilted, half dead husk of it's former self.  There still is some hope, as long as I don't forget about it!

Lakeside

The post is, sadly, pictureless….but here's some of the latest stuff we've been up to. The lake was a ton of fun. I did a little fishing (I'm pretty sure I still caught the biggest walleye the whole trip). The guys did a bit more fishing. Sounds like my husband got dunked, too bad I wasn't around to see it! We did a lot of wading in the lake as it was hot, hot, hot. The girls seems to really enjoy that part. There was good food thanks to my mother-in-law.

The girls went back to Douglas with Grandma and Grandpa Yearout where they'll be for most of the week, then a few days with my sister-in-law, then back home next weekend. I plan on shampooing the dining room and living room carpets as they are Disgusting!

I'm prepared for when the baby gets here. The only thing remaining to get is a new car seat. That's the first thing I plan on doing come August. Then we just play the waiting game. I'm ready for her to be here, but I hope she spends some more time "in the oven" before she shows up, if you know what I mean and I think you do. I have approximately 7 hot, long weeks before my due date.

Latest Socks

I've been working on these socks on and off since around April would be my guess.  And they are finally done.  But I'm pretty sure I won't be wearing these until this fall anyway.  Who wants to wear shoes that require socks during the summer?!  I didn't notice the way the colors pool until I looked at the pictures.

Jeremy has finished fixing up the camper (I don't think I've mentioned the addition of a camper on here, more on that later).  It's not done, but it's liveable ::smile::  So he and the girls left yesterday to go camping at Glendo.  I'm headed up after work today.