I haven’t posted for a few days. We’ve actually been busy.

Dawn arrived around noon on Friday, and we did get a lot done. I was soooo exhausted by the end of the day. I haven’t been sleeping well at night for quite some time anyway, but I must have been way overtired, because I couldn’t sleep that night. So hard when you’re so tired.

In the middle of our cleaning, Michael and Erika and their children showed up for a surprise visit. I knew they were coming back to New Brunswick soon, but had forgotten to check in with them on the dates. They attended Student Convention in Sussex (an annual student competition for those in the ACE schools or homeschooling with ACE curriculum), then came to Wicklow to look at real estate. They still don’t have final word on what is going on for a job for Michael. I know they are getting anxious. Anyway, on their way back to Fredericton from Wicklow they stopped for a visit. It was so nice to see them - and they helped me fold laundry!

Then they surprised me by telling me Mom (Carol - first step-mother) was also coming to F’ton for an overnight visit. They were all sharing a room at the Wandlyn Inn, and so we went in for a quick visit Friday night after Greg got home from work. Then Saturday, he went on a canoe trip for the afternoon, so Mom, Mike & Erika came and spent the afternoon with us. Greg got home in time for supper, and we enjoy a bbq’d salmon and yummy baby potatoes and french cut beans. There was a LOT of food, and it was gone in short order! It was such a gorgeous day, and the kids played outside for most of it with their cousins. When it was time to leave, Monika was sobbing - she missed us already!

Sunday our church was going to Saint John for a special meeting with the sending church there, and a potluck after. It would have been way too long of a day for me, well for all of us, so we had a fun day together. We met Sharon for breakfast and then Greg went for a couple more hours of canoeing, while I took the kids to buy some jackets for spring.

Yesterday I had my first of the last appointments with my obgyn. Because one bus is broken down, I only had a short time with the Durango, and arranged to have the driver pick it up in town for his afternoon run. The hard part is that after a very quick check-up, I had a whole afternoon to do….whatever. I had Cole and Luke with me, and we had lunch at King’s Place, then grabbed a taxi uptown. Both boys enjoyed that immensely! We spent some time returning and exchanging items at various locations in the mall. I was sooo tired by the end of it. I think I overestimate what I have in me, and today I am still in recovery.

On the dr’s appt., nothing much to report. Baby is head-down again, so that’s a huge relief. I measured 40 cms yesterday, so I’ve either decreased in fluid levels, or the drs measure differently. I’m still bigger than I *should* be, but he wasn’t overly concerned as Baby is still sitting quite high, and I’ve also got a history of polyhydramnios with no complications. I am not a candidate for induction as I’ve had a c-section previously, so he said next week we are going to start stretching my cervix to see if we can encourage things to happen a bit sooner. I am overdue with my babies, from 7-11 days, so during those last couple of weeks it’s so hard. Not knowing when it’s going to happen is hard for everyone I’m sure, but knowing that if I don’t go into labor on my own, it’s a section without question is really hard. So we’re just praying hard that the baby will be ready, and my body will respond to the dr’s “encouragement”.

I haven’t gotten everything done on my list, but I’m pretty ok with that. I realize that after the first couple of weeks, as long as I have a vbac, I’ll be mostly back to normal, though tired, I’m sure, and will be much more mobile. The thought of even picking up a basket of clothes to move right now overwhelmes me. It is physically so hard to move right now. I need to get groceries, but am avoiding it because it’s so exhausting.

That’s about it for now. Sometimes I think I must have the most boring blog out there, as it’s usually about day to day life. But I have to say when I go back in days or weeks or months after posting, and re-read my even my activities, it’s a good feeling for me. So if you read, and you think, Lady, get some more interesting content, I’m sorry. Sometimes I will be deeper, and writing about issues and emotions, but sometimes, I just want to record for me, if no one else, these challenging but precious days as a mom of several young ones. They say it goes by so fast - I don’t want to forget.