Three things jump out at me when I see this picture from Sunday:
1. I look tired. (Accurate portrayal. At 39+ weeks, I’m exhausted.)
2. My son’s face! Goofiest smile ever!
3. Daniel’s beard is OUT OF CONTROL.
Pregnancy Update:
Nothing exciting to report. Well, being this close to having a new beautiful baby is certainly exciting! But nothing dramatic to report. Baby Gwen seems mighty comfortable in there despite the intense Braxton-Hicks I keep having every couple of days. It’s unlikely that you’ll see me with makeup or wearing anything but stretchy, comfy pajamas until this baby arrives. Sorry, world. My midwife says I’m 1cm. dilated but that labor doesn’t look imminent. Waaaaaah! My plan is to pull out all my natural induction methods tonight when the kids go to their grandparent’s house starting with a spicy food dinner date with Daniel followed by a long walk and sitting on the birthing ball while eating tons of pineapple and massaging the labor-inducing acupressure points on my feet. If nothing happens over the weekend, I’ll make an appointment on Monday with my acupuncturist. No castor oil for this gal, though, unless my only other option is Pitocin! Apart from the discomfort of being absurdly pregnant, I just really want to meet this little lady! C’mon, baby carrot!
On the Homestead:
Tomatoes everywhere! I am having the hardest time letting them ripen instead of just frying them green and gobbling them up.
The layers are all laying now! So there’s beautiful eggs everyday. I need to take pictures of each of our ladies and introduce them to you!
Reading: I finished North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell from my 2013 Reading Goals as well as A Biblical Walk Through the Mass. I started Wives and Daughters (also by Gaskell) and we’re almost done reading The Hobbit aloud to four-year-old Benjamin which has been so fun!
The Quotable Lucy:
“Toast, Charles! Toast!” Yes, we begin indoctrinating our children with Brideshead Revisited as early as possible.
The Quotable Benjamin:
On The Phantom Menace: “This is boring. Can we watch the REAL Star Wars now?” (We were so proud.)
Links:
Who Gets to Say How Many Children You Should Have? Kitchen Stewardship
Catholic. Nuff Said. Bad Catholic
How to Subscribe to Blogs (Or, why you shouldn’t panic about Google Reader’s demise) Simple Mom
(p.s. After trying both Bloglovin’ and Feedly, I officially like Feedly best. The mobile app is awesome.)
And I spent some time this week updating the archives so if you’ve been trying to hunt down an old post, hopefully it will be easier now!
Excuse me because a miracle is happening: both kids are napping AT THE SAME TIME! (I know!!!) This pregnant mama is going to jump on the chance for a nap! Have a wonderful weekend!
Love,
Haley
P.S. You can also follow me on Twitter (@haleycarrots), Pinterest (haleyofcarrots), FB, and Instagram (carrotsformichaelmas). I love connecting with my wonderful readers!
P.P.S. Has anyone seen Gatsby yet? Is it worth the price of a movie ticket? I might need something to distract myself from the fact that I haven’t gone into labor yet…
I am praying that Gus is one day as wise as Benjamin! Such a good quote!
Summer said “It was good, but not worth the price of a movie ticket.” And it’s her favorite book.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who prefers feedly! I also highly approve of indoctrinating children on Brideshead (and I haven’t even finished it yet…). Hoping you go into labor this weekend!
I have loved following you on this pregnancy journey. I am due on the 20th with no signs if labor in site. This is #5 so I thought I would be more dilated but I too am at 1cm. Good luck on your birth and I look forward to seeing baby carrot.
Thank you, Pam! Prayers for your sweet baby! Maybe we’ll be laboring the same day?
I stepped into Gatsby last week after seeing Mud (which was really good, by the way). The ten minutes of Gatsby that I saw, on the other hand, were Ghastly. The Great Ghastly. I couldn’t believe how sickening it was. Sure, the director may have been portraying FSF’s critique of the roaringness of the twenties. Sure, it did make me never want to drink or have fun again. But c’mon. It was silly and way over the top (don’t get me started about the 3D — what are we all children? Aren’t we even pretending anymore to be adults who enjoy adult things?). Anachronistic — but that isn’t even fair to say, because he clearly wasn’t going for that. Maybe, sadistic is more accurate. Don’t go. Unless you want to the horror of the whole thing to throw you into labor. But do go see something! You’re about to be home-bound for a good while. My ped used to always tell me, “GO see a lot of movies before this baby comes!” Sage advice. Good luck!!
Thanks, Alexandra! Maybe I’ll wait to watch it on redbox or netflix. To be honest….I’ve never really liked the book, so I’m not sure why I find the movie so intriguing. I did take your advice about going to see something and we got our nerd on and went to see Star Trek which was…what one would expect. Fun, but nothing to write home about 🙂
Oh, Haley! The first thing I thought when I saw that picture was that you look tired…beautiful and tired! I so remember that end of pregnancy exhaustion. You can do it!! Gwen will be here before you know it and these next few weeks will be such a blip in your memory. And she will come. Every woman’s body is so different in how fast it dilates so those checks mean next to nothing. If you’ve been having all that practice labor, that’s a GREAT sign that when it’s time and you and she are both ready and positioned well, labor will be quicker. Prayers for a beautiful, healthy birth! And yes, get yourself out to a movie 🙂
Thanks for the encouragement, Mary! I needed to hear all of that!
Dear Haley, you are so beautiful! No wonder you are exhausted with those two gorgeous children – maybe now is the time to play quiet time, coloring or reading in a big comfy chair instead of more active play. Ask friends to have your kids over for play dates so that you can nap.
On going into labor: get to a quiet place and ask Gwen to come now. Tell her you are letting her go and she will be safe and very loved, and that your arms ache to hold her. Ask God to let her come now, and tell God that you have prepared well and will be the best mother Gwen could ever have. Good luck to you Honey, sending prayers.
Thanks for the prayers, Katherine!
I love the idea of a virtual meet and greet of the chickens. I should totally do that too!
It would be super fun, right?!
I heard that chai tea can induce contractions, so I had one for the first time in my pregnancy at 39 weeks and the next day–bam!–labor. It’s probably just an old wives tale, but if you enjoy a good chai, it couldn’t hurt:)
Hey! Why not?! Chai is delicious. I’ll pick some up tomorrow 🙂
I hope Gwen comes soon and that her arrival is smooth and peaceful! Keeping you in my prayers.
Thanks, Deirdre!
Sounds like you have your hands full! I understand tired and can totally relate to your recent post “A Picture of the Incarnation on my Kitchen Floor,” as I’m 29 weeks pregnant and feeling those third trimester emotions. Hope all goes well and prayers for a safe delivery.
The pregnancy hormones are crazy, aren’t they!? Thanks for your prayers!
I am SO excited for you! The end of pregnancy is the WORST! The unpredictability can be so difficult to wrestle with, but I’m a planner, so maybe that’s just me. 😉
Good luck with everything!!!! I’ll definitely be thinking of you these next couple weeks. 🙂
Aww, thanks Lindsay! Yes, the unpredictability is hard. And all the Braxton-Hicks make it confusing to tell if I’m pre-laboring or just having a normal day. Soon, though!
I love the pic of the family – you look great.
Can’t believe tomatoes are growing in parts of the US right now… (well, I can, but as a resident of Michigan’s UP it’s just kind of depressing). We were eating green tomatoes at the *end* of the season last year!
Take care, I’ll be thinking of you as you welcome Gwen into the outside world! 🙂
Thank you, Steph!
We’ve even got some tomatoes that are almost ripe! I’ve always lived in the south so I can’t imagine things being any other way, haha. But then, I know most folks would think our summers are unbearable.
I agree – you look beautiful! Tired is perfectly appropriate.
Just saw the new Star Trek movie, and I was impressed. Fun action (minus the obligatory throw-away scene), thoughtful plot, and even some real-live morality thrown in! Plus there were plenty of parts that made me jump… Maybe that could trigger some real contractions!
You are so sweet, Jennifer. We saw it, too! Definitely enjoyable but maybe not as good as the first one? Benedict whats-his-name (cumberbatch? cumbersnatch? I can’t ever remember) is always great!
I did not think Gatsby was worth the price of a ticket- but this coming from the girl who sees one movie every few years. My biggest complaint is that the music was terrible. Absolutely terrible. Definitely see it when it comes out, but spend your $8 on something else. 🙂
We go to movies once in a blue moon, too. Last time we went was on Christmas Day to see Les Mis and before that I think it was the 8th HP movie. Sure makes it exciting when we actually go, though!
I love North and South!! My Brit Lit professor got me into it back in college and I try to read it every couple of years. Such great characters! How did you like it?
I’m still working on Biblical Walk Through the Mass as I really want to take my time and not just read it to be done with it. I’m amazed at how many Jewish traditions are in the Mass. So many things to learn out of it and I try to remember them all at Mass and educate my non-Catholic husband.
I really enjoyed North and South. One of my favorite professors in college passed away last summer and she was a Gaskell scholar so I’m trying to read all the Gaskell novels in her memory. I read Cranford last year which was fun but North and South is definitely better! Have you seen the miniseries that’s streaming on Netflix? I haven’t watched it since reading the book but as I remember it, it’s very faithful to the novel.
Yes, I love the miniseries on Netflix! The actors do a wonderful job of being true to the characters of Margaret and Mr. Thornton as Gaskell designed them. I need to read more Gaskell 🙂
You know if you take a very warm shower or have a glass of wine false labor contractions will slow down. If it’s real labor it will intensify. Sending prayers…