thistle epistles

I'm not sure how many people are reading my blog anymore, as comments have dropped to "0"!  I promise I will keep it updated!  :)

April was a busy month.  The students participated in the evangelism module here in Glasgow for a week, which was also a week full of houseguests for us.  Then there were two trips to Inverness for two sets of lectures (more than usual).  A couple friends who were expecting had their babies (congrats to the Beers and the Keddies!). . . a friend got engaged (congrats Jackie!). . . and so on.

I started my antenatal classes.  They have been mildly helpful so far.  There are 12 women in the class and I think probably only two or three of them (including myself) are married.  And I now understand why so many people have told me that I "don't look pregnant" - I definitely have the smallest baby bump by far, even smaller than the women who are due a couple of weeks after me.  I guess it must be because I am tall and I have a long torso?  The other thing I have learned from these classes is that out of 12 women, only myself and one other lady said that we felt positive about the pregnancy/labour/birth experience and didn't really have anything negative to share.  That is sad. . .

The girl who was sitting next to me in class was stunned to find out that I am planning a home birth.  "But you can't have any pain relief!" she gasped.  "Uh, you can TOO," was my response.  Honestly, the midwife brings you your own personal supply of Entenox (gas and air) to use during the labour if you feel like it!!  And you have many other options available as well - the only option not available is the epidural.  How people can be so badly misinformed about a home birth is beyond me.  My reasons for a home birth are simple: 1) I'm not sick, so why should I go to hospital?, 2) I hate hospitals and find them scary, and stress/anxiety does not make your labour progress very well, so I am staying in my own comfortable home where I can have things the way I like it, 3) I am avoiding the risky infection-ridden hospital rooms and corridors, 4) my husband can relax and be a part of our child's birth rather than being treated like he is in the way, 5) I can have the personal attention of two midwives rather than competing for the attention of the on-call midwife in the labour and delivery ward along with however-many-women-decided-to-go-into-labour-that-day. . . . and the list could go on.

My midwife will be making a "home birth assessment" visit to our house tomorrow morning, so I have tried to straighten things up in preparation. 

I made a creamy bacon-and-mushroom carbonara tonight.  It turned out much, much better than my last attempt at carbonara (which was edible but not aesthetically pleasing).  I also have made a couple of surprising simple beef-in-gravy dishes recently which have been quite tasty.  I love it when good beef is affordable!

Very grateful to report that I have had some relief from the pain in my back which plagued my pregnancy up to this point.  The visits to the physiotherapist helped and I find that if I am very careful not to overdo it when I am out and about, and if I rest a lot, that has cut down on the back pain as well.  Now it's my hips that are really acting up, which has slowed me down even further because I can't walk far without pain!  However, I am still trying to stay active and keep up a regular, but gentle, exercise routine.

Today I had the opportunity to go for a lovely walk at Loch Lomond Shores and the Balloch area, with my friend Naomi.  The weather was stunningly beautiful - a lovely, sunny, warm spring day with all the trees in blossom.  Perfect for an outing and a stroll along the river!

April was busy, but this month will be busier still.  David is frantically trying to finish up his three senior-year discourses which must be turned in by the end of this week.  Poor man, he has gotten a nasty infection (it started as an ingrown hair) on his neck which is now excruciatingly painful and swollen.  He is on antibiotics for it but the pain is very intense and has made it very difficult for him to concentrate on writing his papers.  Then he has a preaching engagement on the Isle of Skye in a bit over a week, immediately followed by a five-day stay in Edinburgh for the General Assembly, which is then immediately followed at the end of the month by his last trip to Inverness - for final exams!!

We are eagerly anticipating a visit from David's dad and sister. . . Sarah in particular is planning to stay with us for about ten days at the end of this month, which will be absolutely lovely.  And then my mom is planning to fly over at the end of June to visit for about three weeks, around the time the baby is due!  :)