after completing the required two weeks on bed rest, my symptoms returned. as i have told people repeatedly, such trouble comes any time i pick up the pace, even slightly. i remain on moderate bed rest and kenn and i are preparing for me to spend the remainder of the pregnancy this way. i am very happy to be at 28 weeks already, but it still leaves a lot of time left in these challenging circumstances. so much of the "usual" has to be adjusted. we need new kinds of strength for these days. and there's a lot that we have to give up.
it is helpful to not only know that others have gone through this but to hear their own stories. i found a couple of books online where i have only read a few pages, and i have read a bit of online journals telling individuals' experiences with bed rest in pregnancy, and all of these have brought comfort. what has also been valuable is taking inventory of all that i can celebrate now. thanksgiving.
today i cried when i read from one blogger's notes how happy she was that her major complications in pregnancy happened during her third and not her first pregnancy. if circumstances were reversed, she believes she may not have braved having more children. it was a perspective that i hadn't considered for myself. i had certainly considered how much harder it is this time around, being eleven years older with a body "altered" by two other pregnancies and having three children to care for. what would my stance on four babies have been if my first pregnancy wasn't so completely serene? ah, perspective! i cannot know the full measure of purpose for this season we're in nor the perfection of the timing of it all, but gratitude enables me to imagine.
here are a few things i've been thankful for today:
another baby who's life is already a blessing
water
a husband who listens well and selflessly serves
a husband who deeply engages his children
the ability to write
a laptop
surprise rainshowers
revelation
healthy sugar levels
a new neighbor
a mom who is lightening the housework load
clean clothes
grace
a comfortable chair and a cozy bed
the power of story
three pregnancies without bed rest
three phenomenal children
God's plans to use me to bless others
green leaves that fill the view from my window
the care of friends
an assuring conversation
a prayer answered
the Psalms
good food in the cabinets and fridge
2 comments:
I love your attitude of gratitude, and how you're counting your blessings in the midst of this trial. I had two VERY rough pregnancies, with one premature birth (he's six and healthy now, PTL!) and so I can empathize--though not entirely--with your struggles. Keep writing, and keep seeking the Father. He's obviously giving you many treasures in the darkness. Blessings to you--and thanks for joining up with us at The High Calling!
dena, i appreciate that you came, commented, encouraged and shared how you relate in the miracle of your boy.
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