An undesired "vacation"

The last 5 1/2 weeks have been very different. This pregnancy has me in a non-functional state moreso than any of the other pregnancies, and I've been realizing lately just how little I've done since I started getting sick. For instance,

Things I have NOT done in the last 5 1/2 weeks:

*Cooked a meal

*Done a load of laundry

*Menu planned or grocery shopped

*Washed a load of dishes

*Taken a complete shower without having to cut it short to be sick

*Read my Bible (or any other book, for that matter)

*Completed a full homeschool lesson with my daughter

*Kept on top of paying bills on time (yes, with frustrating consequences)

*Enjoyed food of any sort (and those who know me well know that this may be the hardest blow of all!)

*Gone to church...and I miss everyone


Things I HAVE done over the last 5 1/2 weeks:

*"Tossed the cookies" upwards of 300 times

*Begged the Lord to make it stop

*Begged my husband to make it stop

*Spent many days literally going from my bed to the bathroom and back, all day

*Slept an average of 12 hours a night (one way to make the days feel slightly shorter)

*Developed a new level of gratitude for family and friends who have graciously stepped in with help---bringing meals, watching my kids, and encouraging me in general

*Increased my love and appreciation for my husband, who is having to sacrifice in a very real way this pregnancy. After long days of physical work, he's come home to do all my jobs as well. Not only has he taken on full care of the children, but he's done a marvelous job keeping up with our home (far better than I do!). And he's also helped my mental state by organizing parts of our home that I never thought would be done, like the garage, the office, and more. Once everything is perfect around here, I'll stop faking my sickness. :)



Anyway, I'm not sure of all that the Lord is trying to teach me during this difficult phase, but I do know that He has given me a season to slow down, like it or not. It's hard for this list-making, task-oriented person to let my life completely stop, but I've had no choice. And it's amazing to see at what a basic level we can actually function. Many of the daily things that I thought were non-negotiable have become impossible to do, and I'm seeing that for a time, we can still survive without them.

And for those of you who have stepped in to make this time more bearable for us, I thank you so much. You are the reasons my children have neither starved nor maimed each other out of boredom. Maybe we'll name the baby after you.