Deep slow breaths. One of the many strategies I’ve been taught as I prepare for labor. Lucky for me the practice of slow breaths has been grounding me not just in pregnancy but in the everyday surprises and at times chaos that has become our lives before baby.
Most of this we have brought on ourselves, garden, chickens, a new puppy. But surprisingly those big things have brought a simplicity to everyday life. We have settled into a routine of letting chickens out of the coop at 7, taking the puppy on his walk around the perimeter of his “gaurd” area, feeding all the animals, and sitting quietly in the coop watching puppy and chickens as they build their bonds. Then it repeats all in reverse at night. It can be quiet and calming most days, a welcome routine that brings structure, stillness and space to breathe. Not to mention early morning routines provide escape from the blazing Oklahoma heat as well.
However simple routines feel more chaotic in the pouring rain. The first drops are welcome. They cool the air and bring relief to the garden and to this VERY pregnant lady. But soon, the cool rain feels like it’s bringing more than just relief. Specifically, in our case it brought mud and mold. It started last week with a small chip in some paint. A weekend girls project of painting the nursery turned into scrapping paint off walls to uncover tiny spots of mold hiding underneath. (Apparently, mold is not the best for lungs or new babies.) So a simple project turned into pulling up baseboards, then tile, then subfloor, then joist…. All to find a small river and pond of water sitting under the house. Not what we expected weeks before baby, a room of mud and mold and lots of unplanned chaos around us.
And so I’m reminded of those slow, steady breaths. Reminded to find stillness and peace among the many things that are out of my control. Reminded that I can choose to be grateful even when I think it’s the last feeling I can find. And reminded that from the uncontrolled will come something new, something beautiful, both to the physical structure of our home and the very soon addition of new life to our family.
nothing handles mud like overalls
(we still think its just a little leak)
maybe more than we expected
the start of something new
Baby’s going to have the best room in the house😀
Space Between 