Roses and Peonies and Daisies oh my! Week four of the One Room Challenge had me seeing through rose colored glasses all week. Putting up Vienna Rose's floral wallpaper was not easy to say the least. Halfway through the ORC in week 4 and halfway through my pregnancy at week 20 is surreal. The energy is there but the pain and soreness afterwards sucks. I felt like I had a 3 hour training session sparring the day after I put up the ceiling wallpaper. I felt strong but thought to myself "There I was, feeling sick, nervous, and overwhelmed almost 20 weeks ago, and now I'm here, doing this special room with Baby V inside of me... it's wild".
When I decided to take a break from seeing clients a little over a month ago, I felt guilty. I never thought I would need a break. I saw countless women in my life trudge along during pregnancy as best they could, some working until the very end safely, some working against doctor's wishes and some needing bed rest. I wondered who I was going to be. At this point I am now, I am glad I took a break. Most of my family and friends who know I am participating as a guest in the #ORCAT will say I didn't stop working (of course because I am constantly painting, sanding, wallpapering and building), but in my head, not working for a client meant I wasn't working anymore. Sure I still do physical labor everyday, but I realized that mental labor was more intense on my body than physical. I needed to release the stress I was feeling in order to feel better. As my body was changing and growing, I needed to lighten the mental load in order to bear the physical load. This enlightenment led me to the enjoyment of building this nursery closet for our child during this past month. It was as if I started to see the world more clearly instead of feeling trapped inside myself.
This week gave me a sense of calm as I was surrounded by the floral wallpaper . I was in my own little corner in my own little world, safe from all of the noise outside. I was able to finish the furthest part of the wall near the shelf and clothing bar and the ceiling and slant of the above tenant's staircase. This was the hardest part. Kneeling, bending, and twisting were difficult but not impossible. I took breathers when I needed to and pushed forward to finish even if it was ten o'clock at night. I don't like to leave things undone but sometimes of course we must for own health and safety. For example, one day this week I had a tantrum because the HVAC people showed up unannounced and ruined my day, I put everything down and went for lunch with Brian instead. I guess Vienna was hungry and we both needed to eat before I started working again. I've learned to listen to my body instead of ignoring it like I used to. I'm not thinking of just myself anymore.
When we got home, I put up the molding in the closet with a 1 inch nail stapler and trimmed the excess wallpaper underneath. I still need to cut one piece smaller because of my mistaken measurement at Home Depot, but 90% of it on the left wall is done. I can't decide if I want to paint it the same color as the walls or leave it bare with my light wood boho theme. The other light wood decor comes from baskets and the pretty wood flower mirrors and shelving that my brother bought for me in Target. He was supposed to come and help me put them up on Friday, but apparently I had a Sonogram appointment at the Maternal Fetal Medicine Doctor that I didn't know about and had to cancel our plans. When I received the email reminder about the appointment, I thought it was a mistake. I don't remember them making one but it's important to have a fetal echo when you begin taking insulin, or have a history of diabetes in your family. All of this is very new to me so bear with me and my loose medical translations. Since I had no notice of this appt, Brian could not leave work early, so I was able to take my Grandma with me. It was such a special and wonderful experience for her to be able to see her first great-grandchild and her first sonogram since they didn't have any when she was pregnant! It truly was a great day to spend together that was not planned and I will treasure it forever.
Did you know that your grandmother carried part of you inside her womb? A female fetus is born with all of the eggs she will ever have in her lifetime so when your grandma was carrying your mother, you were a tiny egg in your mother's ovaries. This makes you realize how connected your family generations are to one another. It's magical.
While at the Doctor with Grammy, I also found out that I have a low-lying placenta, which usually will move by the third trimester. If it doesn't, they limit your activity and may have to deliver the baby via c-section. For now, I will continue to listen to my body and finish Baby Room while I still can. If I have to lessen my workload, I'm glad I already began the process. No matter what, I will keep my Rose Colored glasses on as much as I can. This process is truly amazing both inside and out.
xoxo-Jacqueline
Comments