May 2018 Update
Nope, I actually didn’t disappear! This is just a quick in-between- the-useful-information post to catch you all up on exactly why the Herbal Homeschool has been totally quiet for a few months.
Back at the end of 2017 I thought it would be helpful to do some research on using herbs in pregnancy and begin compiling some blog posts about the concerns & benefits of using herbs in pregnancy. I was going to collect info on why herbs are so useful during pregnancy.
The plan was to write some posts on treating morning sickness/ all day sickness with herbs, using herbs for energy during pregnancy, herbs for stretch marks, preparing your body for labor with herbs, using herbs post-partum, herbs for nursing, etc. Basically make myself and you all a quick reference to pop in and check out when you needed to deal with a pregnancy-related issue. I thought the timing was perfect because my daughter was 7 months old, we were still nursing a ton so my cycle hadn’t come back at all, and I was getting more sleep so I had the energy to put into a good bit of research & writing.
Haha.
Turns out I was pregnant. I started feeling my usual clues (needing a snack at bedtime) around 4 weeks, just as I had with past pregnancies, but totally discounted it. By New Year’s Eve I was getting a bit queasy just eating tortilla chips so I knew something was up for sure. That night I took a test when I got up to nurse my 7 month old, and lo & behold- a bright overwhelming positive before the test line even had a chance to react. Wow. I woke my husband up with our hungry crying baby & told him she seemed out of sorts about something. When he asked what I thought the concern was I told him she was probably freaked out about being a big sister. Not my most elaborate pregnancy announcement, but it still got quite the reaction! We were surprised, a bit overwhelmed & super excited! We trust God’s sovereignty & are ready to accept new additions joyfully as He sees fit to give them. Our latest blessing, little Eli, is due to make his appearance at the end of August/beginning of September.
Fast forward a week or two and I was deep in the trenches of exhaustion, all day nausea, and dealing with a diet of primarily peanut butter toast. I was excited to be able to try some herbal & natural remedies on myself, but after repeatedly trying things only to throw them up a few minutes later, it gets demoralizing & you stop trying.
So yeah. The last 20 some weeks have been a blur of tiredness, nausea, trying to cook & run the house when you don’t feel like moving, my daughter weaning herself, etc. Mix in slipping & breaking my wrist, needing to make & finish a few quilts very quickly, big family events, garden projects that needed to get done, etc. and you can see why it’s been pretty quiet.
Finally finally finally at maybe 21 weeks, meat stopped seeming as repulsive, I have gotten back to enjoying cooking, and I am enjoying this pregnancy somewhat. As we head into summer I will be working hard to make sure that the Herbal Homeschool is a fun, active place to pop in and learn something new about herbs as I continue to learn & experiment with them myself.