Raise your hand if....

If you have been pregnant and considered taking castor oil to induce labor I'm pretty sure you are not alone. OK wait, I am certain you are not because I did this very thing just yesterday and I've heard horror stories of millions on line and in real life, so why did I do it? Well...I was 2 weeks overdue w/my first pregnancy and didn't do it because I was afraid. However, my last visit w/the midwife she said I could try it along w/lots of nipple stimulation and there would be a good chance of getting labor going! So... I checked out the castor oil at Wal-mart, on my way home, and it looked harmless.. just a natural laxative that should produce movement of the bowels 6-12 hrs. after ingestion, is all the label had to say. And since Trevor was looking at for sure having to be back at work the first week of Dec., despite the availabillity of 7-8 weeks of paid leave, just due to the timing of some important things I figured, what the heck, the sooner I have a baby the more time I get my husband home to help! So.... yesterday afternoon around 1 p.m. I mixed myself a friendly-enough looking castor oil and grape juice cocktail, drank it (like drinking canola oil and grape juice) and figured Trevor would be home in time if anything were to go awry. Ha ha.... ok the 6-12 hrs thing is more like 60-120 mins? Within an hour I had cramps (not contractions, that would be your uterus, and this was for sure my intestines!!) and felt sick to my stomach. So, I turned on some movies for Bennett and just laid in bed for 2 hrs. feeling like I was back on my mission doubled over in a McDonald's bathroom w/"you know what" kind of problems! Around 4:30 pm I felt ok again and life resumed as normal w/no baby or contractions or anything dramatic for that matter! Bennett and I hit the beach (ooo we love Oceanside!!) where Trevor joined us after work and we had an unpredictably pleasant evening! After I shared my castor oil experience/let down w/Trevor he informed me that he no longer has a time constraint on when he returned to work so there really wasn't any need to have the baby any sooner! Ha ha.. wish I would've known that at 1 p.m.! But o-well I am sure I would have tried it at some point anyway! So... end result? I am still pregnant due in 12 days, wouldn't mind going into labor now since I'm just tired of it but I think I might be getting a spiritual/physical 2nd wind because I am feeling more capable of making it to the end today than I was a few days ago! Maybe its the near 100 bucks I've recently dropped on things to make me feel good about myself! i.e. eyebrow wax, manicure, pedicure and a haircut. None of which have made significant improvements but at least I feel a little more pulled together for a big event that is imminent! I've also been focusing more on morning personal prayer. I can't even begin to say how that has changed the day to day happenings of the Covington house! I haven't been really consistent w/that habbit post-mission, not sure why... the day just usually gets going before I do so I am out of control from the second I get out of bed! Ha ha... and Bennett still gets going before I do but I am just finding quiet moments in the morning to pray and wow. I have had fewer of those "I just can't handle this" moments and overall life has been more pleasant! So... that's a little excerpt from my life as of late. Here are a few pics including ones I've been not wanting to post of our home but I'm giving in to the fact that I am not really going to decorate or beautify much until I've recovered from pregnancy and child birth! So here you go!
Who thinks I've got another 10 lb baby hiding there???


This is my "lets push this thing out face", just getting ready.. 12 days to go.... =)



Part of the master bedroom.. no decorations, anywhere!






Part of the kids messy room (looks a little better now)



Kitchen shot



Family room shot...





Bennett hiding in a box of stuffed animals.. home sweet home!