Bed Rest Perks

Rather than dwelling on the negatives of bed rest-- I'm fairly certain we all know about the negatives-- I'd rather spend some time discussing the perks of being on bed rest. A friend of mine (who also dealt with bed rest) told me a great piece of advice. She said that the easiest way to get through bed rest is to do something that makes you feel like you have accomplished something every day. I am taking her advice to heart!

Art
I can't remember the last time I sat down and created something for myself, just for fun, just because I was inspired. Usually, I just don't have the time. I have lots of ideas, though. Well, I finally have time and an excuse to sit and create. So far, I have made a painting for the master bathroom. I did a technique where I applied puff paint to a canvas-- white on white-- then covered it with thick paint. I then wiped the paint away, leaving only a thin layer of color, which revealed the texture of the puff paint over the canvas. It turned out pretty well. I plan on painting Rocco a firetruck for his room, which I will give him for Christmas. And I plan on creating a couple of artworks for Ruby's room, as well. She needs something personalized and something with a fawn.

Writing
For the past two summers, I have been involved in the Oregon Writing Project. Every morning of the OWP, participants are required to spend time doing some personal writing. It's always great and therapeutic. But I never seem to do it on my own-- I never find the time. I started this blog to allow myself personal writing time, and it has been a good way to help me pass time while on bed rest. It is also therapeutic in the sense that it helps me get out some worries onto paper and out of my head. This process is probably much easier because I am able to "get it out" in a healthy way.

Baths
No showers for this girl. Nope! I get to take a bath-- ALL BY MYSELF-- whenever I want. I can even have bubbles. The last baths I have taken were with Rocco. You can imagine how that goes. He uses my arms and legs as race tracks, I am his target for squirt toys, and it is anything but relaxing. A definite perk of bed rest is bath time.

Peace and Quiet
This is a toughie-- on one hand, the silence and being all alone all day stinks. But, on the other hand, I welcome some time alone in absolute silence. No football on TV, no cartoons, no temper tantrums from the kiddo. Just the windows open with an amazing view and whatever I'm working on at the time. Many people have mentioned to me that maybe being put on bed rest was God's way of allowing me some much-needed calm before Hurricane "Two-Children Under the Age of 3" hits our home. I think this is an excellent way of thinking about it.

Communication
What is the biggest excuse for not staying in touch with people? I'm too busy. Well, I'm not too busy right now. It's been great to just reach out momentarily to chat or email or text loved ones. It makes my day brighter and probably their day brighter, too.

Reading
This goes hand-in-hand with everything else I have listed here-- I just never seem to find the time to read for pleasure. Currently, I am reading two books simultaneously: a novel about Frida Kahlo and The Hunger Games (yes, I am so behind the times, I get it.)

Scrap Booking
Ruby will have an amazing scrap book and baby book! I am making sure to document all of this for her so she knows "her story" when she gets older. I am also using it as blackmail for her angry tween and teen years-- muah ha ha!

Odds & Ends
Hey, are your Christmas cards done? Oh, well, mine are. And it's only November 6th. What will I be doing next week? Writing the thank you cards for my baby shower on Sunday. Recla Farms needs a new logo? On it. Christmas shopping? Two carts full already! This is a great time of year to get those odds and ends taken care of.