A splash of color

Driving across Michigan to Grand Rapids can be a very pretty drive. This last weekend, I noticed that there were just a few of the topmost leaves that were beginning to turn color. I love this time of year, because the contrast of the orange or yellow is so much prettier against the dark green background of other leaves and grass. In our neighborhood, there are still plenty of flowers and plants thriving, and it has been wonderful to have it be just a little cooler so that a walk isn't such a chore. The pink impatiens, black-eyed susans, and other flowering plants are so pretty against the green canopies of trees with a hint of fall starting to show. Alright, you get the idea.

On another seasonal note, I find it somewhat alarming that we are entering another season soon. I guess mentally I'm thinking about the ending of pregnancy and the beginning of parenthood coinciding with the winter snows...and the more that time passes and seasons change reminds me that it may not be as far off as I imagine!

I forgot to mention an incident from last weekend - sometimes I read an online pregnancy calendar about what's going on for the week of pregnancy I'm experiencing. While this website was touting that "the second trimester is typically experienced as the most exciting and enjoyable of the three— the morning sickness is gone, you definitely feel and look pregnant, but you’re not yet an overstuffed-lumbering-mammoth" it goes on to say that "you may experience symptoms to varying degrees: dizziness, headache and back pain". I like how these symptoms sound more appealing than the nausea and exhaustion from first trimester...

Which brings me to last weeks episode - bringing dizziness to a whole new level. I had the horrible experience of almost blacking out in church. We were with my sister's family and the church was not air conditioned or ventilated very well and I think I got overheated. I found that I became short of breath and my vision just kept getting darker and darker. I sat down to recover, but thought I was going to end up on the floor very quickly. Ironically, it was my sister who noticed I wasn't looking so good, and not George -- who is usually very perceptive about that kind of stuff. Anyway, she helped me get outside for fresh air and I felt much better after that...but still sort of scary! and somewhat embarrassing...