PLANNING THE OFF-GRID BIRTH.

At thirty-four weeks, the baby could come today. Or tomorrow. Or not for ten more weeks––the baby's keeping pretty mum about it. But either way, we're feeling ready. Most importantly, Hannah is feeling ready.We've spent the last couple of weeks gathering all of the cloth diapers and wipes and towels and head lamp batteries and candles we need for the home birth–-that is, a birth in our off-grid cabin. We have a lot of back up water in jugs (because we ran out of money to finish our water system this fall–-I hate to sound like the Cubs fan I am here, but, you know, maybe next year). We've read a lot and watched the birthing videos. We've done everything our midwife has suggested. Hannah has eaten well––lots of protein and leafy greens––and stayed active. The only thing we're missing is birthing music, holding out in hopes that there will be Christmas music playing on some local radio station. Otherwise, it'll probably be NPR. Or UK basketball.We are as ready as any two kids can be and like I said, Hannah feels good and confident. I am absolutely honored to have such a tough woman willing to carry and birth our baby under these conditions. And not only willing, but excited. She has dealt with a hot, dry summer––no air conditioning. She's done almost every market delivery by herself so I could stay home and farm. She's milked the cow and insisted upon it. Hannah is such a trooper, such an inspiration. And I am a lucky man to have her.So with that being said, I say bring it on, little baby, we're ready for you.- Jesse.

A DAY IN THE LIFE: MIDWIFE VISIT.

Thursday August 21.5 a.m.Now that the sun isn't coming up until around to 5:45, we're having to use an alarm clock again. The alarm goes off, but the soreness of my body makes me ignore it. There is a possibility I am getting the cold that everyone else got (and that I gloated about not getting). In an unrelated note, there is no hour too early for karma.5:30 - 5:45 a.m.After laying in bed for thirty minutes wondering if I'm sick or not––and concluding that I may just be tired from a ridiculous amount of labor the day before, not willing to concede to the cold just yet––I decide to get up and feed the turkeys. I enjoy this chore as the turkeys all make this sort of vibrating cooing sound in the morning that I'm pretty sure proves they're dinosaurs. Somehow.5:45 - 7 a.m.Get fire going, writing, breakfast.7 -7:30 a.m.I leave to do our neighbor's chores while he's out of town, a privilege of trust I am forever honored to be a part of. On the ride over I listen to a story on NPR about the photo journalist James Foley who was beheaded by ISIL. I just have to think that no God would be anything short of embarrassed and saddened by a group of people who would do such a thing in what they feel is God's name. Someone needs to check their copies of the Quran for some serious misprints.7:30 - 8 a.m.More writing and begin preparation for our trip to see our midwife.8 - 10:30 a.mWe make the hour drive to the place where we meet the midwife and spend about an hour talking about the baby, and telling our stories of feeling it kick, among many other baby related and non baby-related things. The midwives tell Hannah how well she's doing, because it's true. She's healthy, she's eating right, getting her exercise, drinking her water and doing everything she can to bring a healthy child into the world. And I'm so proud and so lucky to have her.At the end of the meeting we all team up to move a new futon into their office. Part of our deal is that we're trading veggies and work for a portion of our midwife fee. And we're thankful for that, because good luck finding a hospital willing to barter.10:30 - 12 p.m.Because we're insane and still keep up this blog thing despite our lack of electricity, we have to take every opportunity we're in town to use the internet. But, in doing so, we find out that our fee for the web host is due, and that it's going to be $228. That smarts, and makes our "blog thing" even more insane as it leaves us with about $200 left in the bank total. To add a cherry to this mess, I discover one article I've been working on for the 31st, is actually due tomorrow. I guess when it rains it pours... stupidness.12 - 2:30 p.m.Did I mention I was coming down with a cold, because by lunch I've pretty much confirmed that's what it is. I'm coming down with a cold and that is why after lunch––grilled hamburgers, of course, for the baby––I take an extended nap. In fact, it was such a nap Hannah even takes over the walking-Wendell-to-the-mailbox duty for the day.2:30 - 3 p.m.Our nearby neighbors Ed and Jackie, who are some of the most delightful people I know, bring over some biodynamically-grown pears (which my computer does not recognize as a word) for us to bring to market on Saturday. So if you need some delicious pears, we'll see you in Nashville, uh, a few days ago by the time this hits the blog.3 - 4 p.m.#goatmoving4 - 5:30 p.m.I'm not usually a procrastinator, so I'm not used to having to produce work on the fly. But I sit down and knock out the bulk of the article in this period and am left feeling almost disappointed in how well it goes. I do not need to know I can wait until the last minute to do good work. That's all sorts of dangerous.5:30 - 6 p.m.I put in some work on another hugel bed, but I remember that a) I'm supposed to go pick beans at a neighbor's house and b) I don't feel all that well and should probably not be working so hard in humid, ninety-five degree heat.6 - 7 p.m.Bean picking. Some of our old-timey neighbors planted way more beans than they could ever use and have invited us to pick "a mess" whenever we wanted. So I pick us a mess.7 - 9:30Dinner and a movie. This time it's "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" which, as a Wes Anderson fan herself, I was surprised to learn Hannah hadn't seen. She realized she must have been in Italy when it came out where Wes Anderson is banned (after no research at all this turns out to be patently false).9:30 - 10 p.m.A little more work on the article. I will get more time in the morning, but there is no guarantee the cold I ignored all day won't punish me, and my work, by sun-up.10 p.m.Bed.- Jesse.