I have found that being pregnant at age 46 while being a mother to a spirited four-year old is a nine-month exercise in patience and physical stamina. Visits to the playground are daily. If you live in an apartment, it’s a must. Once there, I am required to lift, play hide and see, play chase, push, hoist, balance, catch, maneuver, and squat.  Although it’s good exercise for me and the baby, I make myself do it so my daughter doesn't miss out on the ordinary. However, dealing with a four year old is anything but ordinary. It is a non-stop art of negotiation, battle of the wills, and role of teacher/mentor/disciplinarian/.  I have never needed to have more patience in my life. And the patience needs to last all day. That isn’t to say that tempers don’t flare, especially at night-time. My strategy is to remind myself that all this goes with the territory of parenting a four year-old.  But when you add 46 year-old third trimester pregnancy to the pot, it gets interesting. Baby seems to enjoy the endless action and perseverance because it kicks a lot all day long.  Yet I struggle to find moments throughout the day when I can just sit down and still be a fun mom. My daughter is actually quite supportive of my situation. She is ready to grab the cushions whenever we set out do an activity in the apartment like painting, coloring, or arts and crafts. She is ahead of the game and gets me comfortable.  Even then, I find it difficult to bend over to engage in the activity. The huge stomach stops me mid way. And getting up off the ground is another story. But I refuse to be inactive, as hard as it is. And it is hard. I mean this must be the physically hardest time in my life.  Knowing that millions of women throughout time have gone through and go through multiple child-rearing is my inspiration.  And I by no means have a single complaint. I am merely reflecting on the condition and state I find myself in. It’s something new for me.  Yes, I’d have to say that patience and physical stamina are the two things that I muster up the most each day. My daughter is my biggest inspiration really. She makes me keep up the good stuff. Chasing Prairie is my life’s best work