F*ck bed rest: side yard update

I used to scoff at the idea of bed rest. There are all these reports debunking the claim that bed rest is the go-to solution for a difficult pregnancy. And raised by my mother who runs 365 days a year, whether healthy or sick, pregnant or unencumbered, bed rest isn’t something I take lying down.

But since my left leg is strangely in intense pain and I have to rest it, and since I’m not coordinated enough to hop around on one foot while moving rocks and installing sprinklers, I’ve been humbly asking Josh to be my hands and feet for my do-it-yourself shenanigans so I can take it easy[ish] on my body.

No small feat for a prideful, stubborn woman with a penchant for changing her mind and an ambitious attitude for what she can accomplish all by herself. In fact, it took a lot of hours of me hopping around the yard removing a fence and shrubs and plants and lifting heavy slate stones before Josh violently intervened.

Here are some photos chronicling the progress of our side yard.

Side yard before. The previous owners actually paid someone to landscape this as such.

Side yard step 1: tearing out plants and shrubs I don’t like and forging a path

Side yard step 2: installing the arch, buying slate stepping stones, leveling dirt.

I disassembled and freecycled the chain-link fence that was there before. I assembled this arch. And I selected the slate stepping stones (all by myself I might add). Josh removed the old concrete stepping stones and drove  the arch into the ground. And when I decided to change the arch location by 17 inches, Josh re-erected the damn thing for me and didn’t ask too many questions.

Josh smoothed the pathway and will design and install sprinkler system. I planted some plants and will be planting more soon.

And he only yelled at me to rest about 3 times a day. He’s my hero. Good thing I’ve already paid him off with all these spawn.