It has been unseasonably warm this week, for which I am grateful. It’s been a colder, snowier winter than usual even though it hasn’t been that cold by some standards. Regardless, I am ready to greet the splendor of spring with open arms.
Today I am…
feeling: the familiar softness of an old, favorite t-shirt; the give and stretch of an elastic waistband; breeze through open windows
seeing: my belly expanding, growing; the shrinking pile of pots, pans, and dishes from last night’s dinner
smelling: the glorious, even heavenly, fragrance of my potted hyacinth — it fills the whole house!
tasting: green goodness, pomegranate kefir, eggs, toast with apple butter, grapefruit
hearing: birds outside said open windows; later today, the babbles and squeals of a 16-month old
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. —Jeremiah 1:5a
Pregnancy, as with other major life changes, brings with it a range of emotions. I remember that fateful day in early November… just a normal Tuesday until I took that pregnancy test. The test that was different than all the others before it. I entered the bathroom feeling the weight of inevitability and the disappointment to come. Only it didn’t come. In its place I experienced shock and disbelief followed by waves of shear utter joy and thankfulness followed by more waves of shock and disbelief. I don’t know how long I stood there staring at those two little lines symbolizing the new life growing inside me. Two lines that had previously been so elusive.
In the months that have passed since that day, my emotions have continued to come in waves, up and down. Jeff and I experienced so much joy on the occasions of sharing our big news with family and friends. Yet though the changes in my body confront me daily, I still have moments of disbelief. Is this really happening to me? How can it be that another human being is inside my body?
I stare at my bulging middle, running a hand over my stretching skin, and whisper to the little one within. Hi, baby. How are you doing in there? I hope and pray you are growing strong and getting ready to come out and meet us. We can’t wait to meet you when you’re ready.
The emotion upon hearing that quick, whooshing heartbeat is almost indescribable. Anticipation as the midwife searches with the dopplar. Relief at hearing that strongest indicator of life. Joy in knowing everything is normal. Love for one I haven’t yet met.
Then there is the longing. Longing to feel the first kicks and somersaults from inside. Longing to hold this tiny one in my arms. Longing to know this unique little person.
I’m feeling more and more physically stretched these days, especially after a large meal. Whenever I mention this out loud, Jeff echoes my own thoughts: I’ve still got a very long ways to go yet. I often think of what Mr. Bilbo Baggins said on the occasion of his eleventy-first birthday: “I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread.” Only without the thin part, obviously.
Roo is roughly the size of a bell pepper now at 18 weeks: about 5 1/2 inches long and weighing almost 7 ounces. He/she has doubled in weight over the last two weeks. Do you know about the produce to baby size analogy? It starts at a poppy seed, growing each week until reaching the size of a small pumpkin. It’s a little weird, but honestly provides some nice comic relief as well as a fun way to track baby’s growth.
Unless you’re hiding under a rock, you probably know today is Valentine’s Day. You can’t miss it if you’ve been in any stores lately. Even on Friday the grocery store smelled strongly of roses as soon as I walked in the door. I could hardly see for all the red and pink balloons floating everywhere!
Sure, Valentine’s Day has its cynics as a “Hallmark holiday”—I might even have photo proof from my college days of me and some friends dressed all in black and gray on the day of love. And by “might” I mean definitely.
However, I mainly see February 14th as a day to have some fun expressing love for family and friends around you, no matter what your relationship status. To that end, I want to share some fun e-valentines you can send to the special people in your life… that is if you or they are a public radio fan (as I am).
And my personal favorite, which I already sent to my favorite person:
Also available are…
Valentines courtesy of www.npr.org/valentine.
And it’s raining babies around here. Guess how many baby showers I have this month alone. Four. In one month! That’s not even including the shower I went to last month (for obvious reasons). And it’s only the beginning.
I can only conclude that something’s in the water at our church because the FBC baby boom is just getting started. So far we’ve got two due in March, two in April, one in May, one in June, two in July (including me!), and one in August. That’s nine babies, folks. I’m friends with seven of those eight mamas-to-be, the other being just an acquaintance. Two of them are in my small group. All but one are going to be first-time moms. The nursery is going to be hoppin’.
It’s actually super exciting to have so many women around me going through the same thing at the same time. We compare pregnancy notes and advice, symptoms, and belly growth — it’s our own built-in support group. And once all these bundles of joy arrive, Baby Roo will certainly not lack for playmates!
I watched The Sound of Music for the first time in a long while last month, and I’ve had “My Favorite Things” floating through my head ever since. It just seemed fitting to share some of my current faves with all of you.
Oh, and it probably goes without saying, but, just in case, no, I was not perked in any way to mention any of these products.
Kashi TLC Cheese Crackers (aka the best Cheez-Its EVER)
These bite-sized squares of deliciousness are not a new find for me, but I recently re-appreciated (is that a word?) how good they are. Over our Christmas travels I got some Cheez-Its at a gas station and was sorely disappointed. I realized then just how much I’d gotten used to Kashi’s superior version. Real cheese flavor with just the right amount of seasoning, whole grain goodness, and no artificial ingredients! I think I could eat a whole box in one sitting.
Belly Band
My belly band has been my saving grace these last several weeks. My baby belly has been slowly expanding, not enough for maternity pants, but enough to make regular pants uncomfortable. Enter the belly band—the safe way walk around with your jeans unzipped while no one’s the wiser! I got mine at Target (in white) and will probably pick up at least one more. I actually bought my first maternity pants this week, and the belly band will help extend the length of my normal shirts after I no longer need it to keep my pants from falling down.
Trader Joe’s Cheddar Cheese Sticks
So yeah, I’m back to another food item—and another cheese item at that. Good thing cheese is a pregnancy superfood! I don’t like mozzarella string cheese so these cheddar sticks are the perfect quick snack for a protein pick-me-up. Mmmmm…
Bones
I got hooked on Bones last year after hearing it shared a lot of similarities with Castle, one of my favorite shows on TV. Netflix has all the seasons on streaming so I thought I’d just try out a couple episodes. Well, we just started season 5. Yep, I got Jeff hooked too. Hopefully we’ll be able to catch up on season 6 (the current season) in time to start season 7 with everyone else next fall. Can you say addicted?
Yoga Pants
I don’t think I’ve talked about the glories of elastic quite enough yet. I’ve quickly learned that elastic is a pregnant woman’s best friend. But seriously, who doesn’t love yoga pants, pregnant or not? I don’t think there could be a more comfortable piece of woman’s clothing. Who’s with me?
Green Goodness/Green Machine
Yeah, I like food. You got me. I bought a giant bottle of Naked’s Green Machine smoothie at Sam’s Club last month and have been hooked ever since. Well, actually, I switched to Bolthouse’s Green Goodness, but they are practically the same thing. Yeah, it looks weird, but it tastes great; I always feel so good after my morning glass. It’s a little on the expensive side, but I consider it a pregnancy indulgence/investment.
What have you been digging lately?
