A fellow mommy blogger left a comment on my recent post about being in the end days of my pregnancy that made me feel that I gave too negative an impression about my views of pregnancy...I didn't mean to if so! This particular pregnancy has been pretty tough but thinking through everything that has happened I realize that all of the tough things I've gone through have been pretty great at the same time. Let's see...
* I spent the first 4 months throwing up every day. The only way to spin this in a positive light is that it kept me from gaining any weight for the first half of my pregnancy and has left me in pretty good shape weight wise. This is especially great as I started out much heavier than I should have been which has probably been the cause of much of my discomfort (back problems mostly) during this pregnancy. Also, I really got a chance to learn a lot about suffering and offering up my suffering.
* At the 20 week ultrasound they said I had a possibility of placenta previa. I was told there was a possibility of modified activity level or bed rest. As much as I tried not to I worried about that for about 2 months until they re-checked me. But at the recheck everything was just fine - the placenta had moved up and I was in the clear. Additionally, this was the ultrasound where I truly and completely fell in love with this baby. His cheeks are so huge and I can't wait to kiss them!!
*My co teacher fell and broke her hip leaving me to run the show. I had a string of different helpers in the classroom leaving it impossible to create any feeling of consistency and the class was a little tough as a result. The upside on this one is a little tough to find though but I know that it was a good experience for me. I learned a lot and feel that one day I will be more prepared to take on a bigger role in teaching a class. Also, the one consistent teacher that we did have every Monday is becoming a good friend. She goes to my church and has signed up to do the Bible study with me on Fridays. I look forward to getting to know her even better!
*I had an incident where I thought I was having pre-eclampsia that scared me. It ended up being nothing more than a migraine.
*Then came the arm incident! I was in a sling for two and half weeks without use of my right arm. What is good about that? Well, it was the excuse that I needed to convince myself to slow down, take it easier and spend more cherished time with my two little daughters who are about to lose a lot of my attention for a few months! It showed me the face of Jesus through my fellow parishioners at church. And I got meals for a few weeks - not bad when you're 8 months pregnant! Cooking is the last thing I ever want to do these days!
*And then there was earlier this week when I was having cramping, contractions and nausea and was sure I was going in to early labor. I spent two frustrating days in the hospital. Frustrating because I was always waiting on one doctor or another to make some decision about my staying or going. If I had ever known what was going on at any given moment, it would have been a nice little break! I mean, I did get to spend two days in bed with all of my meals brought directly to me and no chores to do! There were some minor things that needed to be cleared up - unrelated to the pregnancy itself yet affecting it at the same time. I was not in labor and as has been the case all along, this baby is just fine!
All in all, I'd say God was in control of every situation and made good of it in some way. I love feeling the little one move around inside of me. It's especially fun right now since my stomach looks like a wave pool when he moves. I love how nice people are to pregnant women! I love seeing how excited the girls are about their brother. I love how Me Too thinks the only way she can talk to the baby is to lift up my shirt and talk with her mouth smashed up to my belly button. I love how attracted my dear husband is to me when I'm gigantic (Big Bear pronounces this word - jijantic and continually tells me just how jijantic my stomach is) even though I have no idea how this can be the case! And I love being a part of such a special part of God's plan for this world - bringing this little one into it and raising him to serve God in whatever way He is supposed to one day.
Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts
Friday, November 16, 2007
4 Weeks!!!! Ack!
4 weeks from today I'll probably be in the process of moving from recovery to my room in the post partum unit. If it's anything like last time, I'll be begging every medical person I see to bring me my baby because a 2 second flash on the way to the nursery is not enough time to see this little person you've been dying to see for so long! They took way too long getting Me Too to my room when I had her so I'm hoping that this experience will go a little differently. Of course, having just spent 2 days in the hospital earlier this week with some minor little complications, I am not expecting anything to happen too quickly. Hospitals are definitely not "on demand" type of places!
While we will remain open to life if God should so choose to bless us again, I know that my husband and I, at this point, are feeling like our family is complete. This could change of course but it is leaving me with the feeling that I need to cherish every moment of this last month of pregnancy...but in reality, I am not. I can't find a comfortable position to sleep in during the short bathroom breaks that I have throughout the night. I can't find a comfortable position to sit in at meals or the computer or the couch! I'm so completely mentally and physically exhausted all of the time. I walk slower than my coworker who is 69 and just returned from breaking her hip. In fact, last weekend husband and I went Christmas shopping and he commented that it is actually painful for him to walk as slow as I do! Then there are the many other little things that are going on in my body that I won't share with the general public but if you've ever been pregnant, you can probably guess what they are! So I have to keep reminding myself over and over how much I'll miss being pregnant - I always do afterwards! I know that I will get baby fever and wonder why I didn't savor every moment of this miraculous time that a woman is given.
The girls and I are off to church for Bible study. We're studying the infancy narratives! Very timely not only on the church calendar but in my life as well. I love having babies at this time of year. It makes me feel so much closer to Mary as I think of her precious bundle and her beautiful witness to all mothers!
Oh yeah...and we're going to be listening to Christmas music on the way to church! Whoo hoo!!
While we will remain open to life if God should so choose to bless us again, I know that my husband and I, at this point, are feeling like our family is complete. This could change of course but it is leaving me with the feeling that I need to cherish every moment of this last month of pregnancy...but in reality, I am not. I can't find a comfortable position to sleep in during the short bathroom breaks that I have throughout the night. I can't find a comfortable position to sit in at meals or the computer or the couch! I'm so completely mentally and physically exhausted all of the time. I walk slower than my coworker who is 69 and just returned from breaking her hip. In fact, last weekend husband and I went Christmas shopping and he commented that it is actually painful for him to walk as slow as I do! Then there are the many other little things that are going on in my body that I won't share with the general public but if you've ever been pregnant, you can probably guess what they are! So I have to keep reminding myself over and over how much I'll miss being pregnant - I always do afterwards! I know that I will get baby fever and wonder why I didn't savor every moment of this miraculous time that a woman is given.
The girls and I are off to church for Bible study. We're studying the infancy narratives! Very timely not only on the church calendar but in my life as well. I love having babies at this time of year. It makes me feel so much closer to Mary as I think of her precious bundle and her beautiful witness to all mothers!
Oh yeah...and we're going to be listening to Christmas music on the way to church! Whoo hoo!!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Slave, Servant or Saint?
Talking about my husband and the answer is...all 3 lately! I have to take a minute to brag about how lucky I am to have the most amazing husband in the world! We're going on the 3rd month of me feeling terrible which means he has been taking up the slack at home all this time. And it's no easy task! He works in a fast pace environment. He's on the phone all day long talking to people which must be exhausting. I start feeling really bad about 4:30 or 5:00 which is also the time that I start calling to bug him about when he's coming home - I'm trying to work on that...really I am.
By the time he gets home, I'm usually to the point of not being able to stand up without feeling like I need to run to the restroom so I'll have the girls watching something on TV while I lie down and pray for his arrival! So, when he gets home, instead of being able to relax and unwind from his day he starts a new phase of his day. It's Mr. Mom time!
When we're in our normal routine, I usually handle getting the girls ready for bed while he puts away toys and cleans up from dinner. It works out nicely because by the time the girls are down, the house is straightened up and we can relax. But now, if I'm too sick to get up, he has to get the girls ready for bed, tuck them in and then straighten the house all himself. Usually all before he's even had dinner!
That's the evening. The mornings is when he's an even bigger help. The mornings are my other bad time of the day (the middle is bad too but I can usually get a little relief and go on with my day). In the mornings he gets up first thing and makes me a protein shake. I have to have one of these in bed before I can even think about trying to take a shower. Then he gets in the shower during which the girls wake up. Big Bear comes in our room and talks to me while I drink my shake but Me Too is stuck in her crib. Once Doug is out of the shower, he gets dressed and then goes in to take care of the dirty work (diapers that is) that there is no way I could handle. There is no way I could do dirty diapers first thing in the morning - shake or no shake. Next he makes their breakfast (another thing I can't handle in the morning) while he makes his lunch. He usually has them all settled in their high chairs and about the time that I come out from showering and can usually handle it from there.
He does this without complaint (usually) and with such a servant's heart. I'm so proud of him for how he has stepped up to take care of me and our family during this time. I hope he knows that his service to me and the girls is also a way of serving and worshipping God. I hope he knows that his rewards are being stacked up for him in heaven. I hope he knows how much I love and adore him for being such a great husband and father.
I know we don't know a lot about St. Joseph but I feel that this was the type of husband and father he must have been for Mary and Jesus. I imagine him doing household things when Mary was sick or tired. I think that he took Jesus out to play or to his workshop to give Mary a rest when she needed it. And I'm sure he did it without complaint. He might not have always liked everything he was called to do but he did it for his family and to serve His God.
I am so blessed!!
By the time he gets home, I'm usually to the point of not being able to stand up without feeling like I need to run to the restroom so I'll have the girls watching something on TV while I lie down and pray for his arrival! So, when he gets home, instead of being able to relax and unwind from his day he starts a new phase of his day. It's Mr. Mom time!
When we're in our normal routine, I usually handle getting the girls ready for bed while he puts away toys and cleans up from dinner. It works out nicely because by the time the girls are down, the house is straightened up and we can relax. But now, if I'm too sick to get up, he has to get the girls ready for bed, tuck them in and then straighten the house all himself. Usually all before he's even had dinner!
That's the evening. The mornings is when he's an even bigger help. The mornings are my other bad time of the day (the middle is bad too but I can usually get a little relief and go on with my day). In the mornings he gets up first thing and makes me a protein shake. I have to have one of these in bed before I can even think about trying to take a shower. Then he gets in the shower during which the girls wake up. Big Bear comes in our room and talks to me while I drink my shake but Me Too is stuck in her crib. Once Doug is out of the shower, he gets dressed and then goes in to take care of the dirty work (diapers that is) that there is no way I could handle. There is no way I could do dirty diapers first thing in the morning - shake or no shake. Next he makes their breakfast (another thing I can't handle in the morning) while he makes his lunch. He usually has them all settled in their high chairs and about the time that I come out from showering and can usually handle it from there.
He does this without complaint (usually) and with such a servant's heart. I'm so proud of him for how he has stepped up to take care of me and our family during this time. I hope he knows that his service to me and the girls is also a way of serving and worshipping God. I hope he knows that his rewards are being stacked up for him in heaven. I hope he knows how much I love and adore him for being such a great husband and father.
I know we don't know a lot about St. Joseph but I feel that this was the type of husband and father he must have been for Mary and Jesus. I imagine him doing household things when Mary was sick or tired. I think that he took Jesus out to play or to his workshop to give Mary a rest when she needed it. And I'm sure he did it without complaint. He might not have always liked everything he was called to do but he did it for his family and to serve His God.
I am so blessed!!
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