Okay, so after I realized that I've been whining a lot about the negative things happening during this pregnancy, I decided to sit down and count my blessings. Obviously, I am super excited that we're having a baby. SUPER excited!! We all are! Also, I am so monumentally grateful that she is healthy, as far as we can tell, and that we're past the "danger zone" of miscarriage and problems with early delivery. If she were born now, she'd probably be just fine with some help. That is a huge relief to me, especially after everything we went through last year. To make it to this point is amazing.
Last night, while I was trying to fall asleep, I was thinking about some of the things that I love and will miss about being pregnant. I came up with a mental list (that is by no means all-inclusive...I'm sure there are lots more!).
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- I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want, in any combination I want, and no one can say a thing about it. If they do, I reserve the right to give them a dirty look. Or several.
- I have a legitimate excuse for being out of breath after climbing a flight of stairs or walking long distances. "No, I'm not fat and out of shape! I'm pregnant!"
- I can spend the entire day in my stretchy pajama pants or similarly stretchy maternity pants, and it's completely expected and acceptable. I can also sit in very unladylike positions whenever I see fit.
- Total strangers will sometimes show kindness to me, even if I'm a puffy, sweaty, gasping-for-air mess. They even open doors for me, occasionally. It could be the baby belly, or maybe it's just because they want me to get my three extremely loud children out of their general vicinity. Whichever. I'd like to think that I'm inspiring random acts of chivalry.
- I feel special for a few months. There's always something exciting to think about, to look forward to, and I get to be the center of attention for a little while. That's a welcome change!
- Nice hair. Great skin. Big boobs. Awesome.
- Also hair-related: I don't have to shave. That's right, ladies! This baby has caused the hair on my legs to stop growing altogether. It's beautiful! I'm glad, because I can't really reach my legs to shave them at this point, so it works out nicely.
- I have a fantastic excuse to go to bed by 9:00, if I want to. Also, I can sleep with 472 pillows just because I need them. Poor Nathan. I do try to leave him a little bit of room on his side of the bed! Good thing he's a skinny guy. He's so sweet, and he hasn't complained at all.
- I can sometimes manage to weasel my way out of things I don't want to do. Playing the laziness card was never so easy. Okay, maybe it's really not that easy, but it sounds nice.
- Lots and lots of bathroom breaks. Not necessarily because the baby's sitting on my bladder, but because I want to get off the phone or I don't want to see some annoying person at a gathering. "Oh, sorry. I have to pee!"
- I can walk really slowly if I want to...and I can waddle...and no one can complain. Periodic resting is also allowed.
- I can use pregnancy hormones to justify my off-color remarks, random or irrelevant comments, general grouchiness and/or rudeness, and generally unpleasant appearance. I can definitely try to use it as an excuse. Whether or not it works is totally dependent on other people.
- I get lots of smiles. From everyone. Perhaps they're thinking, "Oh, that poor woman. Look what she's already got going on, and she's having another one. Pity." If they really feel sorry for me, they could at least give me a dollar or something, you know? Maybe they're really happy for me. It doesn't matter. I like the smiles.
- I'm not perpetually freezing my butt off. I'm the cold-natured person that freezes at 75 degrees. Baby makes me a little more tolerant of colder temperatures, which is awesome.
- The sappy stuff, of course. Seeing Baby during all the ultrasounds, and hearing her heartbeat. Imagining what she's going to look like, and what her little cry will sound like. What color hair will she have? What color eyes? What are we going to name her? Feeling (and watching) her kick and squirm in my belly, a daily affirmation that there really is something in there!
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Okay, in all seriousness, I am extremely blessed. Pregnancy isn't always a picnic (Mmmm...picnic), but there is definitely a huge reward waiting for me at the end! I've also been very fortunate in having three (almost four) uncomplicated, normal pregnancies and deliveries, which is something to be thankful for. Despite all the discomforts and temporary issues, I love being pregnant, and I wouldn't trade this experience (or the previous three) for the whole world!
I'm hoping that this will cancel out some of the complaining that I've been doing. :)
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