pregnancy is ...

 

i was never someone who was super interested in pregnancy and babies. not that i didn't want kids, because having a family has always been my biggest dream - i just wasn't mesmerized by the pregnancy and newborn stage the way many women are. now that i'm pregnant, the tables have turned. i am a sponge, soaking up as much information as i can. i love talking to anyone about their pregnancies and birth stories, what baby gear they recommend, and anything else they feel like sharing.

 

slowly but surely i'm learning and feeling slightly more prepared to be a mom. whoa. until i say it like that - a mom?! maybe i should just say better educated and informed about this whole pregnancy and birth thing. here are some of my observations about pregnancy at 16 weeks ...

 

Pregnancy is ...

• different for everyone! i'm incredibly thankful i'm not on bedrest like so many people i talk to, but the people who tell me they felt "soo great and soo energetic" during their pregnancy kinda make me sick. my friend elizabeth said, "those people are lying. they have to be." ha. (but really, i'm happy for you if that was your experience!)
• peeing all the time. waking up in the night to pee. becoming familiar with public restrooms.
• scouring the internet for baby bump pictures you previously found uninteresting, because now you are curious to see if your progress is normal week to week.
• wanting to hug people who say they can't even tell you're pregnant, because you already feel fat. also wanting to start showing so people know you're pregnant, but knowing you will probably regret this wish when you do start getting big.
• noticing strollers. before it was an occasional glance at the cute baby in the stroller, now it's checking out the actual stroller and how well it seems to be holding up. researching strollers online for the best deal for your budget. and once i narrowed it down i started talking to strangers who had the strollers i liked to see if they were happy with their decision. people are very eager to chat when it comes to all things baby related - it's amazing! babies seem to be the great equalizer.
• heartburn for the first time in my life.
• realizing that in spite of women having babies since the beginning of time there are still a million mysteries surrounding the process. some people "do everything right" and can't get pregnant or their baby is unhealthy, yet some people don't follow the most basic guidelines for a healthy pregnancy or even realize they are pregnant and their kids pop out healthy.
• adding new words to your vocabulary. (i.e. bumbo, boppy, episiotomy)
• a feeling of camaraderie with every other pregnant person i see. they probably don't feel that camaraderie with me yet because they can't tell i'm pregnant, but whatever.
• feeling tired and sometimes nauseous.
• noticing every smell. more during the first trimester for me than now in the second trimester.
• being more annoyed than usual at people smoking in public.
• getting hungry all the time. bad when you don't have an appetite or nothing sounds appealing. funny when you crave WEIRD stuff. i craved ramen in the worst way for two weeks, and the only other time i've eaten ramen in my whole life was on a camping trip in maui. one night we were at a restaurant and i told lance i just wanted to wait til we got home to have ramen. (and i did.) another day i was getting ready to make ramen and said, "i just want that hot broth so bad! it's so good!" and understandably he lost it and made fun of me. other cravings: sushi and hot dogs.
• no more chocolate cravings. this surprised me.
• crazy dreams at night. (ask lance for a funny story about one of mine.)
• feeling out of control. i like how lance's cousin explained it to me - you feel so out of control with your body during pregnancy, but that's the perfect setup for parenting because you'll feel even more out of control once the kids are born.
• dreaming. wondering. anticipation. trying to keep worries at bay by focusing on all the things my body has already done right. so much of pregnancy and the miracle of life and birth happens with so little effort from us, so why do we worry about it when we can't control it? it's a natural, timeless process and miracle.