My Pregnancy Reflection

This might be boring to a lot of my readers {sorry!} but, since this is my on-line journal, I want to remember my pregnancy as a whole.  A lot of my friends tell about how it's hard to remember parts of their pregnancy ~ which is why I'm glad I've chosen to write about it on my blog and keep a pregnancy journal at home to show Harper one day. So, these are my opinions kind of written to myself!

1. Being Pregnant is Different.
It's different because there are so many stages to a pregnancy.  In the beginning, I just remember being so incredibly sick and not being able to do anything about it.  Zofran didn't work for me, and I had to go to work while getting sick all day long {running out of my classroom} because I knew if I took off then, I wouldn't have as many days with Harper after she comes.  I also remember the dreaded fridge stage! I couldn't open it for weeks. Once I finally started feeling better (around 18/19 weeks) it was wonderful.  Then the last stage came and I just felt very run-down again and the pains of my swollen limbs were sometimes unbearable.  I loved the feeling of empowerment I have knowing it was up to me on how the baby grows so that I would eat and drink healthier.

*My favorite time of being pregnant was weeks 20-34. I felt great and I had a lot of energy. Plus, I loved my little baby bump that was getting bigger and bigger!!

2. Relationships Change.
As much as you want your husband, your friends, and your mom to understand what it's like...they don't and they can't.  Every pregnancy is different and every person handles it differently.  I felt like I did the best that I could with my friends in still trying to attend everything throughout my whole time - and that was truly hard. We have always been on the go people and we are blessed to have lots of friends and lots of things to do. Now looking back, I wish I learned the word, "no", and was able to say it sometimes.  I would come home and cry because I was so tired or emotional but didn't want my friends to think differently of me just because I was pregnant. However, your Mom is about the closest you can get to know what you feel like. Not that I had the same pregnancy as my Mom, but because I think they just come with a certain instinct to try and understand their child.

2A Relationships Change with your Husband.
I spent so much time in the beginning being so upset and anxious about my role at home as a wife.  I was exhausted or couldn't smell or see certain foods that Brian has to step up and begin trying to cook for us, clean for us, or go get food. He really had to do a lot and I cannot tell you how much I appreciated him.  It's also hard because you want things to stay the same, but they just can't.  But on the other hand, your relationship grows so much.  There were so many moments that only Brian and I shared.  The first movements and flutters of our baby girl. The secret we kept just between the two of us for a while. The hopes and fears we shared. The dreaming. The shopping. The life changes we talked about.  That part has been amazing.  Although we always felt like we were a family of 2, knowing we had just made an actual person because of our love is just something that I cannot express in words the feeling.  It will no longer be what Megan & Brian want, but more what is best for our little family and what is best for Harper.  I cannot wait to see how our marriage is with actually getting to meet our little one.

3. Faith Grows.
I feel like while trying for a baby, you have to be somewhat faithful.  It boggles my mind that there are people who do not love Christ - especially those with children.  Although we are 'making' her, God created her.  I just feel like both of our faiths grew so much and leaned on God so much during the 9 months and I anticipate that it will be the same throughout the rest of her life.

4. The Bump.
I wished for that bump to show.  I think I even sometimes wore clothes to accentuate the bump a little too early.  I was so proud of my bump because it meant my baby was growing and becoming healthy.  I'm so glad it's OK in the fashion world now to wear fitted clothes to show off the bump - because it is a beautiful thing. I thought I would be so embarrassed for when my belly button started to show, but actually I don't even care! It doesn't stick out too much, but at some point you just sort of stop caring about such little and kind of vain things. :)

5. Baby Showers.
Baby showers are so fun.  It was a lot more fun for me than wedding showers because you were opening presents for someone else! You know what I mean? It was neat to see how people are truly excited for you. People also love to recount their own pregnancies and labor stories and it's neat to hear from other people.

6. You are an Open Book.
For some reason, once you reveal you are pregnant, you are a walking open book.  (at least for me) People will say anything to you - good or bad.  People will ask you anything and expect an answer, and people will feel no shame to tell you what they think is the right way or the way you need to do things. That's something I just had to get over.  People truly mean well I think, but again, no one is the same and no pregnancy or baby is the same, so you just have to learn to take things with a grain of salt.

7. Listen to your Doctor, not the Internet.
Opening the internet to search pregnancy questions was the worst thing I did! Then my doctor told me to quit doing it and just listen to him. So I did. And it helped. There's too many crazy things on the internet that are and aren't true...so I just called the OB or asked when I went.  Surprisingly, I was not as crazy as I thought I would be and only called to ask one funny question. :)

8. My favorite Memories.
Seeing the first ultrasound.
Giving my friends and family their treats to reveal we were expecting.
Seeing the first 3D ultrasound with her movements.
Feeling her for the first time.
Brian feeling her kick for the first time.
Finding out the gender and getting to celebrate with all our friends at our Gender Reveal Party {which who knew those parties are now the 'new thing'?!}.
Getting her room ready.
Watching my belly move and move and move!
Looking through weekly photos to see how big the bump got.

9. My favorite 'things'.
Preggie Pops
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Stretch Cream {i swear by this stuff to not get one mark!}
Bella Band
Saltine crackers
ultrasound pictures
enlarged boobs {hey, it only happens once i guess!}
plump lips
What to Expect app

10. Thankful for my sister.
I am very glad I had my sister to ask a million questions to or just call her and talk to her about how I was feeling.  She had 2 pregnancies and they were both different, so she had lots of things to tell me about or help me. She helped Brian and I a lot about knowing what we needed, tricks to help me feel better, or just someone to discuss with. I just love her boys so very much and I just love being their aunt. I know she's going to love being an aunt just as much as me {at least I hope so!}.

11. Try and Realize You aren't the First.
Seriously. I know my hormones are intense, but, some people really just got to me more than usual while I was pregnant. :) I just hope I wasn't one of those I couldn't stand. Please know that when you are pregnant, it is awesome, but you are not the first person to ever be pregnant nor the last.  So although my blog has been wrapped up in my own pregnancy, I certainly hope that in my real life I was not one of those people who talked about it non-stop.  Also, again, your husband does not need to become your 'servant' {seriously, I know some true-life stories of others} just because you are pregnant. It's not his fault nor is it his duty to feel and know everything you do. Remember, it's hard on him, too.

12. Being pregnant is on your mind constantly. 
There's never really a moment once you know you're pregnant that you don't think about it. Not in a vain way for me, but in a scared-am I doing something wrong-way.  You are always second guessing your every move on what you eat or drink.  You are always making sure you aren't walking or running or lifting too much.  You are either freaked out because you haven't counted the 10 kicks yet or worried about feeling too much movement meaning your baby isn't sleeping enough.  You wonder if your stress at work is affecting your baby. You wonder if your sleeping or accidentally rolling over on your back will hurt your baby.  You wonder if you can manage the pain of child birth. You wonder if you can breastfeed. It's a lot, so, the only thing you can really do, is do the best you can and pray!