Today, I am thirty weeks along. How did this happen? Wait, forget that question... I mean, time has flown by! For the end of February, it was a beautiful day. I wore a skirt and sandals to celebrate such a warm day, and also the fact that earlier this week I was able to reach my toes and paint them a sparkly pink.
Quite a few customers of the thrift store came in today that hadn't been in for a while. As in, hadn't been in to shop within the past six months. Each commented on my growing belly and asked the typical questions:
"When are you due?/How far along are you?"
"What are you having?"
"Is this your first baby?"
...And then followed by their own experiences and/or Mom-wisdom that is, of course, truth:
"I've done natural... but if you have an epidural, you'll enjoy the birth..."
"Oh, you're for sure having a girl by the way your carrying..."
"I got these really bad, stinging pains towards the end of pregnancy. I really hope you don't get those."
Every conversation ended with, "Good luck!"
Most times I just politely said "thank you."
I had been warned by my doctor and midwife that everyone will share advice, however, every pregnancy is different and how the birth goes is undetermined. I'm not going to deny the fact that pain is in the future. (Although I have read many birth stories, some in which the mother describes her experience being the opposite of pain.) It's called "labor" for a reason... it's hard work.
For the past six months, I have been doing my best at: staying active, eating well, drinking enough water, taking my prenatal vitamins, reading as much as I can about birth. I can only control so much. If a caesarian section is the only way to deliver a healthy baby, that's what will have to happen. Of course I have a birth plan, a dream birth, in my head. Only time will tell...
I still feel really well and haven't had any out of the ordinary symptoms. (I did hurt my foot from walking along the roadside. It has been very mild here, so I had been going on 3+ mile walks with some friends. I think I need sneakers with better support.) I have had some lower back pain, but that's what happens when you gain a bunch of weight.
My wonderful, hardworking, amazingly handy husband just finished tiling our tub surround! We're one step closer to crossing off "bathroom reno" from the "Needs-done-before-Baby list."
At school this week, a third grader asked me, "How much longer do you have before the baby comes?"
"About ten weeks, " I said.
Her eyes got really big and her mouth opened.
I asked her, "does that sound like a lot of time or not a lot of time?"
"Not a lot of time!"
She's right. It doesn't sound like a lot of time, but we will keep working on our list and do as much as we can. All a baby really needs is love, warmth, a whole mess of diapers, mama's milk, and a car seat ...or else we can't bring baby home.
Even if I had everything that is recommended, all the highest rated products, and the perfect nursery set up, I would still feel inadequate at times, feel like I have no idea what I'm doing.
So, I am deciding to be positive.
I am positive that I will get frustrated.
I am positive that I will make mistakes.
I am positive that I having a baby will be the hardest thing I've ever done.
and I'm positive that it's going to be one of the greatest, too. <3
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