Every pregnancy is different.
This one is no exception, and here's the most prominent difference I've noticed so far: it is FLYING by. I'm sure I've said that before as I've carried other little ones inside me; but truly, this pregnancy is zooming by faster than I can even imagine. Tonight I'll go to sleep; and when I wake up, I'll already be at 10 weeks. Wasn't it just the other day I found out that I'm pregnant?
Because this is likely to be my last pregnancy (and then again, it might not...after all, I thought Tobin might be our last...and then I thought the same of Shav...so who really knows??), I want to make an extra effort to capture these moments and remember these thoughts and snap these photos...
I want to savor this time. I want to enjoy it deeply. I want to think often about this baby and revel in the blessing of being chosen once again to be the home of a new little life that's so tiny, so dependent, but full of so much potential.
Sometimes it's hard to do that though, and here's why: all the busy-ness of all the other realms of life and all the voices that clamor for attention and all the items on my to-do list and all the deep ponderings of my mind as I look to the future...and besides that, there are grapes to be made into juice and canned, and David's dresser doors won't shut because he has too many clothes and they're spilling out and I need to sort through them, and, for goodness' sake, would you look at all the weeds in that front flowerbed?! So I have to remind myself to pause...breathe...remember this little one...rejoice...and be grateful for the privilege God has given me.
One thing that's not hard to be grateful for is my continued good health (never mind the little cold I seem to have caught today). My fingers have stopped their typing momentarily as I have tried to think of some physical ailment (related to this pregnancy) that's been bothering me, but I'm coming up empty. Isn't that a gift?! Once in a while, I feel the tiniest tinge of nausea, but eating something immediately to get some nutrition in my growling stomach is a quick cure for that. I suppose I could blame some of my fatigue on this pregnancy; but truth be told, sometimes in life, I'm just exhausted anyway. I've noticed, as I've gotten older, that my perception of how tired I am is more closely related to my feelings of purposeful, enthusiastic living v. bored, lacking-direction doldrums. When I've got a project or plan of some sort that I'm excited about, I don't even think about how tired I am, even if I genuinely am low on sleep. But if I'm feeling down or discouraged, even if I get a lot of extra sleep, I still feel tired. Make sense? Right now in my life, there is so much else going on besides the pregnancy that my perception of fatigue is related to those other issues, not simply a heightened physical need for rest because of growing a new baby inside me!
And speaking of growing... By six weeks, I felt different--definitely bigger around my midsection. By seven weeks, a friend who knows me well but hadn't seen me for quite some time saw me and noticed, before I told her about the pregnancy, that there was more of me than had previously been there. ;-) When she told me that, I was so glad the extra growth came from a baby and not from--say--eating too many burritos. ;-) A few days ago, both my dad and my husband mentioned to me--independently of each other--that they noticed that I was getting bigger; and Josiah came to me today and whispered the same thing. It's true; I'm not denying it. Already I can't fit into some of my clothes, and I'm at the stage of having to carefully plan what I'm going to wear because I can't just wake up in the morning and throw on any old thing.
Those of you who followed along during my pregnancy with Shav might remember that, for the first time, we decided not to find out if he was a boy or a girl (though we suspected boy, based on our record). :) That was a lot of fun; but this time, I definitely want to find out. I'm not sure I want to tell anyone though. ;-) When I was pregnant with Shav, my next-door neighbor was pregnant with her fourth child; and they found out he was a boy but did not tell a soul. That might be kind of fun to do, this time around. But what a test of will power! I'm not sure I could even keep that kind of secret for long. :)
To end this baby update, here is a wonderful quote I first read at Anna's inspiring blog, Pleasant View Schoolhouse:
Five good children are an immense luxury, and to deny one's self other luxuries in order to raise them is not self-denial at all, but merely an intelligent choice of investment.Yes! Well said, Edward Martin!
~ Edward Sandford Martin, The Luxury of Children (1904)
Tonight I'm thanking God for the immense luxury of five children: four asleep in their beds upstairs...and one nestled peacefully inside me.
Warm fuzzies all around! I'm so glad you're feeling good! You need it. It has been such a blessing to feel good this pregnancy and still be able to get out and have fun with the girls.
ReplyDeleteThat was a great quote! Also, you are so right about the perception of tiredness being closely tied to excitement and enthusiasm, or boredom and doldrums. I find the same is true for me.
ReplyDeleteI think I can tell you where your sniffles came from. I had noticed Hannah sniffing on Wednesday (the day you watched our children), and now, wouldn't you know, all 3 of the kids and Andrew have full-blown colds. I think Marie and Andrew have it the worst. I haven't had a single cold symptom (yet), and I feel blessed. I really hope your whole house doesn't become infected, and that you get over your cold quickly and without it getting severe.
Just lovely :) I love the quote, although we were only to have four.... how I'd loved, and how I longed for (for years!) another. Another one? or two? or even....? Well, it wasn't to be, but I love hearing about your joy and all your little pregnany details.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't know with our first three what they were going to be, but we knew #4 was a boy. But we told nobody. Not grannies, or my sister, or anybody. but in our culture it wouldn't be the 'done thing' to tell (and noone ever tells they're pregnant until 12 weeks have passed :)
So glad you're not feeling ill. Oh, and I remember getting a 'bump' earlier and earlier with each progressive pregnancy.
A x
That is a wonderful quote and I feel the luxury of my only child every day, because it seemed impossible that we would ever have him. Love reading your thoughts about your four blessings and the "one nestled inside" you! Glad your pregnancy is going so well.
ReplyDeleteA trend that I've noticed with parents-to-be is that they often find out the baby's gender and tell all about it...but then keep the baby's name a secret until it's born. My neighbor is going crazy because she knows her grandbaby due in November is a girl, but she doesn't know her name!
so glad you're feeling great friend...you have to keep up with those 4 other kiddos so I think God knew you needed this to be an easy pregnancy am i right? ;)
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could keep it a secret. I loved calling my son by his name during my pregnancy.
ReplyDeleteI *love* that quote. Children as luxuries--not something I've really thought of before, but quite true. I'm delighted for you for the luxury of having five!
ReplyDeleteYou look great!! :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm so thankful to read that quote, I love it. Especially on a night like tonight, when bed time couldn't have come any quicker.
ReplyDeleteYour observation about fatique is 100% correct. I feel exactly the same way. Very well put. You're so good at putting words to feelings.
Great post Davene! You look great!
ReplyDeleteYou could always have the ultra sound tech write down the baby's gender and seal it in an envelope. Then on Christmas morning you can all open it together. I heard of a couple that did this, It was on one of the Christian radio stations. I thought it was a super special way to find out what God was giving you. And then telling anyone else is completely optional ;0)
ReplyDeleteGlad you are feeling so well during this pregnancy.
And I absolutely love the quote!!