What I Miss the Most

Of all the things I miss the most about not being pregnant...

...and, let me be honest, as much as I enjoy being pregnant and as grateful as I am for the blessing of another child, there are things I miss about my non-pregnant self.  For example...

* my lap (my boys are snugglers which I love, but it's awfully difficult to tolerate them sitting on my lap for any length of time now),

* my regular amount of energy (fortunately these days, the nesting urge has kicked in and supplied me with extra energy; but when it's gone, it's gone--quickly and without warning...sometimes I look around me and think, "I really would like to be doing _____ (fill in the blank), but I just absolutely can't"...and then I sit back down in the rocking chair or lay on the couch)

* normal sleep (not interrupted by countless trips to the bathroom or laborious attempts at such strenuous activities as rolling over!...of course, my sleep will get worse before it gets better, although I'm praying this little girl will not follow in her big brother Shav's footsteps, but will be a great sleeper like the oldest three boys were)

* non-maternity clothes (it's a joy to pull out maternity clothes when they're needed, but also a joy to put them away after a baby is born...to everything there is a season, and right now I'm eagerly anticipating the season of being able to wear my regular clothes again)

* my weight (I think I'm the heaviest I've ever been...I'm not really upset about that, and I don't feel too self-conscious--most of the time...although when one of my boys asked me a few days ago, "When you're not pregnant, are you totally overweight?" I did feel a little funny about that  ;-)...anyway, suffice it to say that I'm looking forward to the numbers on the scale going downward instead of the constant uphill climb I've seen for the last nine months

* my shape (maybe one of these days soon, I won't be startled by the sight of my huge belly every time I see my shadow!)

* normal appetite (there have been a few foods that I've craved during this pregnancy, but more that I've not wanted to eat...it would be nice to actually desire regular food again)

* my lung capacity (I get out of breath so easily...for example, when I walk up the steps to get the phone, by the time I get to it and answer it, I must sound as if I've just been running a 5K because of how much I'm panting!)

* and there are likely more.

However, of all the things I miss the most about my life as a non-pregnant woman, the thing I miss the most is my brain.

Several days ago, I opened the refrigerator and found a jar of dry Russian tea mix on the top shelf, right in front of the pitcher of milk.  That was strange; it doesn't belong there!  Jeff was standing nearby, so I said--partly to him, and partly to myself--"Did I put this in here?"  But I already knew the answer; of course, it was me.  Why I did it, I have no idea; but that it was me, there was no doubt.  I laughed at myself and then remarked casually to Jeff, "I read again recently that when women are pregnant, their brain actually shrinks."  And he said (maybe a tad bit too emphatically), "I know that."  Oh.  Well then. ;-)   He went on to tell me about how he was talking with one of his co-workers who happens to be pregnant, and they were discussing the silly, absent-minded things she's been doing around work recently, etc.  All I can say is, she's not the only one!

I had previously mentioned (first, in a Facebook status update, but later, here on the blog) about how I almost walked out the door to Josiah and David's swimming lesson one Saturday morning wearing my bedroom slippers.  I did not mention, however, that the very next week, I did walk out the door to that lesson, wearing no make-up.  I'm not a huge make-up person by any stretch of the imagination, but I always (ALWAYS!) wear a little when going somewhere.  In fact, before that particular morning, I can't even remember the last time I left the house completely bare-faced, without a speck of make-up.  But that morning, I did; and I didn't even realize it until much later.  Oh, and that happened to be a morning in which I had several errands to do after their swimming lesson, including a trip to Walmart.  You can imagine how fervently I was hoping to NOT see anyone I knew!  As it turned out, I did indeed see a few people I recognized, but no one I am particularly close to, so I could get away with a wave and a smile, as I hurriedly walked on.  :)

Another area in which I've noticed my lack of brain-power is here on this blog.  My dad is good at reading my posts and letting me know if there are any typographical or grammar errors, and I appreciate him doing that because those kinds of mistakes drive me nuts and I'd much rather have the problem pointed out so I can fix it.  It used to be that he only occasionally found a mistake, but here recently, it's been a much more common problem.  Apparently with my pregnant shrunken-brain condition, I do a poor job with proofreading!

There have been many times when, for the life of me, I cannot think of some fact I should know:  the name of someone whose face is swimming before me, the correct word for some thought I want to express, etc.  It's on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't get it out.  Or I'll lose my train of thought entirely, in the middle of a conversation.  Honestly, it's not as if that only happens when I'm pregnant, but it certainly occurs more often these days.

Here's one more example to show how much brain function I've lost.  A little while back, I had cooked a roast and vegetables in our crockpot; and later I gave the leftover broth and scraps to our dog Molly.  Knowing that she couldn't destroy the crockpot with her teeth or paws, I simply opened the gate to the pasture and set the pot inside so she could eat it at her leisure and even lick it clean if she wanted.  Do you think I ever remembered to go back and get that pot?  Not at all!  In fact, one day in conversation with my dad, the subject of crockpots came up and it dawned on me that I had left ours in the pasture (and by the way, I'm talking about the ceramic insert, not the outside part that contains the heating unit and electrical cord, etc.).  I couldn't go get it at that particular moment; but by the time I could have walked up and retrieved it, I had completely forgotten about it again.  Do you know who finally brought it in?  Jeff, who discovered it up there a day or two ago and kindly carried the long-forgotten pot home.

I'm sure there are other stories I could tell about my forgetful, scatter-brained ways during this pregnancy, but guess what?  I can't remember them!  ;-)

I do hope, however, that after this sweet girl is born, my brain will eventually return to its normal size and level of functioning again.  Because when it malfunctions and has a power failure, I really do miss it.  ;-)