Surviving Pregnancy

I hate being pregnant.  I mean, really hate it.  When I was pregnant with my first baby, I felt guilty for hating every second of it.  By now I've made my peace with it - - and I've realized that I'm not the only one who feels this way!

Whether you hate every living breathing moment of being pregnant or you cherish the miracle happening inside of you, we have to find a way to survive it, don't we?  I've been working on a list of products, attitudes, and activities that have helped me survive my pregnancies... and maybe even find some ways to enjoy it for a split second.

Summer's Eve Products
Have you ever heard of Summer's Eve?  It's this ingenious company that makes wash and deodorant for our lady parts.  If you are pregnant, or ever have been, you know how uncomfortable it is to realize how you smell down there... and there's really nothing we can do to stop it!  Summer's Eve products make me feel more feminine and certainly less... well, stinky.  I use the feminine wash at the end of every shower, and I use the deodorant every day at this point.

Take a Video of Your Belly Moving
Even if you don't want to share it with anyone, sit down and take a video of your moving belly - - it will cheer you up!!

Go for a Walk
Okay, I'm a lazy pregnant woman.  I sit on the couch and watch TV most of the day.  Walking up the stairs to change a child's diaper is way too much work!  Going for a walk is often the furthest thing from my mind - - but then I step outside out of necessity and realize what the fresh air can do for me!  And bringing my son for a walk is good for him, too - - he gets some energy out, which is wonderful for both of us!

Drink lots of Water
The doctor told me this when I was pregnant the first time, but I didn't want to listen (go figure!).  But drinking lots of water actually does make me feel better.  It helps with feet swelling, cramps, energy, and a whole lot more!

Sweatpants
I hate maternity pants.  So when I'm too big for my jeans (with a hair tie holding the button closed), I only wear sweatpants!!  Actually, this time around I picked up a $5 pair of jeans that are two sizes above what I usually wear and they fit great!  I need more sweatpants, though, because I always feel better being pregnant when I'm comfortable... and jeans are not really the way to do that.

Milk it!!
I've learned to enjoy the perks of being pregnant - - like having people wait on me hand and foot, rubbing my feet, and carrying things/holding doors for me.  I also have enjoyed eating whatever I want, whenever I want.  If I have a craving, it's a good enough reason for us to have that food for dinner!


What helps you survive pregnancy?

Waiting

I heard a statistic a long time ago about how long the average person spends in their life waiting for something.  If you Google it, you'll get all kinds of different answers.  Ask.com said that the average person spends 2 weeks waiting at red lights... then if you scroll down you'll see they also say 8 years for the same statistic.  Who knows?  All I know is it's a long time.

AnYwAyS... when I first heard whichever statistic I heard, I made a decision that I would never waste time waiting for something again.  I would always have something to do while I wait, whether it be homework (at the time I was in high school), memorizing scripture, ding a Sudoku puzzle... anything other than sitting around and waiting.

And yet here I sit, ten years later... waiting... for hubby to get home, for another life on Candy Crush, for the baby to come, for some clarity as to what I am to do with my life, for the baby to kick so I know that everything is still okay...

But perhaps waiting isn't the worst thing in the world?  Maybe it's while I wait that I have the time to relax, and start to hear the voice of God more clearly?  Maybe what I am willing to wait for says something about who I am.  Maybe waiting helps me to trust in God in a whole new way.

So I'll wait.  Maybe it won't always be patiently, but I will know that as I wait the Lord is working in me.

It's been a long time...

It's been so long since I last posted!!  There has been so much going on.  Here's our family update:

We're pregnant!!  Our "Little Bity" boy will be born in early December of this year.  I hit the third trimester yesterday!  Go me!

Love Bug is walking, talking, backtalking, climbing, and everything else that a 1.5 year-old should be doing.  He is SO funny!!

We have a new pastor at our church, who is absolutely wonderful!

Hubby got a new job installing and fixing A/C and furnaces.  And if I can just brag for a minute - - he got his license to buy and install refrigerants in the mail yesterday!  I might not understand everything that he does (...or much of what he does at all...), but I'm so proud of all that he has been learning and of all the hard work he has been doing.

I started writing a book, and I also started writing my own curriculum for Children's Ministries.

Most recently, hubby and I have been talking about the possibility of my going to seminary full-time next semester (after the baby's born) to finish the ordination process, which I started about 8 years ago.  Prayers in that area would be much appreciated!!

Well, now I'm remembering why I haven't posted in so long... writer's block hits as soon as I sit down at the computer!  Maybe if I keep up with posts regularly, I won't have this problem.

Until next time!  (And may that be sooner than the last time I said that...)