Funny Question...

Jeromy and I have so enjoyed sharing the excitement of Sweet Pea the last few months - especially after so many weeks of having to keep her a secret. We consider ourselves so blessed to have family and friends who are so supportive of us, and of our growing family. People have been so kind...asking us how we are doing, how I'm feeling, sending us cards and gifts, letting us know they are thinking of us.

Amidst all of this there's a question we get quite often that makes us laugh:

Are you excited?

I suppose it's very similar to my feelings of the question, "How's married life?" when you are newly married. Now I'll be the first to admit that I have probably asked others both questions...guilty as charged. But they are both a bit ridiculous.

Of course we're excited! This baby has been talked about and dreamed of for literally years... we planned her carefully, and even if we hadn't been planning, her impending arrival would make us, two happily married, stable individuals who have always wanted children VERY excited.

Of course there is also nervousness. Sometimes LOTS of nervousness. We've heard from many that parenting is the most challenging job one can ever take on. Jeromy and I have faced lots of "tests" in our relationship, and we're certain that parenting will bring a whole new set of unimaginable "tests." I'm definitely nervous. I hope that we're ready (or as ready as we can be). I hope that we will stay financially stable. I hope that we will be able to raise Sweet Pea to be a strong, confident, and loving young lady.

And then there's the whole business of actually giving birth. This gives me so much fear that most days I just have to push (no pun intended) it out of my mind. Don't get me wrong...I'm so thankful for the opportunity to give birth. I know others who have had problems with it...and I'm infinitely thankful that Jeromy and I have not had similar difficulty. I don't want to seem ungrateful. But nervous...nervous I am.

Jeromy and I joked of how we could answer the question, "Are you excited?" We giggle about what people would think (or course we wouldn't answer this way A) because it's not the case and B) because we couldn't keep straight faces: "Noooo...." or "No...(under your breath) the condom breaks ONE time and this is where we are..."

Further, I've had people ask me, "Is your husband excited?" Ummm...last time I checked this was a two-person situation. We wouldn't be expanding our family if we both weren't thrilled about it. Yes, Jeromy's excited. We both are! And we are both nervous. Both seem to be appropriate emotions. And they can co-exist.

But admist the excitement and the nervousness, we also both rest assured that we are, and will continue to be well supported...by our families, our friends, our church family, our co-workers, etc. There's another emotion for that...grateful.

Week 22 Picture

I forgot to add the latest belly picture to my last post...so here you go... The bump is growing, slowly but surely. As I talked about in the previous post, some days it feels really big, and some days I hardly feel pregnant. I am proud of myself that the weight gain has been slow and low, and am also proud that I've been able to stay pretty active this 2nd trimester. As always, stay tuned for more...

The Case of the Disappearing Bump...The Bump Glance...and a Pregnancy Milestone

Wow...it's been a while since I last posted...sorry about that. Jeromy and I have been busy the last few weeks (some just "regular life" stuff...but also a trip to Madison to visit good friends Marshall and Christy, and their son Everett). We've had a great couple of weeks. Lately, I've been getting a little nervous about how quickly time is moving...so I look forward to getting cracking on the nursery and registry stuff soon (which will be in the next few weeks). I can't believe we are over halfway there!! Ahhhh!!!

Everything as of late has been going very smoothly. I continue to feel good...nauseous spells are few and far between, and when they do come on, they don't last long. I have a decent amount of energy...and most days I "feel like my old self again." My last appointment with the doctor showed that everything has been going great - my weight and blood pressure are great... Sweet Pea's heartrate is wonderful. My growing uterus (TMI?) is right on track. Interesting fact...did you know that the measurement of the uterus in cm (pubic bone to top of the uterus) is equivalent to how many weeks along you are? Crazy!) Jeromy and I have been enjoying watching the bump grow...although I've been surprised with how slowly it's been growing (I'm sure that will change any day now!). It's comforting to know from the doctor that everything is, in fact, as it should be.

For the last few weeks it's felt like a case of the disappearing bump... some days I feel like I barely look pregnant...I'll stand sideways in the mirror and wonder where Sweet Pea (who is now about 10" in length and weighs about 1 lb.) hides. Other days I'll look in the mirror and wonder how I got so big overnight. I think it all depends on what I wear...certain clothes cling to that particular area and make it obvious...others do a better job masking it. I've been reading in my e-mail updates that Sweet Pea will double in weight in the next few weeks...so I think this phenomenon will be very short lived.

Another thing I've noticed lately that kind of makes me laugh is what I'll call "the bump glance." I've noticed that people who know that I'm pregnant will oftentimes say hi to me, and then steal a quick glance down to my belly...an "up down" of sorts... I suppose I'm guilty of it myself with other pregnant women...it's just funny to me. I want to tell them, "Yup, it's there. Yup, it's getting bigger." I suppose the bump glance is better than people outright staring at it, so I suppose I should be grateful.

This week was a pregnancy milestone (albeit a silly one) for me. For the first time this week somebody asked me directly if I'm pregnant. This person is a co-worker - though not someone I work with directly who would know of my pregnancy. We know each other, but not super well. What this told me is that, despite the "disappearing bump," I apparently look "pregnant enough" that someone is confident in asking me directly. Most people know not to ask this question unless they are absolutely sure. It was kind of exciting to know that it's noticeable! Although stupidly, my next thought was "aww...do I look fat?" I know, stupid girl-ness, but it's there all the same. This has been a bit of a struggle for me as I watch the bump grow and weight on the scale go higher and higher.

All in all, it's been a great few weeks. I'm feeling better, and I feel rest assured that all is well with my Sweet Pea. She's been moving around a lot lately. I look forward to having Jeromy be able to feel her move - hopefully soon. Stay tuned for more soon...likely to include pictures of the nursery in progress.