Tag Archive for pregnancy

The Last Mani-Pedi

Posted on October 31, 2015 by

Today I went to tnailshe mall and had a mani-pedi. No big deal, right? It was only supposed to ensure that my feet would look decent when I went to the hospital to deliver my baby and as a way to relax before the big day, but it turned into something more–something more symbolic and meaningful to me. I realized that this would be the last mani-pedi I would have as a child-free woman. In essence, this would be the last time I would do something pleasurable just for me without having to consider the needs of a child. Instead of it being just another mani-pedi, it was a brief moment for me to relish in my non-mommy status before the very certain and soon arrival of my son, Gabriel.

Don’t misunderstand me. I am super excited to enter this new phase in my life, and I definitely count it an honor to be a mother because it is a blessing, but there’s no mistaking that my life will never ever be the same in Jesus name. Getting married at the age of 30 was the first transition into a less selfish me, where I would have another person’s needs to consider, and now at the age of 34 any remaining bits of selfishness will have to take a back seat to meeting my son’s every need and being totally responsible for his well-being. That’s not to be taken lightly. It comes with the territory–territory that I’ve been desiring to enter for the past three years. So I’m okay with that. Actually, I’m thrilled with it. That moment also reminded me how important it is to appreciate and find contentment in every phase of life, even as the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:11.

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

So will there be more mani-pedis in my future? Absolutely! But for at least the next 18 years, it won’t be before I make sure that my child has what he needs first.

 

I’d love to hear how any soon-to-be, first-time mothers are spending your final days of freedom or how any other mothers enjoyed yourselves before your babies arrived. Feel free to share.

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The Fetus Comes Out at Night

Posted on July 24, 2015 by

Pregnancy has given the populKEEP CALM MY SON LIKES TO PAR-TAY (2)ar 1980’s Whodini song “The Freaks Come Out at Night” a whole new meaning for me. At 24 weeks pregnant, it is obvious that my son, Gabriel, is a mover and a shaker and a mommy waker.

When I first began to feel him kick, it was phenomenal. Most online information predicts that a woman who is having her first child will begin to feel movement in the form of flutters around 17 to 20 weeks. Well, I was only 15 weeks pregnant at the time and my son’s movements felt more like tiny thumps against my belly. It was a feeling that I could never have imagined.  Now, I can imagine him being the next karate kid or Muhammad Ali because those tiny thumps have turned into jostling jabs and startling kicks against the punching bag of my abdomen. The funny thing is, he seems to wait until the wee hours of the morning when all is quiet and still in “outer womb land” to get all this action going. He still moves periodically throughout the day, but nothing like when the lights go out. Maybe it’s because there’s no other outside stimulation going on to entertain him, so he entertains himself.

Here’s how I know he prefers the dark to light. I was sleeping ever so soundly one night (well as soundly as an achy pregnant woman can), when I was awakened by Gabriel’s aerobic activities. I felt whole body rolls and back-to-back kick and punch combos going on. I put my hand on my stomach in an effort to get him to settle down. But I decided I also wanted to see with my eyes what all this movement looked like from the outside, so I turned on the light. And what do you know?! The little rascal’s kicks stopped almost instantaneously. He still moved around slowly, but there was definitely a noticeable change in his behavior. Maybe the light startled him or maybe he paused to sense what I’m about to do, I thought. Perhaps it was a combination of both because as soon as I turned the light off and laid back down, his rigorous kicking continued.    

Don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled to have an active, healthy baby growing inside me, but sometimes I say to him, “Take it easy on mommy’s tummy, Gabe!” Maybe he is taking it easy on me when he wiggles at night since I’m not as aware of it’s intensity as I would be if I were wide awake. Or maybe he just feels like the night time is the right time to kick the one you love. 🙂

 

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Free From the Sleep Monkey–At Least For Now

Posted on July 5, 2015 by

Have you ever been so tired that ystock-vector-vector-of-woman-sleeping-in-office-near-computer-bored-by-online-training-course-or-too-much-e-mail-10482901ou planned your days around sleep? At 21 weeks pregnant I have conquered the most crucial period of pregnancy–the first trimester. Since I discovered that I was pregnant at 5 weeks, I had to endure 9 weeks of changes in my body that I have never experienced quite like this before. I’ve come to realize that every woman is different and so is every woman’s gestational experience. So much of what I was told would happen to me did not. Thankfully. No morning sickness for me.

The word that most characterizes my first trimester is exhaustion. I had to have a nap every day without fail or I couldn’t function–literally. My eyes would get heavy and close on me involuntarily. My desire to do any of my normal activities was held hostage by sleep. Sleep became my best friend and a writer’s worst enemy, which is why I stopped blogging regularly. I just couldn’t pull myself to do it. Cooking dinner was another task that took a back seat to my exhaustion. If it hadn’t been for my mama stepping in to help, my poor husband might have starved. I wouldn’t even want to get my hair done after work because it would interfere with my afternoon nap. I was even given a new nickname by my bestie because I stopped taking her calls after a certain time–Nappy.

The best advice other women gave me was, Get your sleep now, implying that once the baby arrives, a good night’s sleep will be a distant memory. While there may be a good bit of truth to that notion, my prayer and faith confession now is for a baby with parent-friendly sleep habits. I know what you experienced moms may be thinking, but it can happen. With God ALL things are possible.

Can anyone attest to this? If so, what was your experience like?

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