My body is AMAZING!

I have always been comfortable content with my body for the most part. This pregnancy though, has really taught me to love my body. It can do wondrous things! I was your normal woman with normal body issues. "My thighs could be smaller, my stomach could be tighter...yada yada yada." I am so astonished at the things my body has done during this pregnancy and is still going to do! It's crazy to think that my body, my amazing body, made a human being, out of virtually nothing! At the beginning of this pregnancy, besides morning all day sickness, I wasn't too excited about my "new" body. I looked more like I had had a few too many beers rather than a baby in there. Once my belly started really popping and getting firm, I LOVE my pregnant body. Well...besides the days where I feel like a beached whale! I will honestly be sad to not be pregnant anymore. I'm not saying that I will want to be pregnant right away again, but after feeling him move around inside me for almost a year...I'm going to miss that feeling. I will however, NEVER take my body for granted again!

It is never too soon to get things to make you comfortable!

Tim and I got a new bed at the beginning of our pregnancy with some wedding money that we had gotten. We upgraded to a King! It's a good thing too, because very early on, I got a body pillow. And not just any body pillow...an all encompassing pillow that surrounds me with fluffy goodness! Needless to say, this pillow is large enormous! Even in our King-sized bed, Tim is, bless his heart, pushed to the other end of the world it seems on the edge of his side of the bed. It was the best investment I made though! It has made sleep wonderful bearable! Sleep was great...now that I only have a few weeks left, it's getting very uncomfortable, pillow or not.

Do not get carried away with buying nursing bras too soon!

Most women are so excited about their newly found breasts when pregnant. I on the other hand, was blessed cursed in that area. My boobs really didn't grow that much right away. They didn't need to! They were however, VERY sore for awhile. I was still wearing a couple pre-pregnancy bras until about 6 months. I had a gracious friend who had given me a couple nursing bras that she was done with. That was all I needed. I was very tempted to go treat myself with a bunch of new bras for my slightly larger breasts and why not get nursing ones to kill two birds with one stone right??? Well, I'm glad I didn't. One, they aren't cheap! Two, at about 7 months, my breasts got MUCH larger. I had to get new bras then and did get nursing ones. You will be SHOCKED at the size your boobs become! I know also, that they will be getting even bigger/fuller when my milk comes in. That is when I will need to invest in even more. I will be getting ones then that don't have underwire, but right now, underwire is a necessity! Those without large breasts, take for granted the ability to wear the little cotton camisole type bras. We that are well endowed...NEED all the support we can get! 

Baby Brain is REAL!

Everyone talks about Baby Brain and the crazy things you'll do/forget while pregnant. You think, (myself included), oh it can't be THAT bad! WRONG! It is a serious condition that should be addressed with caution! It ranges from things as small as forgetting your lunch on the counter...every single day...to putting your car keys in strange places like the fridge. I also have lost all ability to type, write, and even think in complete sentences. Combine that with ADD tendencies and you are SCREWED! Post-it notes are your friend...use them...everywhere! I stick them to the door to the garage, my computer, my purse, my desk, anywhere that I think I will see them later, because if I don't...there is no guarantee that  I will remember to do it. I also find myself unable to speak at times like I have suffered a stroke. No joke! I am hearing it in my head and know what I want to say, but, no matter how hard I try, my brain is unable to successfully send a signal to my mouth to say it out loud. 

Time has no schedule!

We found out we were pregnant very early on. (4 weeks) At first, time seemed to go by so slowly. I was thinking, "If I am this sick the entire pregnancy, I'm going kill someone!!" Then...time does a complete 180 and moves so fast that you have no idea how you gained 20 lbs in a week! Ok...it was several weeks, but it seems like one. And finally...you are at the point where time seems to drag on again. Some days fly by but overall, it's getting harder and harder to move and I just can't wait to feel 'normal' again. And even though time seems to move more slowly now, I still feel like I have no time to finish up the last minute things that need to get done before baby arrives! 

Meltdowns are inevitable! 

Yes, being pregnant, you are entitled to a few meltdowns. After all, your hormones are raging! (Take my "Things you should never say to a pregnant woman...EVER!" post) Those that know me, know that I have always been an overly emotional person. I am actually very surprised at how even-tempered I have been throughout this pregnancy. My husband may beg to differ, but overall, I think the meltdowns have been pretty scarce. There have been times though, and like I said, it's ok, that I have had some little major meltdowns. They are more anxiety attacks than anything. Pregnancy can make you very anxious. Anyway, even though they were over the dumbest little things, it's ok. You need to tell yourself...it's ok! On that note, it may be ok, but you still need to take the time to apologize to your loved ones after you completely blow up on them out of the blue. Your loved ones WILL be the ones to take the brunt of this!
My husband is a God sent! 
Tim and I have always had a wonderful relationship. He is my best friend! Some people say that because it sounds good, but he truly is! This pregnancy has brought us closer than ever. We have been through a lot with the pregnancy. It was not your run of the mill boring pregnancy. We have had some major scares and not to mention...pregnancy is not pretty! I love the way he looks at me now and the way he's stuck by me even when I was unbelievably sick, uber crabby, and gaining an ungodly amount of weight! He is so exited to be a Daddy and I can't wait to see the amazing bond he and Graysen will have. He has been my rock through this whole thing. He has been at every  almost every doctor appointment and has been very involved in the whole process. When you are pregnant...you need support like that. I thank God everyday for him!
You need a posse of support!
My last paragraph leads me into this one. I have been fortunate to have several friends pregnant at the same time as me and have had the pleasure of working with most of them at the same time. You need many people surrounding you and giving you support while you are pregnant. I am so pleased to have gotten to share my pregnancy with a few dear friends. It was the first pregnancy for a few of us and you need people that are going through that or have just gone through that so that you can have someone to talk to that can relate. My parents/in-laws have been wonderful! You need people who are willing to help not only after the baby comes, but before as well, because there are days when you are so tired, you can't get the energy to pull yourself off the couch. With that said, you also need those friends that will drag you out of the house so that you can keep some sanity! My friends and family have been amazing!
Document it all!
 Don't take being pregnant for granted, relish in it all. The good days, the bad day, the fat bloated days, the tired days, the insanely energy filled nesting days...take it all in. Document everything. You may not feel like taking a 'belly shot' picture some days, but take the time to take some. You'll be happy you did later. It's crazy to look back and see the progression my body has gone through. Journal...you'll look back years from now and laugh, cry, and reminisce about these days. It's also something you can share with your children when they get older.
Mind, Body, & Soul are all interconnected! 
After all of that...remember...take time for yourself. Your mind & body are powerful things that should be treated together. Even on those days when you think..."I just feel like shit!", try to take time to reflect on something positive. Having a positive mind = a better feeling body, which in turn makes for a beautiful soul. I firmly believe and always have that you feel the way you want to feel. If you want feel crappy, your mind will make sure to tell your body to feel crappy. Find a place, in your mind or otherwise, where you feel at peace. Go there daily. Close your eyes, breathe slowly, and imagine the scents/sights/sounds of that place. Meditation is a powerful tool that more people should familiarize themselves with.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this pregnancy. Even when I felt like complete and utter shit...I'm glad I got to go through it. Even though, we had some major scares and were dealt things we never imagined we would be...I am stronger because of them. If you're handed it, you can handle it. I will take everything I have learned/been through with this pregnancy and better myself with it all!

MB