4 Weeks, 5 Reasons

Dear Diary,

Well we are 4 weeks away from the big baby day! Things could always happen sooner I suppose, but I am not counting on it. By this point, I would think, most women are ready to be DONE. I remember getting the question a lot when I was pregnant with Addy, "Aren't you scared about labor?" And while sure, I was a little nervous about how things would go, I was to the point where I didn't care how long it took, how much pain I was in, or how they had to do it, I just WANTED THIS BABY OUT OF ME!! Some women love pregnancy. They claim they love their body, that they've never felt better, and that it was a special bonding time. While I agree there's nothing much cooler than being the home of a growing baby, I am NOT one of those "happy to be pregnant" women. And while this pregnancy has been MUCH better than my last, I still can't say I thoroughly enjoy the experience.

As I am getting down to the last few weeks of carrying my little girl, I am starting to look forward to all those "non-pregnant" things. In my typical fashion, I have come up with a list of the top 5 things I am anxiously awaiting post pregnancy.

1. Being Prenatal Vitamin Free

Ugh, prenatal vitamins. I have never been a good pill-swallower. I have learned to handle ibuprofen and Tylenol due to my headache problems, but even those small pills take me a good few minutes to get down. It's embarrassing and hard for the rest of you to understand I am sure. As Garrett always says, "What's so hard about it? Just swallow it!" Well yes hunny, thanks for your words of wisdom, but if I could, then I would. So, when I got told I needed to take prenatal vitamins every day that are the size of a skyscraper, I wasn't looking forward to it. How do I handle it? Well, it takes a lot of pudding. I chew my vitamins and chase the nasty taste down with chocolate pudding. Imagine doing this EVERY day. Let's just say if I don't see another cup of pudding after this pregnancy, I'll be happy.

2. Doing The Little Things

I cannot wait to be able to put on pants and not be tired afterwards. Or to not take 5 minutes to roll from one side to the other in bed. I can't even remember what it felt like to just hop off the couch, or easily stand up after sitting on the floor. I can't wait to tie my shoes, clip my toenails and shave my legs without having to maneuver around this gigantic belly in my way. I am excited for Addy to be able to climb all over me without having to worry about her hurting something and for her to be able to sit in my lap and snuggle much closer than she can now. I can't wait to be able squeeze through narrow places by turning sideways (I still find myself turning sideways now to shuffle past something even though sideways is clearly not my "smaller" angle). And finally, and probably my current least favorite pregnancy issue, I CANNOT wait to make less pee trips to the bathroom. I have more important things to be doing and being interrupted about 20 times a day (literally) is getting extremely annoying.

3. Coffee

Not much explanation needed here. When you are pregnant you are limited on your caffeine intake and for someone who typically drinks coffee every morning, this is a huge sacrifice. I can't wait to fill up that pot and drink away as soon as I wake up! And believe me, I'll probably need all the coffee I can get with an 18 month old and a newborn on my hands.






4. Getting In Shape

I don't know what I am looking forward to more, meeting my baby girl, OR getting some kind of a body back. Okay, yes, I am exaggerating, of course I am more excited to meet my baby, BUT getting back in shape is a high second place. I never fully got back in shape after Addy was born, which I guess was fine because I was pregnant again not long after. So I can officially say that I am tired of being fat, unhealthy, and out of shape. And believe me, I realize I will never look like I used to, but I can at least try to get in the general area. It's going to take awhile and it probably wont be fun, but it needs to happen, and I am honestly looking forward to it.

5. Clothes That Fit

I am ready for pants that stay up and for shirts that stay down. Period.










I won't bore you with another list of the things I am dreading post pregnancy, but let's just say I am not looking forward to pain meds, the hum of my breast pump, sleepless nights, bottle washing, and getting back into a monotonous, all day long schedule of a newborn.

It goes without saying that having a healthy, beautiful little girl makes all of these things worth it. After all, I wouldn't be doing it again if I didn't believe that. So, while I bear through another four weeks of pregnancy, I will remember that seeing her for the first time, watching Garrett fall in love again, bringing her home from the hospital, observing Addalyn interact with her baby sister, and sharing life with my new little family will make these 4 weeks completely do-able!

Sincerely Yours,