The past few weekends, Ben and I have embraced all the sleep, stillness, and freedom that is possible knowing that we have less-than-100-days(ish) until baby's arrival. I am 26 weeks pregnant and I've been told this is the "sweet spot." While pregnancy brings its mixture of emotions and changing hormones, overall it hasn't been too hard on me. Most days I feel like my normal self (with the exception of baby kicks and not fitting in most of my favorite clothes...); I have been running and hanging out with friends, traveling down to Mexico, *attempting* to eat healthy (minus the first trimester of pizza and pasta... oops), and trying my best to carry on as I would in my non-pregnant self.
We have been taking time to intentionally be with one another before another little one consumes our attention. Between running errands, making cheeseboards, ordering nursery items, hosting brunch, going out to burgers and milkshakes and movies, enjoying happy hours, watching March Madness, reading, cleaning, napping for hours, picnic-ing, looking at Open Houses... these weekends have been full of our favorite things.
Sometimes I wonder what will change... some say "everything changes" and others are surprised by how normal things feel. I am doing my best to drown out the voices with my own experience. I don't want to have expectations for how things should or shouldn't be; I want to surrender to the process and let my experience dictate my experience. Entering into the Mom World, this is certainly a discipline. I don't blame mothers for having their opinions - I'm sure I will too! - but there has to be grace and love and understanding with the uniqueness of our own personalities at play.
I am naturally a positive person and will embrace the day-to-day with a can-do spirit and a search for that which is beautiful. I am an achiever; someone who often never feels settled in the norm, but is always searching for the next thing to conquer. [This is certainly a blessing and a curse.] I am highly futuristic, organized, planned, and love my calendar. Through pregnancy and entering into motherhood, these traits rise to the surface and I see them dictate the choices we make together... my commitment to natural birth (achiever), desire to sleep train (planner), and in my persistence to allow normal life to continue with the integration of another little human (positivity). As women, we bring who we are into what we do... which contributes to the range of opinions and preferences as mothers. I try my best to listen to others with an open ear, while at the same time, silently telling myself that their experience is theirs, and my experience is mine.
Prior to getting married, I remember hearing woeful tales of the first year of marriage - how hard it is and how much work it takes. People did not withhold warning of the rose-colored glasses, everything starting out great, but not staying that way. From these experiences, I subconsciously formed an idea of marriage that endured grit and hardwork; that I would have to muscle my way through and make it work each day. However, my own experience of marriage has been nothing short of the sweetest most wonderful gift. Even in the hard spots, I wouldn't trade the process of growth and refining that has helped mold me as a better human and wife. I often tell Ben that he has given me everything I've ever wanted - and it's true. His companionship and love is enough for me in this lifetime - he is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I'm so glad to undergo a process of segregating myself from others' experiences and fears in order to allow my journey to unfold the way He has for me.
I hope to approach motherhood the same way... bringing my most whole and true self to this new season, knowing it will look different from others. That is the exciting thing for me - forming a family with Ben for the first time, we get to do it our way and let it be just that.
We have been taking time to intentionally be with one another before another little one consumes our attention. Between running errands, making cheeseboards, ordering nursery items, hosting brunch, going out to burgers and milkshakes and movies, enjoying happy hours, watching March Madness, reading, cleaning, napping for hours, picnic-ing, looking at Open Houses... these weekends have been full of our favorite things.
Sometimes I wonder what will change... some say "everything changes" and others are surprised by how normal things feel. I am doing my best to drown out the voices with my own experience. I don't want to have expectations for how things should or shouldn't be; I want to surrender to the process and let my experience dictate my experience. Entering into the Mom World, this is certainly a discipline. I don't blame mothers for having their opinions - I'm sure I will too! - but there has to be grace and love and understanding with the uniqueness of our own personalities at play.
I am naturally a positive person and will embrace the day-to-day with a can-do spirit and a search for that which is beautiful. I am an achiever; someone who often never feels settled in the norm, but is always searching for the next thing to conquer. [This is certainly a blessing and a curse.] I am highly futuristic, organized, planned, and love my calendar. Through pregnancy and entering into motherhood, these traits rise to the surface and I see them dictate the choices we make together... my commitment to natural birth (achiever), desire to sleep train (planner), and in my persistence to allow normal life to continue with the integration of another little human (positivity). As women, we bring who we are into what we do... which contributes to the range of opinions and preferences as mothers. I try my best to listen to others with an open ear, while at the same time, silently telling myself that their experience is theirs, and my experience is mine.
Prior to getting married, I remember hearing woeful tales of the first year of marriage - how hard it is and how much work it takes. People did not withhold warning of the rose-colored glasses, everything starting out great, but not staying that way. From these experiences, I subconsciously formed an idea of marriage that endured grit and hardwork; that I would have to muscle my way through and make it work each day. However, my own experience of marriage has been nothing short of the sweetest most wonderful gift. Even in the hard spots, I wouldn't trade the process of growth and refining that has helped mold me as a better human and wife. I often tell Ben that he has given me everything I've ever wanted - and it's true. His companionship and love is enough for me in this lifetime - he is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I'm so glad to undergo a process of segregating myself from others' experiences and fears in order to allow my journey to unfold the way He has for me.
I hope to approach motherhood the same way... bringing my most whole and true self to this new season, knowing it will look different from others. That is the exciting thing for me - forming a family with Ben for the first time, we get to do it our way and let it be just that.
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