Stats, January 11, 2010

This post is WAY overdue. Between the last post and this one, I have written several blog posts - all in my head. It's time to actually write them down where they can be read. I know, it has been time for a while now.

How far along was I? At the appointment on January 11, I was 21 weeks and 2 days.

Weight gain: I've lost track with the ups and downs. So from here on I'll just compare it to my first pre-natal appointment. I had gained a total of 11 lbs!

Pregnancy perks: One thing I've realized is that these come in waves. Well, some things like the growth is here to stay and continuing. Other things like the big appetite I had when I wrote my last post has been MIA since I reached the 23 week point. The newest wave to hit me is this overwhelming realization that I have so little time alone with Will before the baby is here. Last week at one point I realized I was so protective of my time with Will that I wasn't even enthusiastic about him feeling Bubs' kicks. Normally I would think there was nothing wrong about waiting patiently, hand on belly for 25 minutes to count two kicks and cheer Bubs on. But that evening I wanted none of it. It made me wonder if I was going to be this weird, bad mom and not love Bubs enough. I was about ready to check myself in with a psychiatrist when I asked Bubs' due-date-twin's mom if she ever felt that way and she said yes. She had those days. Now when two pregnant women feel something similar, it is classified under "normal". Enough said.

Cravings: My mom-in-law made sure there were plenty of apples waiting for me when we got to TX for Christmas. However, once we got there I was really only interested in her tangerines. I devoured them all within two days of arrival. She'd replenish the supply and they'd be gone in a day or two. We concluded that I not only had a tangerine craving, I had an addiction. Will has been good about keeping the supply going because I have withdrawal symptoms that neither of us wants to deal with. Last week I had a huge craving for eggplant parmesan. I have no idea where it came from, but it came with such a force, it demanded to be met immediately. Will suggested heading downtown to an Italian restaurant but oddly I wanted to cook it myself. So he came home with ingredients. The next day I spent hours salting and draining the eggplant slices of all moisture, breading and baking them in batches and putting together the dish of my dreams for the past 24 hours. When it was finally done, I declared to myself that eggplant parmesan would be served in heaven at almost every banquet. It was delicious. However, that craving didn't last. I hope eggplant parmesan freezes well. I have a supply available for when the next craving hits. I definitely have to mention that, much to Will's disappointment, I'm no longer on his hate-the-strawberries team. I am now a faithful convert, consuming boxes of strawberries every week. He brings them home and never fails to mention that he hopes this is one area I will return to normal once Bubs is here.

Now, the most important thing I wanted to say: God is amazing and truly answers prayer. Many months ago, a friend suggested I read Supernatural Childbirth by Jackie Mize. So I did and made a little list of how I wanted my pregnancy to be but mostly about the kind of person I hoped Bubs would be. I obviously did not know much about pregnancy except that I would have cravings and would gain weight. I laugh when I look at the list now. But I wanted to gain 10 lbs by the time I got to the 20-week point and only crave healthy things like fruits and vegetables. Here I am wondering why the very sight of icecream gives me heartburn and its exactly what I'd asked for. I had forgotten about my little requests but God hadn't. He is faithful. I'm pretty sure that if I had been weighed at 20 weeks we'd have found a 10 lb gain as well :-)

I am amazed at my body. It is funny that I weigh more now than I ever did before, and its only going to climb upwards over the next few months but my self-esteem is at an all time high. I'm proud of my body, the things God has created it to do and the way it looks. It's running a long, tough race and I can't wait for the trophy at the end. And so I also look forward to finishing life's race well. In heaven there are no battle scars, no blemishes, just the joy of victory!