.Pregnant Women are Like Turtles?

1. Are you having twins?
Spoken response: "Why, no actually I'm not."
Mental Response: "Really did you say that to a pregnant woman?"

2. Pregnant women are like turtles.
Spoken response: "Oh really, how?"
Mental Response: "Why can't I leave well enough alone?"
Well both turtles and pregnant women are helpless if you put them on their back.

3. My it seems like all your clothes are getting mighty small.
Spoken and mental response (no filter on this one) "Can you give me a break? Please don't talk to me for a day or two - that is not something you should say to a pregnant women."

4. My you have spread pretty wide.
Spoken response: None - just a forced smile and a nod
Mental response: Explicative

5. Wow! You are really pregnant. It just sticks way out there.
Spoken response: Yep
Mental response: I know this guy has two kids - poor wife.

I'm sure I'll have more to come!

Managing a Big Belly

So at 32 weeks pregnant, I've got a pretty big belly. This week, I'm having trouble maneuvering with it.
Take evidence A. Yesterday, I went to have lunch with a friend at the seminary's cafeteria. I've got my tray filled with chicken fingers and reach for two glasses to fill with apple juice. As I turn with the glasses to the juice machine, my belly hits the tray. You guessed it -- the tray goes flying. The plate smashes into a dozen pieces and there are chicken fingers all over the floor. My first reaction is to bend down and pick up the chicken fingers. As I begin to bend, I almost lose my balance and fall. My friend steadies me and tells me someone will take care of it. At this moment embarrassment sets in. I feel my face flush hot. Did I mention how busy the cafeteria was? It took me 20 minutes to recover. By the time I told Tom about it, I was having a good laugh at my antics.
Now take evidence B. Today's weather was a balmy 40 so I decided to walk down to the bank with the store's deposit instead of drive. Though 40 is hot compared to last week, once you get walking it gets kind of chilly. So about 10 yards into my excursion, I decide to try to zip my coat instead of hold it shut. With a little bit of effort, I get it shut. I'm feeling good I can still zip it up -- that is until I get back to the store. As I try to unzip the coat, it just won't budge past my bulging mid-section. Charley tries to help me unzip the coat, I suck in and she pulls as hard as she can. She tries using a rubber band as pulling leverage. After several attempts, we are both laughing so hard we are crying. It is a good thing there were no customers in the store. Finally we give it up as a lost cause. She hold my shirt as I peel the coat off over my head. As soon as I'm out of the coat it unzips easily. Believe me there will be no more zipping of coats!

Closer and Closer

I can't believe how the time has flown. Around nine weeks from now, I'll be meeting my little one. I am excited, but I don't at all feel ready yet. I still have curtains to make, books to read, fears to overcome. But in just two months time, Tom and I will be welcoming our daughter to this world. I'm glad they grow with you. I'm also glad she won't remember my mistakes for a while. I've been having dreams recently of holding her. Not too much longer...

Moving Baby

It is simply amazing to feel the baby move inside of you. At 28 weeks, Phoebe is moving all day long. When I'm resting, it is just like she wants me to know she is there. Tom felt her move for the first time on Christmas day. Before that he was convinced she was freezing him out. :) Now, I can even see my belly shake when I am lying on my back. Pregnancy is truly a miracle.

What's normal? Learning to Trust!

I've always been a worrier. Even as a kid, I was an expert. When I would go to a sleep over I'd check my bag several times to make sure I'd have everything I needed. Then at the sleep over I would check my bags several times through the night to make sure I had all my stuff. I was so worried about losing something.
Now the temptation draws me to worry each time I feel something new with this pregnancy. Questions dart through my mind. Is this normal? Does this mean something bad? What if something is wrong with the baby? It seems I always jump to the negative.
Each sensation has become a call from God to trust Him. A call to trust that he has knitted this life together in my womb. A call to trust that he know the plans for both my future and Phoebe's future. A call to remember he is good.
I'm sure once the little one arrives, I have another new invitation to trust.

Feeling pregnant

Before getting pregnant, I never imagined how it would totally throw your body a curve ball! It's almost something out of a sci-fi movie. Feeling another little person kick and headbutt you from the inside is hard to imagine if you have not felt it before. Little Phoebe is quite the active thing. She'll probably end up like her dad - constantly on the move, even in her sleep. But with each passing day, motherhood becomes a little more real and my belly seems to become even a little bit bigger. I'm finally starting to get pregnancy questions from people I don't know well, like "When are you due?" "Is it a boy or a girl?" "Can I touch your belly?" This belly touching will take some getting used to. I'm only at 21 weeks now. I can't imagine how many people will want to feel my belly when I'm in my eighth and ninth month. It is helping me get over my remaining personal space issues that is for sure. But for the record, if some person I've never met before asks the belly question, the answer is definitely no!

I'm going to have a little girl! Phoebe Jo.

It became real as Tom and I watched the baby wiggle and kick on the computer screen. I'm going to be a mom! A mom of a little girl. Am I ready? I'm getting there. Am I ready for the daily battle it will take to get her hair into a pony tail? Am I ready to be a barbie doctor? Am I ready for the high pitched screams and giggles? Am I ready for the drama? Not yet, luckily mommies grow as little girls grow. I'm anxiously awaiting your arrivial - Phoebe Jo Fuerst.