Sunday, August 26, 2012

Thoughts on Pregnancy and Motherhood-Weird Warning

So I have tried not to be a complainy pregnant woman (which is easier now than it was during the first trimester) because I've wanted to be pregnant for so long.  However, there are some things that are weird lately. 

You know how they say your hair grows faster when you're pregnant because the hair just doesn't fall out as frequently?  Well, that is true, arm hairs included.  I pulled one out today that was like 3/4 of an inch long.  I have pretty long arm hairs anyway, but this one was quite remarkable. 

I'm pretty sure I'm having hot flashes.  Uncomfortable and embarrassing.  At work, my classroom is super hot.  So I emailed the secretary and she called the powers that be and they said, "Nope, her room is 73, just like all the other ones."  (They check it on their stupid computer so they don't actually have to come feel the temperature in your room.)  Yet I come home feeling like I've run a marathon for all the sweating.  The guy from wherever it is actually ventured out of his building, to my building and into my room and looked at me like I was crazy.  And it IS actually hot in there, I've heard it from my coworkers, but still, I feel so sensitive to heat all the time and knowing I'm flushed just makes it worse.  People keep asking me if I got a sunburn.  I can't wait for Fall and cooler temperatures. 

The other day I came to the realization that I don't actually know how to care for a baby.  I was thinking about feeding and sleeping and diapering, and while I know what I've heard, I realized I have never done this before and freaked out a little.  I've fed babies, I've babysat, I've changed lots of diapers, but never cared for my own child.  And I thought, "I better get a book about this or something."     

But at the same time, I realized how excited I am to be a mother.  I can't wait to meet the little pumpkin who's been kicking me for the past 6 months.  (I've only been feeling it for a couple months, though.)  Every time I feel him move I fall in love a little bit more.  And I'm excited that Heavenly Father trusts us with one of His children.  I'm excited to care for him and be at home with him and SO grateful that we are in a position that I can stay home with our children.  And SO grateful that my children get James for a dad.   

7 comments:

Laura K. said...

Lol, I love your thought about getting a book about parenting. It made me laugh.

Natalie said...

You're guys are going to be awesome parents! And I'm pretty sure Heavenly Father is excited for you guys to have one of his children! : )

Tierney Kirk said...

You'll be a great Mom! Jared was a little worried about taking care of a baby too, he had practically no experience. But he was able to catch on pretty quick. There's lots of good books out there, and I'm sure there are other young moms in your ward that have gone through the same thing recently. And your mom is close by! You'll get to know your baby, and be able to help them when he needs it. Best of luck!

Erin said...

You will be a great mom you are so good with kids. My pediatrician gave us a great book when we had Logan done by the American pediatrics association. It is in a box right now but I will get you thetitle when I unpack. Also if you aretrying to decide what baby items to but I highly recommend baby bargains. They tell you the pros and cons of any product you can thi k of and also rate then. Good luck you will figureitoutjust fine.

Chelsea Haight said...

1) Pregnancy does WEIRD things to your body. Period.

2) Although uncomfortable, hot flashes are totally normal. I'm not pregnant, and I was DYING in my house today, even though the air conditioner was set to 75. So basically, having a baby screws up your body forever. But you get a cute baby out of it!

3) I wasn't terribly concerned about my first baby because I did have a lot of experience, but when it comes down to it, I think everyone starts out at square one with their first baby of their very own. The great part about being the mom is you will KNOW. You will just know what he needs, and how to hold him just right, and luckily they don't do much in the beginning so you can get really good at changing diapers before they get super wiggly!

Emily Judd said...

oh my gosh I am so excited for you guys! It is the weirdest thing to be pregnant! I definitely feel your pain on the hot flashes. And I was completely clueless when I had Easton. I really did not read anything on how to care for a newborn, at least nothing that would really help...like sleep training. It was a rough couple of months (try 9 months) but I figured it out. I love the book "Good Night, Sleep Tight" by Kim West. I would recommend it to everyone :) Sleep is the most important thing in the world!

sara cardon said...

It's so funny I read this today, b/c I was just telling Jon how I feel like I'm twice as sweaty when I'm pregnant. I'm still teaching that Body Pump class, and I'm not kidding when I say I literally come home SOAKED afterwards. It's disgusting and embarrassing. But I have noticed it's helped with my swelling from all of this nasty heat-- I think I'm just retaining so much water, so then I sweat it all out and it's nasty. Glad I'm not the only one!! Another great read (if you're interested) is "The happiest baby on the block" by Dr. Harvey Karp. Lucy was terribly collic-y and a total screamy-head and that book saved my life. So much of mothering is intuition! You'll be amazed how naturally you just know what to do and when and how.