34 Weeks: The Waiting Game

6 Weeks Left!  It's all downhill from here!

That is if heartburn, false labor, and loss of bladder control is considered downhill.

I honestly don't remember the last few weeks of my first pregnancy being this rough. When I complain voice my concerns, my husband kindly reminds me that I was pretty uncomfortable then too (and maybe a little uncomfortable to live with). 

While the pregnancy symptoms may be the same, I definitely think my attitude is different. 

With Rooster I followed most of the rules. I didn't lick the brownie bowl (risk of salmonella in raw eggs). I took a vitamin every single day (as opposed to most days...). I avoided all caffeine, and I made sure to eat all the colors of the rainbow as often as possible. I even remember worrying about my bath water being too hot (don't remember why...), and making sure I got out and walked around on long car rides (to decrease the risk of blood clots). I read all the books and kept up with his weekly growth. 

This time around things are different. Way different. I have to admit: I mostly just act like I'm not pregnant. I don't do any terribly dangerous things, like play contact sports or climb tall ladders, but I definitely eat more sweets than I should including raw cookie dough every now and then. I don't panic if I don't feel her move for a while, and I definitely don't sit around and let my husband feel my belly. Who has time for that?!?!

I've sometimes wonder if this child will be less than perfect because of my vivacious living. I wonder if maybe I'm not loving her enough by not giving her the attention and care I gave Rooster. Then I remember that I have to get supper on the table or my little man has a melt down. Time to stop wondering and start working!

While I am definitely busier this time around, I think most of the changes in my attitude come down to perspective. With Rooster pregnancy was novel and lots of fun. I was so caught up in creating new life that I didn't even notice when I had to get up and go to the bathroom a million times a night. 

Then came delivery day, and as any mother knows, nothing compared to the joy that I felt when I held my little boy for the first time. Pregnancy was a thing of the past! I realized that the whole experience of pregnancy was just the spring board. The ups and downs blend together into one long waiting game. Good or bad, nothing really matters when you get to the end, when that baby is here, and your life is completely changed for the love of a 7lb 12 oz  bundle of joy. 

My little Rooster

And I am so looking forward to that moment, when I get to see my daughter, to feel her, to hold her in my arms and tell her I love her. 

So while this pregnancy thing may make life a little uncomfortable for the next 6 weeks, I can guarantee I won't notice too much. I'll go about my life taking care of my family and waiting. Waiting for the day when we meet our new little one, and the rest of our lives begin all over again.