8 months

My mom wanted to see a few pictures of my pregnancy, so here are a few belly shots for her and all the rest of the world to enjoy.

Things have been going fine. My doctor has me labeled as a "high risk" pregnancy, but that's only because of my infertility history. Apparently once my body gets pregnant, it knows just what to do. It's been nice though having a little extra face to face time with my doc as well as a few extra sonograms. I do enjoy seeing that little guy develop and grow. It's pretty crazy stuff!

As you can tell from the pictures, my belly hasn't really popped out there yet like I thought it would. No bowling ball tummy- just a big barrel or rather large humpty dumpty shape. There are some days when I really wish my tummy would just pop out and give me a little more room to, oh say...eat, breathe, and even bend a little (although, my posture is great because there is no room to slouch). My rib cage has expanded to about twice the size, I swear and some days I wonder if I'm going to break a rib (Bella Cullen can't be the only one, right...and if you don't know what I'm talking about, you seriously live in a cave). My ribs literally ache all the time.

But you know what? I'm still loving every minute of it. I LOVE feeling this little dude moving, nudging, bumping, and kicking- and watching it is even more interesting. I'm am simply fascinated by this process and even more fascinated that I get to experience it firsthand. I had come to terms with my infertility and I was actually at a point in my life where I felt I was okay even if I'd never get to experience the full measure of my creation. I was satisfied with becoming a mother through a different means. There would always be the longing and curiosity for what it would be like, but I was so thrilled when I became a mother that it really didn't matter to me how it happened. But how grateful I am for this unexpected experience. It isn't all wonderful and perfect and happy all the time...in fact it's down right uncomfortable most of the time, but at least I get to know that for myself. I get to live it, enjoy it, suffer it, and celebrate it.


Some days I feel like Sarah, Abraham's wife, after she finally conceived and bore Isaac she said, "God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me." (Genesis 21:6)


Funny thing is that's exactly how I felt when I found out that Tyler was going to join our family, so in the end it really is no different. I am so grateful to have experienced this kind of joy in two very different ways.


(okay, so I'm one week shy of being eight months along, but 8 months sounds like a better title for a post than 7 and 3/4 months).