Pregnancy

 It's crazy that next week I will be in my third trimester; This pregnancy is starting to feel very real!

Being pregnant has literally been a roller coaster. I never worried about having a child or raising children. Being the eldest of eight, I've practically been working with children my entire life. We have Aiden's two-year-old son fifty percent of the time so we are already used to raising a child together; Actually doing something I would consider harder, co-parenting. 

However, I hadn't been prepared for the physical and mental toll it takes on your body. Compared to a lot of the pregnancy stories I've heard, my pregnancy has been a breeze! I had very mild morning sickness, I have had good blood pressure, my body has been doing an incredible job being an incubator, I haven't gained extra weight outside of my breasts and belly, my baby is quiet most of the time but healthy, and I haven't experienced any swelling in my ankles or legs yet. A lot of the time throughout this pregnancy I honestly forgot I was pregnant! Things felt pretty normal. 

Yet, I didn't really enjoy the first half of pregnancy at all. Being an active person, it was hard to accept I would have to stop some activities; Jiu-Jitsu and surfing for example. Extreme fatigue in the first trimester was hard to deal with because I felt useless. The smallest tasks and everyday activities were making me feel like I had just done a full day of tree planting. Having eversions to food and not feeling hungry wasn't fun either. Very glad I can enjoy food again! 

The mood swings and an increase in emotional response has been tough. I rarely cried before my pregnancy; Being pregnant I cry at least once a week, sometimes more. It can be sparked by stress, sometimes music, or emotional movies! Things just get under my skin a little easier now and I miss my thick skin. However, Aiden is always there to hold me when I get rocked by an emotional wave, and it's been incredibly comforting to have that rock and support during this intense time. 

Lately, I've been enjoying my pregnancy a lot more. Finding out our baby is a girl was very exciting! Now that I am starting to feel the baby move and my belly grow everything is starting to feel a little more real and I get excited. I think about our daughter a lot! I try not to put any expectations on the sort of person she is going to be. I honestly don't care if she is a tomboy like myself or likes pink and pretty shoes! I'm excited to meet her, to be her Mom, and find out what her interests and passions will be. 

What I didn't expect to get out of pregnancy was this feeling of power. My body is doing something incredible! There is a life growing within me that my body is nurturing and supporting twenty-four hours a day. On top of that, it can still manage to do everyday tasks. I garden, I raise livestock, cook, clean, bike, swim, lift feed bags, and stay on my feet all day while carrying this little life within me. I feel empowered by this pregnancy and I am really grateful for that! 

I feel so blessed! I never thought about having a child or a family life because of what doctors had told me but here I am.

 I am so grateful that I am going through this experience with Aiden. I already get to see him in his fatherly role so I know what kind of father he will be for our little girl. He has been through the experience of having a newborn so he knows what to expect and how to support me best. He is excited and I am too! 

In anticipation of the baby, Aiden, his friends, and family have been working really hard to put together a cabin for us on the farm. By December, we should have our own little personalized home for our daughter, son, dog, probably some fish might manage a house bunny, who knows!

So much to look forward to and many adventures to come. It hasn't been easy, but it's been incredibly fulfilling!