Last months of pregnancy...
Where the line between fake contractions and constipation pains become blurred......
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Neighbor's Words of Wisdom
Ever have one of those moments where God just grabs your attention? It could be through a song, amazing nature, the kind deeds of others - a whole slew of things. Last week God grabbed me through the words of a neighbor.
The typical reaction to our "news" varies between shock and awe (jaw drop, look of utter surprise, hand over the mouth), laughter, to all sorts of comments about how we are going to have our hands full, how busy we are going to be, how expensive paying for 5 kids will be, etc. Pretty much the reactions that L and I had when we found out.
Last week I was outside with the kids when our neighbor lady from across the street came out to say hello. I hadn't talked to her since before Xmas, so I looked a little different then I did 6 months ago. (OK, a lot different, but lets not focus on the largeness people). After chatting and catching up a bit, she asked the obvious question: "So, when are you due?"
"Here we go", I thought. Every time I get this question, it typically leads into the same conversation. Second question will be "Do you know what you are having?", followed by, "Oh my gosh! Do twins run in your family? Did you use fertility? You guys are going to be busy, blah blah blah..."
So, I just went ahead and spilled the beans all at once...
"My official date is August 9th, but will probably deliver in mid-July because it's twins again, a boy and a girl."
As I braced myself for the barrage of crazy questions, she said, "Oh my gosh - you are truly blessed. What an amazing blessing. Children are such a gift - God has granted you an amazing gift."
Excuse me? Did you say I was blessed? Did you say God had granted us an amazing gift?
No comments about how crazy our life was going to be? Nothing about how hard having 5 children will be? No intrusive questions about how the kids were conceived?
It was like God had put his hands on my shoulders and shook me. It was like he was saying to me, "Don't you get it? Don't you realize how lucky you are? I have blessed you, so stop whining and worrying and being scared. Embrace the gift you big dummy!"
God used my neighbor lady, and her amazing faith, to pull me out of my overwhelmed pity party. She made me realize that we are blessed. And no matter how hard, or chaotic, or crazy our life is, God has blessed us. And I need to remember that.
Now, I can't guarantee that every time you talk to me, or every time I write, I am going to ooze grateful blessedness. Because we are heading into a huge crazy mess that is going to be hard. But, I am going to work on thanking God a lot more for what he has bestowed on us, and remembering that he will be walking with us on this journey.
Thank you neighbor lady, for speaking the truth, shaking me back onto a grateful path, and sharing God's voice with me.
The typical reaction to our "news" varies between shock and awe (jaw drop, look of utter surprise, hand over the mouth), laughter, to all sorts of comments about how we are going to have our hands full, how busy we are going to be, how expensive paying for 5 kids will be, etc. Pretty much the reactions that L and I had when we found out.
Last week I was outside with the kids when our neighbor lady from across the street came out to say hello. I hadn't talked to her since before Xmas, so I looked a little different then I did 6 months ago. (OK, a lot different, but lets not focus on the largeness people). After chatting and catching up a bit, she asked the obvious question: "So, when are you due?"
"Here we go", I thought. Every time I get this question, it typically leads into the same conversation. Second question will be "Do you know what you are having?", followed by, "Oh my gosh! Do twins run in your family? Did you use fertility? You guys are going to be busy, blah blah blah..."
So, I just went ahead and spilled the beans all at once...
"My official date is August 9th, but will probably deliver in mid-July because it's twins again, a boy and a girl."
As I braced myself for the barrage of crazy questions, she said, "Oh my gosh - you are truly blessed. What an amazing blessing. Children are such a gift - God has granted you an amazing gift."
Excuse me? Did you say I was blessed? Did you say God had granted us an amazing gift?
No comments about how crazy our life was going to be? Nothing about how hard having 5 children will be? No intrusive questions about how the kids were conceived?
It was like God had put his hands on my shoulders and shook me. It was like he was saying to me, "Don't you get it? Don't you realize how lucky you are? I have blessed you, so stop whining and worrying and being scared. Embrace the gift you big dummy!"
God used my neighbor lady, and her amazing faith, to pull me out of my overwhelmed pity party. She made me realize that we are blessed. And no matter how hard, or chaotic, or crazy our life is, God has blessed us. And I need to remember that.
Now, I can't guarantee that every time you talk to me, or every time I write, I am going to ooze grateful blessedness. Because we are heading into a huge crazy mess that is going to be hard. But, I am going to work on thanking God a lot more for what he has bestowed on us, and remembering that he will be walking with us on this journey.
Thank you neighbor lady, for speaking the truth, shaking me back onto a grateful path, and sharing God's voice with me.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Eatin' Crow
Earlier this week I shared my first "lesson" I think the Big Man Upstairs was teaching me. Now it is time to share lesson #2.
"I will never, ever, ever drive a minivan." stated Heather. "I don't care how much fossil fuel I waste, how much I spend on gas, or if we eat rice and beans all month to afford the payment - I will drive a Suburban before I get behind the wheel of a minivan."
My minivan loving friends would politely listen, nod their head understandingly, and then launch into all the benefits of the Mom-Wagon. Electronic doors, ease of getting kids in and out, hauling their kids friends easily, automatic lift gate, yada yada, blah blah blah...
and I would think to myself - "But just look at it. It says, 'I've given up. I have lost all coolness and succumbed to the world of mom jeans, spit up covered shirts, and purses containing more cracker crumbs and pacis than lipstick.'" and feel pity for them cruising around in their rectangular boxes of pathetic-ness.
And God sat up in heaven giggling......
When #4 and #5 appeared on the ultrasound screen, it quickly became apparent that our current vehicle was not going to work. So, we started car shopping. We investigated every large vehicle option known to man: the Suburban, the Yukon, the Expedition, The Excursion, a small school bus, that strange thing John and Kate +8 drive, a Winnebago. We interviewed numerous families of 7 - what did they drive, how did they fit all the car seats in, did they really go anywhere all together in public anyway?
And the same solution kept popping up no matter how we tried to avoid it: MINIVAN
So last Friday we broke down and headed to the Honda dealer and signed over my coolness, my hipness, my "I'm Never Driving a Minivan" persona and pulled out of the lot with this:
To all my friends who patiently listened while I slammed the minivan, I will be eating some crow for dinner tonight.
And after that tasty avian dinner, I will push my remote key and open the doors for my children to hop in, use the in-dash navigation to plot our route to soccer practice, play some kiddie tunes off my I-Pod through the auxiliary doc, open the sunroof and cruise while I talk on the Bluetooth enabled phone. All in my rectangular box of pathetic-ness.
"I will never, ever, ever drive a minivan." stated Heather. "I don't care how much fossil fuel I waste, how much I spend on gas, or if we eat rice and beans all month to afford the payment - I will drive a Suburban before I get behind the wheel of a minivan."
My minivan loving friends would politely listen, nod their head understandingly, and then launch into all the benefits of the Mom-Wagon. Electronic doors, ease of getting kids in and out, hauling their kids friends easily, automatic lift gate, yada yada, blah blah blah...
and I would think to myself - "But just look at it. It says, 'I've given up. I have lost all coolness and succumbed to the world of mom jeans, spit up covered shirts, and purses containing more cracker crumbs and pacis than lipstick.'" and feel pity for them cruising around in their rectangular boxes of pathetic-ness.
And God sat up in heaven giggling......
When #4 and #5 appeared on the ultrasound screen, it quickly became apparent that our current vehicle was not going to work. So, we started car shopping. We investigated every large vehicle option known to man: the Suburban, the Yukon, the Expedition, The Excursion, a small school bus, that strange thing John and Kate +8 drive, a Winnebago. We interviewed numerous families of 7 - what did they drive, how did they fit all the car seats in, did they really go anywhere all together in public anyway?
And the same solution kept popping up no matter how we tried to avoid it: MINIVAN
So last Friday we broke down and headed to the Honda dealer and signed over my coolness, my hipness, my "I'm Never Driving a Minivan" persona and pulled out of the lot with this:
To all my friends who patiently listened while I slammed the minivan, I will be eating some crow for dinner tonight.
And after that tasty avian dinner, I will push my remote key and open the doors for my children to hop in, use the in-dash navigation to plot our route to soccer practice, play some kiddie tunes off my I-Pod through the auxiliary doc, open the sunroof and cruise while I talk on the Bluetooth enabled phone. All in my rectangular box of pathetic-ness.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
The "Big Man's" Lessons
I don't believe that God is a vengeful fellow. That being said, I do believe he has no problem teaching us lessons, and I am fertile soil for lessons. This pregnancy and the choices we are having to make due to becoming a family of 7 may fall into the "God's List of Lessons Heather Needs to Learn".
Case in point -
I have several friends that I have made over the years who have 5 children (these dear friends will probably read this and know who they are). Now, none of these women purposely were setting out to have 5 kids - 2 were "oops" pregnancies, one was an "oops" twin pregnancy (sound familiar). I have watched these women handle themselves with grace and humor in light of unexpected and sometimes challenging circumstances. At the same time, when people have asked me how it was to have twins, or twins plus one, there are times when I would reply, "Oh, it is nothing compared to my friend _______. She has 5 kids - can you believe it?" and then maybe share a bit of their story. Now, I wasn't talking bad about these women - really it was talking "in awe" of these women. But, I have to admit there was in the back of my mind a bit of "thank goodness that isn't me".
So, here I am counting down the days until we become "that" family with 5 kids, and I can't help but think, "Shoulda kept my mouth shut."
So, dear friends, please feel free to share our story. Because I know I'm "that" lady - the one who somehow ended up with 2 sets of twins plus one. I'm the one now that people refer to when they say, "You think I have it bad - have you heard about Heather?". Just beware, I spoke in the same manner, and look where I ended up:)
Check back Tuesday to see what other big lesson I am learning this week. Little hint - basically involves eating a big ol' plate of crow.....
Case in point -
I have several friends that I have made over the years who have 5 children (these dear friends will probably read this and know who they are). Now, none of these women purposely were setting out to have 5 kids - 2 were "oops" pregnancies, one was an "oops" twin pregnancy (sound familiar). I have watched these women handle themselves with grace and humor in light of unexpected and sometimes challenging circumstances. At the same time, when people have asked me how it was to have twins, or twins plus one, there are times when I would reply, "Oh, it is nothing compared to my friend _______. She has 5 kids - can you believe it?" and then maybe share a bit of their story. Now, I wasn't talking bad about these women - really it was talking "in awe" of these women. But, I have to admit there was in the back of my mind a bit of "thank goodness that isn't me".
So, here I am counting down the days until we become "that" family with 5 kids, and I can't help but think, "Shoulda kept my mouth shut."
So, dear friends, please feel free to share our story. Because I know I'm "that" lady - the one who somehow ended up with 2 sets of twins plus one. I'm the one now that people refer to when they say, "You think I have it bad - have you heard about Heather?". Just beware, I spoke in the same manner, and look where I ended up:)
Check back Tuesday to see what other big lesson I am learning this week. Little hint - basically involves eating a big ol' plate of crow.....
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
New Home for the Girls
Although there are lots of parts of my body that I would love to change, one area that I have never had a problem with are "The Girls". They're non-descript, rather un-noticeable, and in general not a bother. Never had to worry about them popping out of anything, having to strap them down under layers of sports bras, or someone staring at them. Basically, they’re small and I’m ok with that.
Well, along with everything else on my body getting larger, the girls are growing too. I've been in denial about it, but sadly had to break down and buy a bigger home for them last week. My one saved from last pregnancy was not enough (a woman cannot live on one bra alone) so off toVictoria
Shopping for a bigger bra when you don’t want a bigger bra stinks. Rather than be excited and oogle over all the pretty things in the store, I just headed to the back row where all the practical and least expensive ones were. I figured, this size is just temporary, so I’m not investing a ton of money in something that is not going to fit in 6 months anyway. I am sure this thinking will come back to haunt me when in a year the girls are still humongous and I have to go back and purchase even more big bras.
Anyway, I found my new big-to-me size and headed for the register. The cute and perky clerk started in, “Did you see this one in hot pink? It is so cute! Are you sure you don’t want another one? They are on sale 2 for $45 right now. It’s a great deal!”
In my head I said, “Can’t you tell this size is not my normal size? I don’t need to buy more than one bra today because my chest is not going to stay this big. And certainly not in hot pink – who wants to draw even more attention to these than they are already drawing. That’s probably what got me into this mess in the first place! I am going to go back to my small-chested happy land soon, and this bra will just swim on me, so no, I don’t want to buy 2, I don’t even want this one!”
Instead, I just nodded and said, “No thank you. I’m fine. You can just ring me up.” with a big fake smile.
Well, along with everything else on my body getting larger, the girls are growing too. I've been in denial about it, but sadly had to break down and buy a bigger home for them last week. My one saved from last pregnancy was not enough (a woman cannot live on one bra alone) so off to
Shopping for a bigger bra when you don’t want a bigger bra stinks. Rather than be excited and oogle over all the pretty things in the store, I just headed to the back row where all the practical and least expensive ones were. I figured, this size is just temporary, so I’m not investing a ton of money in something that is not going to fit in 6 months anyway. I am sure this thinking will come back to haunt me when in a year the girls are still humongous and I have to go back and purchase even more big bras.
Anyway, I found my new big-to-me size and headed for the register. The cute and perky clerk started in, “Did you see this one in hot pink? It is so cute! Are you sure you don’t want another one? They are on sale 2 for $45 right now. It’s a great deal!”
In my head I said, “Can’t you tell this size is not my normal size? I don’t need to buy more than one bra today because my chest is not going to stay this big. And certainly not in hot pink – who wants to draw even more attention to these than they are already drawing. That’s probably what got me into this mess in the first place! I am going to go back to my small-chested happy land soon, and this bra will just swim on me, so no, I don’t want to buy 2, I don’t even want this one!”
Instead, I just nodded and said, “No thank you. I’m fine. You can just ring me up.” with a big fake smile.
And big chested me headed out the door with my adorable striped pink bag in hand, wishing it contained some of those comfy bedazzled sweat pants instead of my giant plain grey bra.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Really?
At my most recent OB appointment, the doctor went through the typical questions:
How are you feeling? (Big and Pregnant)
Have you gained any weight? (Just look at me)
How are things "coming out"? (Not great but not really in the mood to discuss it in detail)
Are you feeling the babies move? (Looks like aliens are living in my belly, so yes)
How's your diet? (If jelly beans at 10pm are considered a crucial part of pre-natal care, my diet is excellent!)
So, are you planning on having any more children?
(Long Pause as I thought....Really? Are you really asking me that? Wasn't I the one that asked you for Xanex after the ultrasound when we found out there was two? Do you realize we are going to have FIVE children? Do you really think I want to have more kids than one can fit in a minivan? We won't even be able to fit around a normal kitchen table. I'm lucky if I make it through this without psychiatric care.)
Answer outloud: "I am 150% positive we are done, so if you medically have the opportunity to make that a sure thing during delivery, you have complete and total permission to make that happen."
I Be Done!
How are you feeling? (Big and Pregnant)
Have you gained any weight? (Just look at me)
How are things "coming out"? (Not great but not really in the mood to discuss it in detail)
Are you feeling the babies move? (Looks like aliens are living in my belly, so yes)
How's your diet? (If jelly beans at 10pm are considered a crucial part of pre-natal care, my diet is excellent!)
So, are you planning on having any more children?
(Long Pause as I thought....Really? Are you really asking me that? Wasn't I the one that asked you for Xanex after the ultrasound when we found out there was two? Do you realize we are going to have FIVE children? Do you really think I want to have more kids than one can fit in a minivan? We won't even be able to fit around a normal kitchen table. I'm lucky if I make it through this without psychiatric care.)
Answer outloud: "I am 150% positive we are done, so if you medically have the opportunity to make that a sure thing during delivery, you have complete and total permission to make that happen."
I Be Done!
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