Since I’m just a few days short of halfway to my due date, I thought I’d do a little recap of what the experience of pregnancy has been like for me so far. Pregnancy is weird, first of all. It’s funny how it can be such a different experience for everyone, which I guess is why I love reading about other women’s experiences.

I am so thankful (and I really can’t say SO thankful enough) to have not experienced any morning sickness. At all. I was so terrified that I would be miserably sick and throwing up constantly and have terrible food aversions, but I haven’t thrown up one time in the last 5 months. I’ve felt great pretty much the entire time, a gift I know is is straight from Jesus. It was interesting to me, when I started asking, that neither my Momma or Grayson’s Momma were sick during their pregnancies either… so maybe I just have good genes?

During the first trimester, I was very tired. I struggled staying awake, especially during mid afternoon, and went to bed much earlier than usual every night. I never really felt rested. Honestly, that seemingly relentless tiredness was the hardest part (physically) of my entire pregnancy so far. I don’t know if it was partly withdraws from caffeine or entirely just caused from the newness of growing a tiny human inside of me, but fortunately that extreme tiredness wore off a good bit with the end of my first trimester.

For the last few weeks of my first trimester, I experienced my first craving: grilled mushrooms. As if this isn’t random enough, it’s especially funny because I hate mushrooms. I don’t know where in the world this craving came from, but my poor husband was up at 10pm grilling whole containers of mushrooms for me many nights for a few weeks in a row. As I entered  into my second trimester, my craving shifted to steak. Steak tacos, steak salad (from Sports Page)… I have wanted it every single day for weeks. There’s a little latino restaurant beside where I work and I even learned how to call in my order in spanish! I’ve heard that craving meat is a sign that you’re having a boy… so I guess they’re right? I reckon it’s safe to say Grayson and I already have a little steak lover on our hands. Oh boy!

I had all these great plans to take cute little weekly pictures holding a chalkboard saying how many weeks along I was every week in the same outfit so I could look back on the progression of my pregnancy (like this), and it just hasn’t happened. I’m disappointed in myself, but it’s hard to actually make an idea like that happen. Instead, I’ve taken a few pictures sporadically. They aren’t alike at all, and I’m not holding any cute little chalkboard comparing my baby’s growth to the size of a vegetable, but I think you can still see the progression of his growth. It’s better than nothing, am I right Mommas?

12 Weeks

This picture is especially precious to me because at this point we had not announced we were expecting yet and we were enjoying a long weekend in Asheville for our anniversary.

16 Weeks

20 Weeks

Actually, this was today… so a little short of 20 weeks, but close enough.

I’m glad to finally be out of that awkward stage where people can’t really tell if you’ve just gained a little weight or if you’re expecting (but they’re usually too afraid to ask). It’s pretty obvious by now that this little baby bump is only going to get bigger, and I’m fine with that. I want to really embrace every part of carrying this little miracle inside of me, because I know that it’s a gift not everyone gets to experience. The fact that God has entrusted me with this little life is the most humbling gift I’ve ever received. Grayson and I hope to have many children, if that’s the Lord’s will for us, but still… you’re only pregnant for the first time one time, so I really want to cherish every moment.

Look at those long legs at his 18 week ultrasound! He’s going to be tall like his handsome daddy!

As I run head-first into the next half of this season of waiting, preparing, and just pure wonder, I want to soak in every moment. I want to remember all the little details. Hearing the sweet hum of his little heart beating, watching the way he claps his hands together on the ultrasound, even the sweet comments complete strangers make…. I want to write it all down so that one day, I can look back on this journey and know without a shadow of a doubt that I accepted the adventure my Father has set before me with grace. His grace.

In the next few weeks, we plan to register and start working on the nursery. I’m having to make a conscious effort every day not to let myself become so overwhelmed by it all that I can’t enjoy it. I feel like I have so many decisions to make, between strollers and car seats and baby monitors and diaper bags and bottles and bouncy seats and high chairs… I know I need to take it one day at a time and not try and do everything at once, so that’s what I’m trying to do. Also, I’ll try and keep the blog a little more up updated with how things are going. Any advice or suggestions from those of you who have been here before would be greatly appreciated, and thank you so much to those of you who have already shared such wisdom with me!

Thanks for reading, friends!