Munchkin: An Easy Pregnancy

Dear Munchkin,

I loved being pregnant with you.

As pregnancies go, it was pretty easy. I didn’t experience much nausea, though I did have a little trouble with gagging when I brushed my teeth. Once I figured out the cause-and-effect relationship, I waited at least half an hour after eating to brush my teeth and it wasn’t a problem anymore. It meant rearranging my morning routine, but that was a small price to pay.

Growing a baby – and the supportive network – is exhausting, though! I wanted to sleep pretty much all the time during the first trimester; Daddy was very sweet and accommodating. It was a little embarrassing when I had to take naps in the car on my lunch break, however, and when I fell asleep at the symphony a couple times, but we just laughed it off. The only real issue was when my boss caught me falling asleep at my desk and asked if there was something wrong. I felt compelled to tell him the truth, though it was weeks earlier than we’d planned to share the news with anybody. We hadn’t even told our families yet. A father himself, he was very understanding and kept the confidence.

I was about 2 months along at Christmas, when we made the big announcement. Grandpa, Lolo and Lola were all thrilled. Your aunts and uncles were happy for us, too. Nevertheless, we asked everyone to keep the news in the family until we were through the first trimester, when we planned to make it public.

Ironically, shortly after we had shouted the news from the proverbial rooftops, we had a bit of a scare. At about the 16th week, I noticed some bleeding and completely freaked out. My doctor told me to go to the hospital and get checked out. After a series of examinations and tests, they concluded that the placenta was low and may have shifted a bit, causing the bleeding. More importantly, they had confirmed you were healthy and everything appeared normal.

My belly remained relatively small all the way into the 3rd trimester, until I finally “popped” at about 30 weeks. This may have been because I was in the best shape of my life just before you were conceived, and I continued to eat healthily and exercise during the pregnancy. The strong abdominal muscles of a trained, lifelong singer might have had something to do with it, too.

I did develop a few aversions to certain smells, and I definitely had some cravings. I ate a lot of pasta, cheese, ice cream and other dairy products, but I had to leave my cubicle each day when the guy next to me opened up a tuna salad lunch at his desk. I also had some issues with the smell of our dog food.

I think my funniest “crazy pregnant lady craving” story is from one morning when I was at work. Around mid-morning, I was suddenly struck by a desperate need for McDonald’s french fries. Not only was my mouth watering, I could actually smell them. But I was swamped and didn’t have time to run out for lunch. Since Uncle C worked in the same office, I ran over to him and asked if he was going out for lunch. My wild expression must have startled him; he looked a little taken aback. But he graciously agreed to fetch some McDonald’s french fries for me. Only later did I learn that he’d had to go out of his way to do so. As a friendly joke, he included a McDonald’s gift card in his gift at our baby shower.

As your due date grew closer, it did become more difficult to move around and, of course, ever be comfortable. Frequent trips to the bathroom – including every couple hours throughout the night – could probably go without saying. But I knew the end was in sight and soon we’d have a beautiful baby, which made any discomfort more than worth it.

We made plans and preparations, converting what had been the guest room into a nursery. Aunt L painted the room for us as a gift, including a lovely barn scene on one wall, with an adorable cow to match the linens and room accents we’d chosen.

Throughout the pregnancy, Daddy and I read to you, sang to you, and talked to you. We prayed for health and happiness for you, as well as wisdom and guidance for ourselves as your parents. We loved to feel (and watch!) you kick and elbow for more room.

Daddy and I were both very excited, looking forward to the day we would finally meet you…