When I was pregnant with Heidi...it was not a fun time. Some women "glow" and just "love every second of it." They say they've never felt more beautiful than when they were pregnant. I wasn't one of those.
I had the all-day nausea loveliness. I ate a lot of saltines. And French Fries. And Vitamin B6.
I craved all the unhealthiest foods (see above). Bar food. And orange Crush soda. And Sweettarts. Mostly. The thought of steamed broccoli made me want to hurl.
I couldn't ride in the car. Or sit at my desk at work. Because my back hurt so badly from conception through the 9th month (why when the baby is the size of rice does my back hurt, I do not know). I carried a pillow on long car trips for the back. And walked a lot at work.
I had restless legs. In the car. And in bed. You have no idea how fun those are until you have them.
I had heartburn. The kind of heartburn that wakes you up at 2am and you debate waking your spouse because you think it's quite possible, despite your health and the lack of historical cardiac problems in your family, that you're having a heart attack. I ate a lot of Tums. And drank the liquid stuff when the Tums just laughed in the face of it. And stayed away from Casey's red sauce.
I started showing the minute the second line showed up. And I gained 50 lbs. I don't think any of it was water.
I screamed so loudly during delivery some folks in Hillsboro probably wondered who they were killing at the hospital. I lost so much blood that I could barely walk to the mailbox for the first two weeks afterwards.
And what I wouldn't give to do it all again.
Lord, I promise, if given that chance, you wouldn't hear even one complaint. I would savor every single minute of another pregnancy because I know that it isn't some guarantee in life. It isn't something to take for granted and to wish away. I know that every minute I spend with an aching back and restless legs and heartburn is a minute that another woman would trade me for without hesitation. Without hesitation. I promise.
