The Things You Do For Love

by Leslie

A conversation this morning:

“Wow, Leslie. It looks like you’ve lost weight. How’d you do it?”

“I got pregnant.”

I’m not sure how much weight I’ve lost. I’ve got one less chin, so however much that would be. There’s nothing like constant nausea and fear of pooping to keep the food out of your mouth.

I know. You’re probably tired of these posts where I whine about how sick I feel, but seriously kids. This is my life right now. No matter what is going on, I can pretty much guarantee, I am fighting the urge to vomit.

I seem to have a few golden hours every afternoon where I feel like eating, where I’m actually hungry and feel as if I could swallow something. Today, I was hungry for buffalo chicken. Not just hungry. Voracious. For buffalo chicken smothered in bleu cheese. And so my husband said, “What my wife wants, she gets!”

And we took off for some buffalo chicken. We arrived at my favorite buffalo chicken selling establishment and made an order. By the time it arrived, I couldn’t look at it, let alone think of eating it. So, I sipped lemonade and envied the people around me having lunch. Lucky, lucky people and their ability to eat.

This ~~morning~~ all day sickness is awful and wonderful at the same time. While it feels terrible, it is a good sign that the pregnancy is going well. Although eating is difficult right now, it hasn’t stopped my abdomen from growing. It feels bigger. It’s probably just “bowel distention” I’m told. I like to believe it’s my amazing ability to grow people in there.

The hardest part of being sick for me, though, is missing out on things with Julia. I’m there, but I’m not there like I was before. I’m distracted. I have less energy.

When I got pregnant I thought, “I’ve got nine months for just Jules and me. We’re gonna live it up. Just me and my girl. It’s gonna be special.” But it’s not like that at all. This baby is already asking more of me than I expected. And so soon.

Don’t ever let people fool you into the idea that you aren’t a mother until that baby is born. It simply isn’t true.

But, Julia is an amazing kid. She’s taking it all in stride and seems quite proud of herself for being such a big helper. She made the bed for me, yesterday. I never asked. It’s something we usually do together. She took it upon herself to make the bed and was so proud to show me, “Look what I did for you!”

And last night SHE tucked ME in. Then, she brought me my What To Expect When You’re Expecting and we looked at the drawings of the baby in the book, month by month, so she could see how our baby is growing. After she kissed me on the forehead and told me, “You’re the bestest Mommy in all da world,” I had to jump up and run to the bathroom to throw up, but I didn’t mind at all.

Posted in Mommy's Stuff |

Comments

13 Cool Kids Came To Play

Karly on September 14, 2007 5:16 pm
Its hard giving up that time with your first one to focus on the second, even when number 2 is still in your belly, isn’t it? I remember all the guilt and the worry. It does get better and it does work out and you’re a great mama to Julia. The bestest in all da world.

How much longer til your out of the first trimester? Hopefully it will ease up then!
mackeydoodle on September 14, 2007 6:38 pm
What a wonderful little girl you have there.
I hope your sickies ease up soon so you & Julia can party it up for the next 6 months….er’ well, maybe 5 months. That last month is an doozy.
Daddy Forever on September 14, 2007 8:40 pm
Oh no, sounds like those bands are not working anymore. Julia sounds like my kinda of kid (not like my kids; just want my kids to be like).
Suzanne on September 14, 2007 9:40 pm
Three words: Phen, Er, Gan. Actually, it’s one word but three syllables… and the word again is Phenergan!!

I remember when I was prego with number 2, I was so worried that there was just no way that I could love the second baby as much as my first. I mean, I really worried about it…. thinking that I would be a bad mother to number 2 and have to fake equal amounts of love for the rest of their lives!! (Yes, I’m crazy.) But somehow you do. You love them all. It’s amazing.
Toni on September 14, 2007 9:41 pm
“I’ve got nine months for just Jules and me. We’re gonna live it up. Just me and my girl. It’s gonna be special.”

Growing a baby together IS special and she obviously knows it. She’s totally got the big sis thing under control.

On the nausea - try putting just a touch of peppermint essential oil on a handkerchief. Carry it with you and sniff at it once in a while (not constantly). It won’t remove that sick feeling entirely but it will help some. Also, I had a friend that swore by Preggie Pops. You can get them online if no one around you carries them.
Jerseygirl89 on September 14, 2007 10:05 pm
What a great big sister Julia is - not to mention wonderful daughter. What’s so funny is that I read this and feel sorry for how yucky you’re feeling. . .and yet it makes me want to have another baby.

Have you tried flat ginger ale? That always helped me. And Altoids are also good.
Chris H on September 15, 2007 2:06 am
Awwwww so sweet, you and Julia!!!! Just imagine her as a big sisiter, she is going to be precious.
Jen in MI on September 15, 2007 12:20 pm
What a sweetie pie she is! Remember, the sickness won’t last forever. Hugs to you!
heathersway on September 15, 2007 4:48 pm
Your little girl is so sweet. What a nice story, even with the running and the puking.

I know what you mean about the baby asking so much so soon. My second pregnancy hit me like a ton of bricks (without the nausea thank God) and I was such an absentee Mommy for a while. This too shall pass though and just think, you have those 3am feedings to look forward to (I recommend a bag of Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Chunk Cookies by your nursing station).

:)
Mommy the Maid on September 16, 2007 6:16 pm
Aww, what a sweet little girl. I know all about the morning sickness too. It sucks. I get it all day for the entire 9 months. It isn’t fun, but you are right, it is a good sign. I hope you find something that will help you tame the sickness. People want to vomit when I tell them that clam chowder always helped me, but everyone has something different. HUGS to you momma.
kim on September 17, 2007 10:19 am
I’d caution on the phe.nergan if you’re exhuasted. I can’t stay awake on it - can’t drive, can’t work, and certainly wouldn’t be able to function with my kids at all. I had great luck with all things sour — lemon drops especially. I’d try everything “natural” first if you can, and use the phe.nergan as a last resort…
akinvt on September 18, 2007 8:52 am
You and Julia will be living it up together again soon, the sickness will not last forever (although it certainly doesn’t feel that way while you are in the midst of it).

I used to suck on hard candy just to get the god awful taste out of my mouth. In fact I went through the entire jar that had sat untouched in the office for YEARS! It helped some.
jenn in holland on September 22, 2007 1:32 am
You said a mouthful here babe. Growing babies is big work. Be gentle with yourself.