A Few Things I've Learned

I'm not a pro at pregnancy by any means, but having gone through this three times now, there are a few pieces of wisdom I'd like to pass along.

1. Once you wear yoga pants, you never go back. I wore them almost every day of my third trimester with Owen and Eli and vowed that I wouldn't put them on with Garrett. I made it until about halfway through the third trimester before buckling under the temptation again. With this one, I swore that I wouldn't be so weak again. It just makes me feel like a shlub, not to mention that I always remember holding them up early on in the pregnancy and thinking 'there's no way these will actually fit. They're so big!' and then shamefully basking in their comfort for days and weeks at a time. This time I didn't unpack them! Actually, I repacked them right into the hospital bag to wear on the way home - I'll have earned the added comfort by then! : )

2. Don't share your names until you are finished having babies. It doesn't matter if you're having your fourth boy in a row. If you're not done, don't tell your favorite girl name to anyone. For that matter, don't tell the name you settled on. Why open the door for opinions? Once the kid is born and permanently named, no one in their right mind would say anything negative about it - or share all of their 'but then they'd be nicknamed ___' side comments. All they'll think is that this perfect beautiful baby has the most perfect beautiful name.

3. The end of the pregnancy brings the death of other phases too. This was an 'aha moment' for me, yesterday if I'm being honest. I'm a little sad that it took me three pregnancies to figure it out. First of all, I'm not a pregnancy lover. There are some people who just live it up, enjoy every little moment and glow for 9 months. Not me. It's a sacrifice for me to give up my body, sleeping well, eating and drinking what I want, breathing regularly while walking up the stairs and being able to hold my other kids on my lap. I have been counting down until it's over since probably 16 weeks. What I just realized though is that as happy as I'll be when this pregnancy is over, our family will never look just like this again. We have a brief time with Owen, Eli and Garrett just like this and then never again... why am I wishing it away?! Yes, I'd love to meet this baby boy, but at the same time, I want to keep it in perspective that it's not just my world that will be rocked with a newborn - theirs will be too. It's an adjustment for all of us, so I'm trying my best to enjoy it for what it is.

I'm sure there are more, but pregnancy brain is getting the best of me and I can't remember anything past 8pm. Anything you've learned from pregnancy?