Motherhood Highlights

As some of you know I will be speaking at Calvary Church on Saturday for a Mother's Day brunch. I was just informed that 80 women will be attending (just a week ago it was only 50, 80 somehow scares me!) Yikes! I know God is in control and He will guide my words. Here is an excerpt from part of my talk with the women. I entitled this section the Excited Phase of Motherhood. Here are some exciting things that I experienced as an expecting mommy (with my beautiful baby girl, Julia Star!)

"I was now in what I like to call, The Excited Phase of Motherhood!"

This is the phase where you are in awe of your body changing, you are registering for baby clothes, reading baby books, thinking of girl names and boy names, looking for a good pediatrician, prepping the nursery (actually, my husband worked secretly on the nursery as a surprise for me...I was never allowed in until Christmas morning...6 days before Julia arrived!) You are asking all your mommy friends for advice, you are watching A Baby Story on TLC! I mean everything is just so exciting, wonderfully unexpected and unknown, and NEW to you! Here are 7 highlights of this phase of Motherhood for me:

#1 Going to Babies R Us with my friend Liz (and her daughter Brenna who was about 6 or 7 months old at the time). She walked me down every aisle and told me exactly what I needed to buy and the brand that she researched that was the best, and boy did she know everything I needed to know! It was so amazing to have her walk me through a very daunting task, since I had no clue I needed an exersaucer, and a bouncy seat, and a swing, and a pack n play, who knew that Chico was the lightest car-seat? She made me feel so confident, and she took the time to explain things to me. So thank you Lizzy!

#2 Feeling the baby kick for the first time! How cool is that! It's the best feeling in the world because the baby moving is your one way of knowing that he/she is okay. And boy was Julia a mover and a kicker!

#3 My baby shower at church with all my dear friends and family (little did I know my job would throw me a surprise shower and John's Taekwondo school would!) It was fun to be with all those precious women in my life (My two mentors Christy Weaver and Pam Zollner even though they have moved away and no longer go to my church traveled far distances to be there) I didn't want to know the sex of the baby so most of the baby clothes were yellow and green and even blue, I think because my belly shape looked like a basketball everyone assumed I was having a boy, but Julia fooled them all!

#4 switching obgyn groups and getting Dr. Giovine as my main doctor. He is the kindest doctor I have ever met (besides my dentist) and very open and encouraging throughout my vists. He welcomed all my ideas of having a natural birth, using a doula, a birthing tub, and not using pain meds. or interventions.

#5 my doula Roe, oh my, Roe, what would we have done without her? She gave us child birth classes a few months before I was due, we would meet at her house and learn about all the stages of labor, how to deal with the contractions, how to take care of a newborn. John and I loved learning all these new things. It made us closer as a couple. Having a birthing assistant is wonderful, she involved John and gave him ideas and ways to help me during the contractions, she dimmed the lights, played relaxing music, and allowed me to use a birthing ball to ease the pain. She encouraged me to walk, drink lots of fluid, and find the right position while dealing with the contractions. Most of all she allowed me to be myself and showed me just how strong we as women are.

#6 I grew much closer to my mom. During this pregnancy I was able to do lots of long walks with my mom. We would go to the track, or walk around each others neighborhoods. I got to have my mom as my walking buddy and this made us very close. I can still remember how Julia would get so heavy during those walks (she was probably lulled asleep) and then on the drive home she would wake up and kick as if to say, Hey mom, what happened?

#7 the pink carpet...well at about 8 months into my pregnancy, I'll never forget this, it was a Saturday morning and I decided to go to my parents house for breakfast (John worked at the time on Saturdays) and when I got home a pink carpet with bright yellow and white flowers was rolled up in clear plastic wrap, it must've been delivered while I was gone, was sitting there on my front steps waiting for me to bring it inside. Well, when John got home he knew something was up because I had the BIGGEST smile on my face. He looks at me and said, "Overstock.com got to tell you we were having a girl!" He was bummed. He had been so good not to let the secret out. Honestly, God knew just what I needed to hear at just the time in your pregnancy when you just want the baby out and you want to be skinny again. I was so pumped for the last few weeks of my pregnancy because I was having a GIRL!!!"

Pray for me friends! Pray for the women who come on Saturday too, that they will be encouraged and blessed as moms, and pray for any unsaved moms, that they might be open to having a relationship with Jesus!