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Daphne

pregnancy

Things to be enjoyed about being pregnant

March 24, 2014

I’ve made it past the halfway mark for this pregnancy (hello, second trimester!) and I think for the first time since November, I’m starting to have a bit of fun with the pregnancy (as much as one can enjoy being pregnant, I suppose).

Maybe it’s because I know that this will be the last time I’m ever going to feel the tiny flutter of a baby’s little dance in my uterus and I’m feeling a bit sentimental. *The husband says there’s no need to be sentimental because hey, maybe #5 will be a girl and we should consider maybe going for it but… 1. looking at our track record, it’s far more likely #5 will be a boy and 2. until he grows a uterus, there will be no #5.

I’m still mildly nauseous and the heartburn is setting in plus I’m starting to look/feel like a whale but there are things to be enjoyed about being pregnant and these are some of my favourites.

1. Feeling the baby move. 

Biological? Maybe. For me, it’s possibly the best part about being pregnant. Usually, I’m going about my day and it’s turning out to be all kinds of stressful and then I feel the baby do a little somersault inside and it always makes me smile.

2. One word: BOOBS. 

Pregnancy boobs is like God’s way of making up for the year or so of trauma that follows after the baby is born, no question about it. Besides, this is the biggest they’ll ever be so I say milk it (sorry, that was impossible to resist).

3. Happy hormones.

Mood swings kind of go both ways. There’s having to learn how to manage the downs, which can be a bummer but there’s also the happy hormones that are just so full of happy. I guess the one good thing about a fourth pregnancy is being better equipped to bask in the happy hormones.

4. Nice hair.

Not really a big deal for some but I’ve had to deal with crazy hair all my life so in the 9 months that it stops and listens to reason, I’m going to throw a party and celebrate.

5. #WIN

Being pregnant is like having an all-access automatic win card. These days, I don’t even have to think of logical ways to explain why my argument is better. I simply point to my stomach like it’s a magical orb of awesomeness and the husband has to make nice.

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On a semi related note, the husband was applying anti-stretch marks oil on my bump (I have a thing about oily textures on my hands) and the whole stomach rubbing episode must have seemed really weird to Truett, who was watching intently and finally, he was like “what’s that for?”

Kirsten immediately said “SO THAT MOMMY’S STOMACH WON’T GET SO SUPER FAT, JUST A LITTLE BIT FAT.”

There has to be a universe where that’s a compliment so I’m going with it.

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Finn

Let’s talk about…nosebleeds

March 20, 2014

Before baby Finn was born, I didn’t have much experience with nosebleeds. I knew what it was but I haven’t seen it happen to anyone up close (thankfully!). I was hoping to keep it that way too because I tend to go a little weak in the knees when I see massive bleeders.

And then I went and had a baby who makes nosebleeding a regular occurrence so now I’m kind of like a nosebleed expert. By regular, I mean that in the past 6 months, this little guy has had 5 episodes. That’s 5 times too many.

Each one goes more or less like this:

The kids will be in the room playing one of their crazy games like they usually do.

play! play!

A commotion ensues. There’s some running and screaming and yelling. During which, I’ll hear words like BLOOD! QUICK RUN AWAY!! MOMMMMMM!

blood! run away!

They always say not to panic when a bleeder happens but there’s usually only one response when you enter a room to see your toddler covered in blood – which is to throw your hands in the air, shriek a little and run around in circles.

panic!

By this time, the baby thinks that we’re playing a super fun game so he starts running around the room, leaving a trail of blood behind him. Btw, have you ever seen a nosebleeding baby sneeze? It’s like how artists create graffiti art with cans of spray paint, except with blood. It lands EVERYWHERE.

Eventually, what you get is a reenactment of the elevator scene from The Shining.

get back here!

I’ve tried several methods of containment and finally found one that works…BATHTUB TIME!

The only way he’ll let me go anywhere near his nose to attempt to stop the bleeding is when he’s distracted by bath toys. Plus I make sure he only bleeds into the tub instead of all over the entire house.

water play

According to the doctors, nosebleeds are nothing to worry about and the important thing is to keep the baby calm and happy until it stops. What that really means is that baby Finn pretty much gets whatever he wants for the next 2 hours.

This kid makes bleeding look like so much fun.

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love bites

We made it to the seven

March 17, 2014

kel & daf

Seven years ago tomorrow, it was a beautiful Sunday. The sun was warm (but not unbearably so) and the day was pretty. At least it felt that way in my head – I can’t really remember. Most of that Sunday seemed like a crazy whirlwind of photo taking, tea ceremonies, people telling us what to do and way too much smiling required for one day but there were a few things I remember quite vividly about it.

I could hardly sleep the night before because I was terrified and so ridiculously happy all at the same time. More terrified and happy than I’ve ever felt up to that point. 

At 5 in the morning, I lay awake in bed thinking about how much I wanted the day to slow down so I could take in every moment of it. 

Someone shouted that you were here and I peered out of the window, watching you walk towards my house with with that goofy grin. It was comforting to see that you looked as terrified and happy as I did. 

By noon, I was completely exhausted and I remember thinking that all I wanted to do was to take a nap. Also, the day was going far too slowly for my liking. I decided it needed to speed up a little. 

I can’t really remember much about walking down the aisle or saying my vows or cutting the cake or any of those epic moments one is supposed to remember about one’s wedding…except that it happened. The moment I remembered most clearly was halfway though the thousand photos we took that day, when you turned to me and whispered “is your face cramping up? I don’t think I’ve ever smiled this much in my life. Let’s just scowl at each other for the rest of the night” and we secretly exchanged a hi-five.

Shortly after that, you said “in case I forget to tell you later, this has been the best day of my life.” Although you did remember to tell me again several more times before the day was over. 

Looking back, we didn’t have a plan or a house or a car or even the faintest clue what our lives would be like seven years down the road. We just closed our eyes, held hands and took a leap.

Over the years, we discovered that marriage isn’t easy. Having babies isn’t easy. Building a life together isn’t easy. Heck, life isn’t easy. It’s fun and exhilarating and awesome but also sometimes boring and scary and so incredibly hard. It took us all the grit and tenacity and commitment we could muster to get to where we are and now, we’ve got a little 7-year-old marriage that’s almost big enough to go to primary school. Which is to say that there’s still so much more ahead of us. I’m guess I’m glad we get to do this together.

Today, I look at my best friend in the world and our 3 babies (plus the little one we’re getting ready to meet) and I feel like what we have right now is better than any other version of my life I could possibly ask for.

Happy seventh a day early, baby!

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