The Belly....

There was a time (a very long time ago) when my waist was 22 inches around.  At my last doctor's appointment, my belly was 30 cm from top to bottom.

It isn't such a big deal to me right now (although, if it stays that way for very long after this pregnancy, it will be a big deal to me) what the size of my waist is, because I know that inside there is a precious bundle, a gift, that is growing and taking shape and that makes the stretching of my belly so very worth it.

There was a time when I could look down and see my toes. Hmmm.... it's been a while since I have seen them now that I think about it.  Painting my toe nails takes some pretty awkward stretching and acrobatics on my part.  Brian would do them for me, but...... I think we would end up laughing too much through out that process and who knows what the toes might look like after we were all done.

The week Mom passed away (three and a half years ago), she painted my toe nails for me so my toes would look pretty when I went into the hospital.  I didn't take off the remainder of the polish until June of that year, four months later.

There was a time when I could pull anything out of the closet and just put it on.  Now, even my maternity tops are shrinking and finding ways to cover up the belly have stretched my creativity. 

For the last week, everyone who has seen me has asked if I am sure I don't have twins in there.  Seriously?  Answering that gets kind of old after three or four times.

My favorite, though, are the double takes I get from people who saw me at church a week ago and then saw me this week.  "You grew in just a week!"  Yep!  But I'm not the only one growing!  There is a cute little guy that is making me grow with each little step he makes in his own growth.  That is exciting!

There was a time when I could sleep through the night.  Now my little man loves to jump around when I am trying to rest up for a day with his sister who also loves to jump around.  But I do love feeling him move.  And although feeling him move weirds Brian out, he is a good sport and feels him moving right along with me since he knows it means so much to me. 

Aunt Faye also gets a kick out of feeling our little guy kick, move, and slide. 

There was a time when our days just consisted of me and Brian.  We were a carefree couple.  We did things on a whim.  If we felt like going to Perkins at 10 at night, we would just because we could. 

There was a time when reality hit us (I think it was in the hospital when we heard her first cry) as parents that a little girl depended on us for everything, and we became very schedule oriented.  Our days consisted of the three of us.

There will be a time, very soon, when life will change again in a very good way.  I won't be sleeping through the night for a while (but I'm not sleeping through the night now as it is, so that isn't a big deal), but in looking back at those days with Addie, they are so short in the grand scheme of things and I am learning how to nap during the day. 

There will be a time when nap times and feedings will determine the course of our day, when diapers and wet wipes will feel like they are taking over our home, when baby gear will be in every room of the house.... and that is okay!

All too soon, my belly will be gone,  I'll be able to see my toes again, I'll be able to wear my old clothes again, no one will ask me silly questions (actually, some people just can't help themselves), I'll be sleeping through the night, the baby gear will be gone, diapers will be a thing of the past, and we will find a new sense of normal for our little family.

In all honesty, I will miss these days when they are past.  Right now I don't know if Ian will be our last or if we will revisit the subject in a couple of years.  Whatever the case, I love where I am right now (big belly and all), and I will love all of the stages of life that our family journeys through because we will journey through them with God as a family.  What more could we want!