With my first pregnancy I learned some very valuable lessons. The first and most important being, you have no earthly idea what it means to love your child until you have one. There's no way to explain it. It's a secret club and we couldn't give away the secret if we tried. It's not always instantaneous, but it does happen. For me, the second I saw Gabrielle, my heart and soul changed. I've never been the same since.
The second thing I learned, pregnancy and childbirth....SUCKS. I know some of you out there loved being pregnant. All I can do is assume you were unconscious the whole 9 months, or you completely forgot. I have never forgotten, In fact, one of the first things I realized with this pregnancy was "oh god, these next 9 months are going to suck". Sometimes you just gotta be real with yourself. I promise you, I am terrified of delivering her. That is some serious pain and yes I choose to do it drug free. Sometimes you just gotta experience it all to really appreciate it. Plus, I want to see if Greg will pass out.
The last big lesson I learned? You win some, you lose some... friends. It's a tough pill to swallow. Some people just don't know how to handle a friend with a baby. Suddenly, you can't just go out. Trust me, most won't be able to understand why you aren't comfortable leaving your baby with a sitter. Inevitably, these friends will call less. However, you'll meet other parents. You'll spend HOURS over coffee sharing birth stories and laughing about how sleep deprived you are. You may not stay friends forever, eventually parenting styles drive people apart (or their precious child grows up to be a real brat) and you part ways. Sometimes, you stay friends for years to come, despite life changes.
My second pregnancy just gave me lessons to build on the first ones. That's when Nicholas came blazing a trail into this world! July 5, 2005!!!! You want to talk about being thrown for a loop? That was this boy!!! Everything from the pregnancy and birth to the years to come was different! I thought I knew what to do! This showed me that every single pregnancy and every child is very different from the last.
My biggest lesson with Nick was that a pregnancy REALLY can surprise you in every way. First being the whole positive pregnancy test once you realize you have no idea when your last period was. Then, to having a VERY big belly very quickly. The worst part? Did you know a pregnancy REALLY can go 10 months??? No, I am dead serious. I know... I did it. Did you also know that you can give birth at home, with zero pain meds to a baby that is 9 pounds??? I also know this to be true. I did it. Guess what else??? Your tailbone can dislocated. You dont want to know how I know this, trust me.
My most surprising lesson was that boys are truly magical to their mommies! Nothing against girls, but boys just loooooooove their mommies and that is an amazing feeling to be had. Nick and I are still super close to this day. Of course Gabby and I have a very different bond and no less special. It's just a given that boys are closer to their moms and girls tend to be closer to their dads and Gabby certainly has been. (of course, not always the case, but it certainly has been with my 2).
The best thing both pregnancies taught me is that while pregnancy sucks, it's so worth it. It's 9 months of hell, but it ends with a very special gift. So, here I sit. I'm on the last leg of my pregnancy. The days are flying by. Baby number 3 will be here very soon. I'm sure she'll have a whole new set of lessons for us all!!!
