What I Love Most About Being Pregnant

As the last days of pregnancy draw to a close, I sit and wonder if I'll ever experience this again. Only time will tell whether or not we're a family of four or destined for more. The thought of never being pregnant again saddens me and almost brings tears to my eyes. Yes, there are many things that are easy to complain about. Sore backs, sour stomachs, scary stretch marks, and my favorite - indigestion!!! But those things are minute to the wonderful feelings that come from carrying your child inside of you.

Pregnancy brings about an excitement that is contageous. From the first sign that appears on that coveted little test, to the first time you hear a heart beat, to seeing that beautiful little alien face and knowing that you're making life, pregnancy is the greatest blessing that we as women are given.

My second pregnancy has definitely been different than the first. With Olivia, I was all giggles and don't think that I thought of anything for 9 months other than my baby. I dreamed of her day and night, and worried just as much. Can I do this? Will she like me? Will she be healthy? Can I raise her the way God intends? Amidst all of the excitment, you can't help but be scared of how much your life will change. But life does change. It's brilliantly different and more spectacular than I could have ever imagined.

Pregnacy with Zach has brought some of the same emotions, but I feel that I'm wiser now. Yes, I do worry about him, but in a realistic way. I do think about him day and night, but now I daydream of him laughing at his big sister and reaching for his Daddy. Zach is not only a gift to Josh and I, but also to Olivia. To think of my baby girl as a big sister - Wow!!! She's going to be great! She has so much love and happiness in her soul that she's sure to be Zach's biggest fan!!!

I think that the thing that I love most about pregancy is something that a very good friend told me very early on in my first pregnancy. For a short while, you walk through life knowing that you're never alone! How amazing is that! As my family sleeps upstairs, I sit here with my son and cherish the final days that I'll have him all to myself. Soon I'll have to share him with the family, with friends, and with life. He'll grow and change and eventually he'll be Olivia's age and want to do everything himself. As mothers, we go from dedicating our bodies to creating a child, to dedicating our lives to raising a child, to stepping back in the end and letting go. It's a very good thing that God made us strong - only mothers could bear such trials.

So to my son I say:

Mommy loves you Baby Boy, and I can't wait to meet you. You are already the perfect addition to our family, and we thank God for you every day. I pray that I can be the mother that you deserve. You are sure to be a strong and smart like your father, happy and loving like your sister, and if you are like me at all, I pray that you'll always follow your heart and know that you were raised by parents who love everything about you.

Until we meet, sleep tight little man! This big world is waiting on you, and Mommy has been saving kisses for 9 months just for you! I love you, Zachary!!!