The BIG Quiet Light Update

Where have you been, Caity? Where are your weight loss photos? How did your Lenten sacrifice go? What's going on in the world of the Quiet Light Blog?

Well, it finally happened-- after wanting a baby for, like, ever, and trying for a baby for what felt like ages, I got that blue plus sign and did not believe what I was looking at. If you've read any of my earlier blog posts, namely the ones dealing with women's health, you'll know that I have a textbook regular cycle. However, I was a week late, but was 99% convinced that it was due to my new rigorous diet and exercise routine. But there was still that little part of my brain that has been baby crazy since I got married and it convinced me to run to Target and pick up some tests (which were on sale, go figure-- pregnancy tests cost way too much, in my opinion, so I always get excited when they go on sale).

After a fun night of going out with my best girlfriend (and drinking too many Moscow mules), I woke up the next morning and braced myself for yet another negative test. Surprise, it wasn't! My husband was right there for it, too-- I really don't keep any of this stuff secret from him, and since it is a pretty big deal for both of us, I felt very strongly that he should be included in the initial experience. We freaked out; I was pretty convinced that it was due to some hormone irregularity from my diet, and he didn't really seem to believe it either. Yet, as our day went on, it sank in. I took a test the next day, and within five seconds it was positive again.

Weeks later, after telling close family and friends, we finally got to confirm the pregnancy with an OB/GYN and see our little minion moving around a bit.

Apparently this kid is as shy as his/her parents because it took the sonographer forever to find said minion (or, it could be due to my layers of blubber that have made me look pregnant since I was 11). Yet, sure enough, there baby was, with a super fast heartbeat and wiggly body and moving arms. It took several weeks for me to be totally convinced, but once I heard the heartbeat I knew, with 100% certainty, that Jurassic Baby was a go.

We're calling it Jurassic Baby because 1) at the time we found out, he/she had a tail, 2) we don't know the sex yet, so obviously we can't name him/her and 3) baby velociraptors are actually the coolest babies in the whole world so... feel free to disagree with me in the comments, but I highly doubt you'll change my dinosaur-loving mind ;)

So, How Has Pregnancy Affected Me?

Well, physically, I'm tired a lot. The first 11 weeks I had no appetite, wanted nothing to do with food or the smell of food, unless it was bread or fruit gummies. However, now at 12 weeks, the tides are changing and I'm getting a lot hungrier, my already big tummy is getting firmer, and I'm still napping almost every day. I'm not sure if it is a craving, but I do seem to be liking any sour or tart fruits, namely mango, lime, lemon, and raspberry. Smoothies have saved my life on numerous occasions.

More than anything, though, I'm going through a lot of emotional and mental changes, some due to hormones, of course, but some due to the fact that my life is dramatically altered now. I would love to blog about all of the thoughts and feelings fluttering about my brain right now, but there's way too much to cover in one post. I am going to give you all a brief list of what to expect over the next few weeks from the Quiet Light blog, as pregnancy has definitely begun to change my outlook on life and love.

1. Be prepared for a rant about pregnancy advice. I love that people want to be helpful, and I love hearing about other people's experiences, but I do not love people telling me that I am going to go through the same thing they did. I've never been pregnant before. I don't know what's going to happen to me, but my best bet is that it will probably be a lot like my mom's pregnancies-- but it could still be different!

2. Also be prepared for a rant about supporting pregnant moms and their decisions concerning childbirth. There is nothing more disheartening than telling someone you plan to have an all natural, non-medicated childbirth, and they look at you like you're some naive crazy person and tell you, in any manner of words, "You can't do it." I'm going to stop here because I really will go on forever if I don't. The point is, be supportive.

3. I've always held a pro-life stance my entire life, but if anything, pregnancy is reaffirming that belief. I'm realizing that this is not, in fact, my body that I'm worrying about. Jurassic Baby is its own entity, its own being, its own personality, its own body, and it has been from day one. So, stay tuned for how my views are solidifying and strengthening on this front.

4. Here's the big one, what's been on my mind for several weeks; I'm stressing out about family. I've been pondering over and over in my mind what it means to truly love someone, whether they are your child, your parent, your spouse, your sibling, your grandparent, etc. I'm surrounded by great examples of familial love and some not so great examples of familial love, and I'm sure many other families go through the same thing. So, as I'm sorting out what sort of family I want Jurassic Baby to grow up in, I hope to share some of my thoughts and ideas with you all.

For now, I'm off to drink a raspberry smoothie and prepare for a nap because I worked my tail off this morning with a 3-mile walk and some grocery shopping. Stay tuned, as always, and au revoir!