I don’t know what happened, but this morning I woke up feeling that I have a lot to be grateful for. I said to Jon, “It is good that we don’t live in the 1600s. We don’t have to worry about the baby staying in so long that she stops thriving.” Jon said, “There are a lot of good things about not living in the 1600s.” “Like toilets,” I said.<\/p>\n
I really have a lot to be thankful for. Here is a short list:
\n* I have the best, most supportive and loving husband in the whole world!
\n* We have a really amazing baby girl in my belly.
\n* We have incredibly loving and caring friends and family.
\n* We have good health care: insurance to cover expenses, midwives and doctors whom we trust, and a great “hospital”:http:\/\/enh.org\/aboutus\/visitingus\/evanston\/ where we’ll give birth.
\n* Conditions are favorable for me to be induced, if we need to do that: baby’s head is down, cervix is soft and effaced, and I’m starting to dilate.
\n* I’m still sleeping well, and I have a good appetite, and I haven’t gotten any stretch marks yet.
\n* We have a great house with bulbs that are blooming in the front yard.
\n* It is 70 degrees outside.
\n* We don’t live in the 1600s.<\/p>\n
I think it is okay for me to be grumpy these days if I need to be (and I think I *do* need to feel free to be crabby occasionally), but it is also nice to feel thankful. A range of emotions is important at this time in a pregnant woman’s life!<\/p>\n
One of the most difficult things about waiting for labor to begin is having no control over the situation. After all the reading I’d done about natural childbirth, I had assumed that I could try lots of the labor-enhancing techniques if I were late and the baby would pop right out. Not true! I’m learning that, no matter how hard you try, sometimes the baby just wants to stay in for awhile longer.<\/p>\n
You’d think I would have learned this lesson about not being in control throughout this pregnancy. I thought I had! There is not much we have control over: healthy conception, steady baby growth, avoiding morning sickness — you can do a few things to contribute to their success (like good nutrition), but mainly you just have to trust in the mercy of God.<\/p>\n
Last night, Jon reminded me about how the Lord is our shepherd, and he knows his sheep. He knows our Baby Girl intimately, he knows when she should emerge, and we can trust him to care for our family. I’m grateful to serve such a good God!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I don’t know what happened, but this morning I woke up feeling that I have a lot to be grateful for. I said to Jon, “It is good that we don’t live in the 1600s. We don’t have to worry about the baby staying in so long that she stops thriving.” Jon said, “There are … <\/p>\n