Day 98 - Sun Salutations

I'm 25 weeks along and FINALLY have a bit of a belly to show. I feel like my body has changed massively in the last few weeks, even though I haven't "popped" yet and have yet to have a stranger comment on my pregnancy. Our little one (we call her "Little Foot") has been kicking a lot, and supposedly these next couple weeks are supposed to be her most active time. She is big enough to make her presence known, but not so crowded that she can't still enjoy some freedom to move around. 

I took this picture in an attempt to capture my post-yoga glow. The lighting is a bit wonky, so I ended up with more glow than maybe I wanted, but I am grateful that I am 25 weeks and can still complete an hour of yoga (with modifications). Sun salutations are getting harder (planks!), and with my center of gravity always changing, balancing postures are starting to require more concentration. 

Here's what I'm loving today - this prenatal yoga video from www.DoYogaWithMe.com:

https://www.doyogawithme.com/content/prenatal-modified-flow

Day 99: I'm Grateful for Planned Parenthood

I feel like I need to put this out there. I'm not ashamed of being pro-choice, although I understand it's a sensitive issue for a lot of people. You don't have to agree with me, but I hope you will at least read and try to understand my position.

I think the most common misconception about people who are pro-choice is that we all see abortion as a solution to a problem, when in fact, most of us view it as a symptom of a much larger problem - and a necessary evil. I would love to live in a world where the need for abortion didn't exist. But in order for that kind of world to exist, we need to support programs exactly like Planned Parenthood, programs that use most of their funding to provide judgement-free healthcare to people who need it the most.

My pregnancy has not been easy. I am one of those not-so-lucky mommas-to-be whose nausea did not let up at the beginning of the second trimester "like it's supposed to," and a minor complication has meant that I early on, I had some scary moments when the future of my baby was uncertain. I am grateful that my work schedule is flexible and that I have been able to lean on my husband's support - both emotionally and financially - during the rougher times. Aside from the nausea, I know that I am so blessed, because if I was a financially-strapped single woman who relied on an hourly wage, I honestly don't know what I would have done. There are days where (on doctor's orders) I couldn't stand, much less work. But what has made it worthwhile is the knowledge that I want this baby. The idea of someone being forced to go through a difficult pregnancy, if that was not the case, is heartbreaking to me.

Our country has some great programs to help out women who are struggling through pregnancies they didn't plan or can't afford (Planned Parenthood being one of them), but it's just not enough - especially if, like me, a woman is put on bed-rest and can't work. And what about after the baby is born? To honestly say you are truly "pro-life," you must be willing to vote for and openly support programs that will help that baby and his/her momma all his/her life, not just until birth - programs like welfare, WIC, better education, and medicare, just to name a few. Until we live in a society where those things exist, I can't be anything but pro-choice. I can't take away that option from anyone.

It's funny that I first developed my strong views on this issue as a psychology student at a Catholic college, when I was first introduced to the tenet of "do no harm." Am I 100% morally okay with the idea of terminating a pregnancy? Maybe I'm not. But I do believe that our duty is first to the woman who will suffer far more if she is put through an unwanted pregnancy, to the thousands of children who are already alive and struggling with hunger or waiting for adoption, to those who are putting themselves at risk because they don't have access to medical care or a proper education. Planned Parenthood serves these people, which is why I am grateful for them.

100 Days of Gratitude: The Little Things

Yesterday, I realized that - if all goes according to plan - I have roughly 100 days left of my pregnancy. It's crazy to think that there is such a finite number of days left of life as I've come to know it. That is, a life of "whatever, whenever." Whenever lunchtimes. Whenever wake-ups. Whatever I want to do, Whenever I want to do it, with relatively few limitations or obligations.

I asked my friends on Facebook what they would do if they knew that 100 days was all that stood between them and parenthood, and here are some of my favorite answers:

• Sleep (this was the most common one)
• Casually curse without guilt
• Have a shower with no one else in the bathroom
• Eat candy in the open
• Put on a horror movie and leave the room
• Have a quiet dinner

It's easy to see, based on the answers, that the simplest, littlest things are what you miss of your childless life when you become a parent. I've decided to count down my remaining days by embracing these little things: peace, quiet, and horror movies. Adult conversations in quiet restaurants. Uninterrupted sleep and baths. And time allowed for more spiritual pursuits: meditation, yoga, gratitude, journaling. To hold myself accountable, I'm going to try to do a gratitude-related post a day for my remaining 100 days - even if it's just a picture.

Today, I picked tomatoes. When your head is abuzz with activity and you lose all track of time, the garden will remind you that the days are still passing. Suddenly, the bean vines have outgrown their trellis, the peas and lettuce are already well past their prime, and the weeds have gotten so big you can actually see them peeking over the top of the fence when you pull up in the driveway. Honestly, my garden this year is a mess compared with last year, when I wasn't coping with pregnancy symptoms and was able to be more vigilant. Even though the weather has been ideal - hot and steamy for two solid months now - problems run amok quickly when you garden like I do, square-foot style, with plants literally growing on top of each other. My tomatoes look scraggly and are hosting some kind of pest, but there are still plenty of gorgeous fruits to pick - probably more than I will know what to do with. I haven't seen a single zucchini yet, and my pepper plants are literally lost in the midst of cucumber vines and tomatillos.

I filled my basket with goodies today, the grass warm under my feet, the air heavy and thick beneath an overcast sky. I took a moment to reflect back to over 100 days ago when I first planted my tomato seedlings indoors, totally preoccupied with the week-old secret that I'd be having a baby just in time for when I typically scramble to get in the last harvest of green tomatoes, in the first week of November. If I could slow down time, would I want to? I'm not sure I can answer that question yet.