Two friends of mine recently became parents of a sweet little girl from Indiana. They prayed for so long and worked so hard to adopt this little girl, and in the weeks before her birth, my husband and I hoped every day would bring the news of her arrival.
And like any parents, photos of the newest addition abounded online. There were shots of the baby just a few minutes old; of the baby being held by each of my proud, beaming friends; of the baby wrapped in the obligatory Mets sweatshirt (her new dad is a rabid fan).
The baby was gorgeous. I marveled over her perfect arms and torso, and her long, strong legs. And boy, was she big!
“Wow,” I said to my husband, clicking through the photos. “That is a big baby! She must be what, nine, ten pounds?”
The last photo was an official announcement: it’s a girl!
A sweet, healthy, seven pound girl.
My excitement for them turned into anxiety for me. I tried to imagine carrying a child that large inside of me. Right now, my little man is about six inches long and weighs a half a pound, and I feel like I look like I swallowed a beach ball. Logically, I know the only place I’m going is up, but I didn’t know how “up” I was going to get! And what in the world is going to be like when he needs to come out?
Sometimes I forget that growth is a good thing, maybe because most growth is painful. Physical growth means going through uncomfortable growth spurts. Emotional growth means learning your way through embarrassment, and accepting your imperfections in front of others. And spiritual growth comes with the pain of sacrifice that leads us to grow closer to God. Growth during pregnancy is wonderful for baby, but brings about discomfort for Mom: slowed digestive systems, headaches, back pain and sleepless nights. But all of this growth has such sweet rewards: a healthy body; good emotional health; a fulfilling spiritual life, and a big, glowing, glorious newborn.
Pregnancy is full of worries, and this is one worry I wasn’t quite anticipating. But like the others I’ve come across, it has a positive side, too, and it helps that I can see the balance in it.
Wishing you the same until next time!
Thanks Eugene! 🙂
Pregnancy was a huge turning point for me in my eating disorder recovery; realizing the life inside me was dependent on my treating my body with respect & care. Being pregnant was one of the times in my life that I loved so much, maybe because I thought less about “self” and more about my baby. Blessings to you during this wonderful time!
Thanks Amy! Less self and more other is definitely something I’m picking up more and more as I go through this wonderful journey. And the worry over my eating and my weight has certainly lessened, which is also really exciting. 🙂
Hey Christy,
I especially like your paragraph about growth and pain. The statement about emotional growth meaning that we learn to accept our imperfections particularly resonates with me. Thanks!