Because I love looking back on life, I thought it would be fun to reflect on the past nine months while they are still fresh in my mind. It's amazing how much of pregnancy is forgotten years later. This is what it has been like this time around:
May was a hard month. We had just found out we were expecting and I had the beginnings of morning sickness. I suppose I can wrap June into this one as well, because it was one big huge blur of crap- just being honest! I was sick all. day. long. From sun up to sun down. I never actually threw up, which I think might have actually brought some relief from the terrible constant nausea. I was also completely exhausted, more so than either of my previous pregnancies. It was basically like I was recovering from the stomach flu for two months straight. I tried so many things to get relief and nothing really worked all that well. I even had prescription meds, which might have just kept me from throwing up which might have been more of a curse than a blessing.
It was also during this time, about March-May, that I realized I loved photography. In June I was a second shooter in a wedding with a friend and I felt AWFUL morning-sickness wise. But I did it! I made it a whole ten hours and completely collapsed in my bed at the end of the day. But it was so worth it!
In July the fog started to lift. By the time I was 14-15 weeks I was able to go off my medicine and actually eat meals again. :) It was glorious! There were a few things I was still feeling quite averted to (like coffee, wah) but overall was much better. I did quite a few park dates with my boys and just really enjoyed a leisurely summer. During this month I started to think about the possibility of starting a photography business. I was doing it just for fun at this point and enjoying it so much, and was getting a lot of positive feedback. It was during this month that I started working on my website as a way to showcase my work and give information to anyone who might be interested to work with me.
In August I second-shot for another wedding and the lady I shot for was so so encouraging and really helped me learn so much! I continued to work on my website and changed the look multiple times. I really scoured the internet for cool free graphics and learned a lot about photoshop. I also learned a lot about photo editing in lightroom. I spent many many nights up until the wee hours of the morning (I'm talking 2-3am!) working on all of it, simply because I LOVED it and it was really the only time I had to focus without the kids. Also, Dave and Julian both had birthdays at the end of August, and I had a lot of fun throwing them a little party. :) I really had two worlds going on, growing a business and loving on/ taking care of my family.
In September-October I was still feeling great- not too big or uncomfortable and no more morning sickness. I was focusing a lot on my website, a relaxed & unofficial business plan, and more shooting gigs- on top of engaging my husband, boys and managing our home. It sounds like it should have been super crazy, but really it wasn't! I worked on my stuff at night after the boys went to bed about 4-5 nights a week, and sometimes I would take an hour or two during the day. I had some stressful days when I was "stuck" on something or another, usually computer related, and would get so frustrated I would have to just walk away for awhile. But to be completely honest- the only reason I was doing it in the first place was because I was truly enjoying it, despite the frustrating moments.
In October I also started feeling the effects of my anemia and had to take it a little easier than in the previous months. I have beta-thalassemia, which is a genetic anemic blood trait that basically means I have small red blood cells. Each pregnancy I've been told to take a whole bunch of extra iron- which helps some but not completely since I technically don't have iron deficiency anemia. It's weird- most people in my family have this since we come from Mediterranean descent. Pregnancy is the only time it has ever bothered me, as it usually has no symptoms. Once the end of October came, I had to prioritize and work around my fatigue. Some days were worse than others, and grocery shopping was the bane of all my responsibilities. Oh, how I loathed it! :) Side note: In December I found out about Meijer's curbside service and have never looked back. If they ever stop it my heart will shatter into a million pieces. It really is too good to be true!
In November I really started slowing down. Each day was different than the next fatigue-wise, and I was anxious to just be DONE with my website and move on. It started to get old at this point. The problem was that I was super picky, and tried a lot of different things before deciding they didn't look quite right and would change them. It was a vicious cycle, and I refused to pay someone to do it because I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted but knew I would know once I saw. Plus, I'm not technically profitable yet and not willing the invest the money until I am. So there's that.
December was so much better. I knew I would be huge pregnant by Christmas time, so I was very motivated to prepare for that and get everything we needed done in a relaxed way. I made a ton of lists for Christmas shopping and baby preparation, FINISHED MY WEBSITE, and changed my vitamins which ended up helping immensely with my fatigue. I was very intentional to savor the time with my boys. I finished my photography grunt-startup work so I could take a break before Baby is born, and really enjoyed sharing the business news with my family, friends, and on facebook. Then I really hit Christmas shopping and baby preparation. About a week or two before Christmas my nesting kicked in and since then I've been riding an immense wave of energy, thankfully! I've gotten so much done and have been really good at keeping up with the house, with the help of my sister Alannah who has done so much for me!
I also feel the need to mention that Dave and I have gone on a weekly date night throughout this entire pregnancy with the help of my very selfless Dad who committed to watching our boys. Aside from pregnancy and photography, one thing I look back on over this past year so fondly is the quality time I've had with my husband. I really feel prepared to enter into the newborn stage again in part because we've been so intentional about investing in each other consistently. We even plan to continue our dates after Baby comes, they'll just be a little shorter. :) We also love getting into shows together, and realized that American Idol is starting up soon which will be nice to watch together in our sleep deprived blur. Hah!
Overall, so many wonderful things have grown along with my sweet baby over the past nine months, and I am feeling so blessed and so ready to meet him and start the next chapter.
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