Preggos

There is a veritable baby explosion goin' on.

The past month has brought joyful news of 3 impending arrivals for this summer... coming in June, July and August. When I think of each of these special women in my life, I am struck by the different life circumstances that brought them each to this point. I am in turn infected with their excitement, impressed with their stamina and awed by one particular mother's faith and courage. Every conversation I have with them, whether it is about morning sickness, or tiredness, or the baby kicking, conjures the same feeling that washes over me. It's a sweet voice in my heart that says "I remember..."

I loved being pregnant. There is nothing like it. It's physical, it's emotional, it's all-encompassing for 9 months. And it's spiritual. To me it's true proof that there exists Something Beyond Myself. While you can say "I'm making a baby" really you are not. You are housing the baby, you are components from which this baby is made. But your body is a vehicle for baby-making, if you will, and while you set the plan in motion, from that moment on your body functions without your consent - your body was created and designed to know what to do without you telling it. It's the ultimate in zen, the ultimate in trusting the path set out for you (one that might contain 5 months of morning sickness, or none at all) and keeping yourself level while your physical being and your emotions are all over the place.

My first pregnancy was very sweet... Mainly I suppose because it was my first, and I had a lot more time to enjoy it. I worked part-time and so did Ozayr. So I got to nap and relax. I would lie in bed in the mornings and we would wait for Maymuna to wake up and kick, as she did almost every morning. We rented movies and curled up and waited for Maymuna to kick some more. The second time I had a toddler to watch over so it wasn't as relaxed. I was astounded though, to watch my stomach heave and stretch of its own will (or Hafsa's rather). I can only deduct that she would put her feet behind my belly button and PUSH with all her might. My stomach would appear coneheaded... Hafsa also went the whole 40 weeks, so it was my first experience being that pregnant woman who is just about to *pop* and feeling so freakin' ginormous. My mom was in town and had been for almost 3 weeks. Every morning I came downstairs and was just like, no, nothing to report, sorry. The waiting game was a bit excruciating at that point.

Someone said it best at our parenting group last week: having a baby is like an explosion, everything in your life is tossed wildly in the air and when it settles nothing is in the same place as it was before. There's nothing you can really do to prepare for that, for the turn your life is about to take. But as crazy as that sounds, it's obviously worth it, otherwise, come on, no one would do it right? Let alone do it twice, or three times. (no, I'm not pregnant Mom, take a breath.)

Belly rubs to my pregnant girlfriends out there, currently on three different continents... I am sending good, healthy, chocolate-covered-craving vibes to you... Enjoy every waddling moment as you race to the loo. Oh wait, none of you are waddling yet. We'll talk about that later. Right.