Pregnancy has opened my eyes to a whole new world. The ups and downs of pregnancy have taught me more about my body and its capabilities then I have ever known were possible. I wanted to continue my 6 Things I Learned (see first time house hunting, and home owning posts) series with a post about some of the information that I have learned over the last 37 weeks of being pregnant for the first time.

1. Give me all the FOOD!…except orange juice, spicy food, tomatoes, garlic, or anything with any hint of flavor. I will say I am VERY fortunate to not have had morning sickness during my pregnancy. In the beginning of my pregnancy I used this to my advantage and literally ate everything imaginable and was able to justify it for some reason in my head as just being a “pregnancy craving” or  “for the baby”. Top cravings this pregnancy: avocados, hot fudge sundaes, Cheetos, baked potatoes, giant chocolate chip cookies, and strawberry Pop-Tarts. SUPER healthy right? Now as I am nearing the end, there are a lot of foods that I cannot eat without getting heartburn, gas, and acid reflux like whoa so my diet mainly consists of previously mentioned craving foods accompanied with a side of Tums and Gas-X. TMI?

2. I’m sorry I must have dozed off for a second. Pregnancy and tiredness went hand in hand for me since day one. The first trimester was by far the most noticeable as far as my energy level went. I will call these my granny days. I would make it through my 10-hour day at work (barely), come home and eat something quick for dinner, and then be sound asleep by about 6:30 PM. Second trimester everyone tells you that you are likely to get more energy, which I will admit that I did…but I was still generally tired. My advice for any future moms-to-be: USE THE 2ND TRIMESTER WISELY! Get as much done while you have the energy because in the third trimester the tiredness takes over once again. As I am coming towards the end of my third trimester, the sleepiness has returned and most of that is in part to not being able to sleep straight for more than 2 hours before being awaken to go to the bathroom, getting a killer leg cramp, or from having a crazy pregnancy dream! Yes, pregnancy dreams are a real thing, I woke up freaking out one night after I had just given birth to a 5-year-old child.

3. My body is now Lucy’s body. I never thought I would lose control of my body, but our sweet baby Lucy has absolutely taken over!  I won’t get TOO in depth with this, but just know that things I never thought could change are now completely unrecognizable. They say most everything will go back to how it was pre-pregnancy so I just hold to that hope. In the meantime, I watch in wonder at how the female body changes itself to become the perfect host for baby.

4. Maternity clothes are my favorite thing about pregnancy. Okay, okay, so growing my little miracle is my actual favorite part, but maternity clothing is right up there! I inherited my sister and sister-in-law’s entire maternity wardrobes from their previous pregnancies. They both have wonderful taste and had cold-weather, seasonally appropriate clothing, so I was very fortunate to not have to invest a lot of money into a whole new wardrobe. I can’t say enough about how amazingly comfortable cinched shirts and maternity pants with elastic bands that go all the way past your belly button are. I don’t know how I will ever want to go back to wearing clothing that I have to worry about bending over and showing skin. On special occasions when I wanted to treat myself to a new dress, PinkBlush was my go-to online boutique. I found my baby shower dress here as well as the dress I wore for my maternity photo shoot which I will be posting soon. Their maternity line is not only adorable, but it is also very affordable and the quality is superb! In the photos on this post you can see my latest find from PinkBlush. I am wearing their Draped Pocket Maternity Dress in teal which I found to be perfect for the “it’s almost spring” weather we had this weekend.

5. Support systems are everything. From our family and friends helping in any way they can, to my coworkers who offer to help me each day at work as my belly grows and grows, the support we have had these past 37 weeks is out of this world. Another less conventional support system I have found throughout this experience has been online “mommy boards”. It is so comforting talking to other women who are due the same month as you because you know that you are going through all of the same symptoms and stages of pregnancy together. It’s nice to be able to talk to them about all my thoughts, questions, concerns, fabulous baby supply coupon finds, etc. and give my husband a break from hearing about pregnancy 24/7. Speaking of my husband…Bryan has been my savior throughout pregnancy. From running out to fulfill late night food cravings (extra hot fudge on that sundae please), to putting on my socks and shoes in the morning, and everything in between, he has helped more than I’m sure he even knows and I feel so unbelievably lucky. These past few weeks especially as I can no longer stand or walk around without getting out of breath or having crazy aches and pains, he has been cleaning like there’s no tomorrow, taking care of our dog who just sprained his leg, and setting up all of our baby gear and furniture like a pro (except maybe the installation of the baby gates which almost ended up getting thrown off the deck in frustration). They say that in a marriage your love for your spouse will grow every day and throughout this pregnancy I have learned that this is true. I love him in a whole new way and I see how seriously he takes his vows to be there for me through it all. I can’t even imagine what kind of love I will experience when I see him hold our daughter for the first time.

6. As much as I may have complained along the way, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Pregnancy and welcoming a new life into the world is truly a miracle. In just three weeks or less we will be welcoming Lucy into our family and I couldn’t feel more overjoyed. As hard as some of the aspects of pregnancy are on me physically and mentally, it is something I continue to thank God for every day.

love & lots of whit – jen xo