Pregnancy: My Favorite Things

Today I went to the hospital to have an NST (non-stress test) done. The reason? A marked decrease in Charlie's movement this morning.

Turns out everything is fine, as I suspected, and my anterior placenta is the main culprit, acting as (too much of) a buffer between me and Charlie. Although these hospital visits make me feel silly for being the girl who cries wolf, truthfully it's always nice to hear that things are going perfectly normal. And as the nurse at the hospital told me, it's better to come in when I'm truly worried rather than to stay at home and stew over it.

One of the things that I really don't like about pregnancy is what little control I have over what goes on inside my uterus. I wish I had a window so I could see in there to make sure that Charlie's okay when I'm worried. I have to stop and remind myself that he is the safest now that he will ever be. I have as much control as I ever will. Damn, that's scary!

But with all the worries of pregnancy, there have been so many beautiful moments. I thought I'd take some time to list my favorite things about being pregnant.

1) getting that first positive pregnancy test and showing Roy - I will never forget my shock or the hug we shared in the bathroom at 2 AM back in September.

2) the first ultrasound - It was completely amazing to see our seven-week-old peanut with his heart beating away on the ultrasound screen. We drove out of town to a wedding after that, and I cried on the way because I was so happy my heart felt like it was going to explode.

3) hearing Roy say "I love Bunlet!" when I was about eight weeks along - It really solidified the fact that he was already very attached to our little one.

4) the email I got from someone I barely know who told me that we were going to be kick ass parents - It's one thing when your friends and family say it (they kind of have to), but when an acquaintance says it, it's just different.

5) our ultrasound at 15 weeks - I was in tears of happiness afterwards, and I can clearly recall that overwhelming feeling of joy.

6) finding out at 17 weeks that we were having a Charlie - Our big ultrasound was less than spectacular, but it was still fun hearing "it's a boy!".

7) telling our families (particularly our moms) that we were having a Charlie - Neither one of our moms were in the best position when they found out, but their reactions were awesome.

8) feeling movement for the first time - This really changed my entire pregnancy and made it so much more real. It has been such a bonding experience.

9) our baby showers - There's nothing like having your friends and family all in one spot helping you celebrate the good things in life.

10) everyone's reactions - From my blog friends to family members to friends to people who barely know us, I have really loved hearing the wonderful things people have had to say about my pregnancy and Charlie. (Oh, and let's face it, I love the "you look great" comments, too.)

My pregnancy has been one hell of a kick ass ride with plenty of ups and downs (and four hospital visits now), but what can I say? Being pregnant with Charlie is one of the best things I've ever done. Pregnancy itself leaves a lot to be desired (in my opinion), but I would do this a million times over for Charlie. He's just that awesome. And I gotta admire the little guy for keeping me on my toes throughout my pregnancy; I know he's only preparing me for the day he decides to swing from the ceiling fan or climb on the roof.