Dear Abbey,Here's the thing: I think I need a pep talk. I'm just SO TIRED these days. It's driving me mad. I feel so heavy and slow and so not hip in any way. Normally, I would be out running and lifting weights and ready to take on the world. Sometimes I forget that being pregnant can limit you. LIMITS ME NO LIKIE!!!!
What advice can you give to help me keep my sanity in the home stretch of my last trimester? (And during the first part of Newborn Land?).
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You take naps. Lots and lots of naps.
ReplyDeletetry this, i swear by it!
ReplyDeletehttp://livinonsunnyside.blogspot.com/2011/02/lets-shake-things-up.html
Listen to your body. It's been a few years since you went through this. Your body is different. You are a different person. Just listen to what your body is trying to tell you- if it's tired, take a nap. You can't go wrong if you just listen. And most important of all- enjoy this time! Put things aside that aren't so important and enjoy being pregnant. Enjoy holding your new little one in your arms when he gets here- it will go by too fast and you can't get that time back. Good luck my friend!
ReplyDeleteum, time. Time seems to be the answer for everything. The last trimester (and month, ugh!) is the worst. Find something that you like and just set yourself up for all sorts of rewards for accomplishing even the most mundane thing. It gives you something to look forward to.
ReplyDeleteAs for the newborn phase....I love tiny snugly little babies, but I hate that strange month of transition after you get home from the hospital and life is supposed to return to normal, only its a new normal. It makes me crazy! My 3rd (and last) child is now 18 months old. Looking back, if I could do it over again I would give myself permission to just stop. I would be nothing to anyone but my family, I would have said "no" more often and been much much more guarded about my time.
sorry for the rambling. hang in there....
enjoy, don't stress. Time and season for everything. Babies grow up in a blink, cherish, sleep, enjoy.
ReplyDeleteSherm,
ReplyDeleteI like the "time and season" idea. It's true. This is just another step in life and a really short one at that. Take pleasure in things you normally wouldn't notice. It's a good time to look for some different perspective.
Just to shake things up.
Love, Sherm.
Rest! Eat good foods and take walks when you have the energy. Even a short walk is better than nothing!
ReplyDeleteAlso, you might have some anemia going on. It's common during pregnancy and can really make you feel drained. You might ask your doctor about it.
I would suggest chocolate. And "The Sound of Music". Also, dancing for no reason to your favorite song works as well. More than that, don't forget your Individual Worth, or how beautiful you are. Good luck, Mindy!
ReplyDeleteLaugh at yourself this last month. Sit and rest. It is only a month, you will be back to "normal" soon. When that baby gets here, sit some more and stare. Give yourself six weeks of no expectations. If you do something great, but you don't have to do it again the next day. Did I tell you to sit and stare at your baby? That is the best thing ever. Right now I am loving my three month old, his squishy cuddly body, his adorable smiles... so wonderful...
ReplyDeleteDear Limited-For-a-Limited-Time:
ReplyDeleteTired is expected. For these slower moments (though they don't feel fleeting), soak them up. They will be gone before you know it. Grab some cherry popsicles, some bubbles, and an old quilt. Spend some time under some partial shade, enjoy the vintage-cool experience of frosted cherry-ness, and have a cloud scavenger hunt... with your littles on an afternoon, or alone if you need some you time. Be sure a copy of one of your favorite books is handy, and just let the beauty of letters and words sink in. Despite the current physical limitations, allow your mind to defy gravity. The time will pass a little sooner than perhaps had first been expected.
When you find yourself once again in Newborn Land, cherish it. Every quiet, sacred moment framed by the hectic other moments. One without the other is impossible. This new adventure, along your journey, is going to yield the most vibrant colors yet in your life. When it all feels too overwhelming, once again find yourself on your quilt, soaking it in. Whether mentally or physically. Infants love the expansive blue of the sky, and softness of the clouds as well.
The key is to reclaim your "center" and to retreat to it when you most need it. Forget counting to 10.... instead retreat to your refuge... the refuge is in the moments. Best wishes.
Sincerely,
Abbey
Embrace it. What I mean by that is buy a hammock and hang it in your family room. It's really the only answer.
ReplyDeleteThis time and season was established only between you, hubby, and God. It was timed effortlessly from a Creator who saw your need for growth (around the middle, right?) and expanding your spiritual mind. This is the perfect opportunity to purify your little soul. Just like Mary, before giving birth to Jesus. You also, are giving birth to a perfect child who will be without sin for the first frame of his life here. Imagine the burden and excitement Mary must have felt as she allowed God to shape her into the woman she needed to become.
ReplyDeleteIn your song "Rolling River, God" we learn that being PLANTED in one place is what allows the water to rush over us and change us.
Sometimes we have to be still in our schedule TOTALLY and COMPLETELY for God to show us the tiny mercies he has been storing up for times like this when we have enough time to sit on the couch in the "celestial room of our hearts" and listen to him speak.
There is no doubt that God has called your busy, fluttery self to change lives. Now, God is calling you back again to your own home.
And every minuet you spend feeding that newborn... again, and again... it will be a reminder to you to focus on your little loves right in front of you! ... again and again, until your heart enjoys the consistency of being at home. Your baby will be so beautiful, you won't need as many reminders as you think. It will all be familiar to you, and you'll embrace the opportunity for second chances like this to start from scratch with a new little one! :)