bliss

i am 25 weeks pregnant today. that means i am three and a half months away from my due date! crazy? yes. exciting? beyond.

the best part is that in four short weeks, i will be free at last — no evenings, overnights, or weekends until i return from my maternity leave! (with the slight exception of two weeks of sick call in may, when i could possibly get called in for one of those shifts.) tonight is my first shift of my e.r. rotation, the last “hard” rotation of my second year. it will be busy, and i do have two weeks of night shifts, but with this light at the end of the tunnel, it is so do-able.

for all of you sweet people who have asked, i am feeling great. yes, i was tired by the end of my busy months as a senior resident… but that’s just par-for-the-course when you’re a resident, and i’m convinced i would have been just as tired if i hadn’t been pregnant! other than that, i have to tell you honestly that i am blissfully happy. that rumor about the second trimester glow? one hundred percent true here.

as i wrote previously, part of this bliss comes from having a husband who is devoted to caring for me — and was far before i ever became pregnant. he spoils me rotten, and i have him to thank for my surviving these busy months with a smile on my face (most of the time — we’ll forget about the few moments i was on the brink of tears at the hospital, trying to keep everybody on the team happy!).

then, the other part of my bliss is obvious and self-explanatory, though i understand it fully only now that i, myself, am an expectant mother. the joyous anticipation of a child is indescribable (though mary does an exemplary job of describing it in her song of gratitude — see luke 1:46-55 — and her anticipation must have been that much more indescribable, as she was expecting our King!).

i am often acutely aware of how precious this gift of joy is. while it seems like there are babies and pregnant women everywhere, i also know that there are many people (including people who are near and dear to me) that are anxiously awaiting the day that they can see a heartbeat on ultrasound, decorate a nursery, name a child of their own — and worry that such a day will never come. and because of my career, i am also intimately involved with families that were blessed to embrace their newborn baby, but then discovered that their child would not grow to become a one-, two-, or three-year-old little boy or girl. sobering thoughts, yes, but present truths. and these truths remind me that this gift of joy is unique and undeserved — and inspire me to cherish the moment now, and thank God every day for the gift of another moment. it is a wonderful miracle — and i don’t take it for granted!

a few things i’ve been up to lately:

– watching in amazement when my belly jumps around with little kicks and turns from baby b.

– starting my journey of parenting reading… working on my first book, healthy sleep habits, happy child. i am already amazed at how much i’ve learned — my skills as a pediatrician are going to grow by leaps and bounds this next year (and the years to follow)!  plenty more books to follow, as my schedule eases up in the third trimester… especially considering i should take advantage of this last “easy” period in my life and read to my heart’s content!

– getting really good at answering, “we’re waiting to be surprised!” in response to the frequent but fun question of boy vs girl.  and every time i answer, i get a little more excited by the anticipation!  i absolutely love surprises, and this one might top them all.

– trying to not wear the same three shirts in constant rotation — learning to get creative with my wardrobe!

– enjoying each free moment with my best friend, aaron earle baldridge.

– getting excited to see some family in ten days!  thankful for my wonderful friends (a.k.a. family) who are throwing my (sure-to-be-awesome) baby shower!

– planning a quick trip to boston at the end of april, to present a poster with rachel at the pediatric academic societies conference!  we’re presenting our seizure protocol project from ghana.

22 weeks vs 25 weeks.  can you see the difference?

lots of love to all!