Being pregnant, you often feel exhausted and absent minded. You crave knowledge and anything that can zap your normally functioning brain back to life.
So far, in my short experience of being "with child", I have had a ravenous urge to read everything under the moon about pregnancy. I feel like John Travolta in "Phenomenon" only I don't expect to be fluent in Portuguese... only fluent in truly "what to expect" next.
More than a year ago, knowing that one day I wanted babies, I had purchased books on the sly. I found several at "Big Lots" and for pennies on the dollar really. So, I spent a whole $4.00 on the books and tucked them away for the day that they would actually emerge with function. I also found another one in the bargain bin at a major book retailer for a fraction of the retail price... and yes, I hid that one as well.
I didn't want my poor husband to think that I was obsessed with having a baby, did I??!??!( even though we all knew that was the case.)
I was ready for that day to come, when I could dust off their covers and truly dig into the book chapter by chapter, or week by week in prego book terms.
Four weeks ago ( give or take a few days) I did just that. I got out "Working Mother's Pregnancy" and the "Emotions of Being Pregnant" and "Your Pregnancy Week by Week."
I started reading. Matching my symptoms, scanning with such close scrutiny of all the things that could go wrong and beginning to worry. Please God, keep our little one tucked safely in my expanding waistline.
It has become pleasure reading of text books. It seems so unlikely that the science and biology involved in reproducing a 1/2 you 1/2 husband little version of a person would be so gripping and page turning. It is just that. When you read how big your sea monkey is getting every week there is such a great pleasure in knowing that it is growing with the help of your love!
This week we are a blueberry and the fascinating thing about it, our little "Shrek" as we joke about it ( Shannon and Rick put together), already has a fully beating heart, brain development, growing fingers and toes, a little nose and earlobes too!
When you read that - you know that God truly has a plan and his creations on this planet are truly perfect in His eyes. At 8 weeks and four days along, our baby is starting to look like a baby.
It is easy to get addicted to reading about that!!
So, I bought a few more books. I actually bought one for Rick- that way he will know what he can expect from me and whats going on in the "inside."
I also bought a few books on Amazon ( used books for just a few dollars each) that were highly recommended by my wonderful mommy friends. The books are stacking up. And while I haven't spent more than 20 dollars total on them... I can already see the look that I will get when Rick peeks at the night stand to see 7 Prego-related books plus Dave Ramsey's book.
When we were at the Doctor's office on Monday, our doctor, who will soon become famous in this blog for his awesomeness, handed me two books.
He said "I don't want you to go out and buy a bunch of pregnancy books." (oops) He handed me a medical book from the American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians and "What to Expect When You are Expecting." He said- these two are all you need!
"One is the most accurate and one is just for fun."
Rick's eyes lit up as if to say..."see I told you so!" So, after docs advice, I no longer feel the need to buy the latest edition of each book on the store shelf. I do, however, feel the need to read all of the ones I have on mine...
The good thing is, 40 weeks is kind of a long time.
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Shan, you should get the Mayo Clinic Pregnancy book. I have it and it really helped later on in my pregnancy when I had a bunch of questions about what certain symptoms I was having could be attributed to. It helped calm me down and not pick up the phone to call my ob right away when I thought something was wrong. Hope you're feeling good!
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