Kicks of Confidence

I know, I know…I JUST posted a few days ago. But, I had such an overwhelming response from my last blog that I felt the need to update. By the way, thank you all to your kind words and prayers. They mean the world to Mike and I….and I think they worked (keep reading!).

So, I tend to overdo things….little things, big things. “Overdo” is basically my M.O. I overdo Harper’s small family birthday parties, I overdo holidays, I overdo just about everything. I can’t help it. Yesterday, I overdid in a big way for a woman 17 weeks pregnant with her fifth child.

I have been in a redecorating mood lately, ever since we decided to put our house on the market and start looking for a bigger one. Part of that “mood” has been the need to repaint my kitchen. Painting is not really the issue, however. I have been given the green light to paint as long as I make sure the area is well ventilated and I take frequent breaks. The problem lies in the fact that it’s a kitchen. There’s a lot of up, down, and all around in a kitchen. Up above my cabinets, down by the baseboard, around the trim and appliances. Getting my picture?

I spent the better part of yesterday doing my up, down, all around dance with a paintbrush in hand. I accomplished everything that I could without Mike’s help. That is, until he got home. I needed him to move the refrigerator (I had already pulled out the stove, and heard about that ALL night!!) and take down a few cabinets so that I could finish the last 1/3 of our kitchen. He obliged and I was able to get rolling again. I rolled (no pun intended) until after 10:00 last night.

When I finally cleaned up my mess and sat down (well after 11:00), I felt like I had been running a marathon I was nowhere near prepared for. The reality is, I had, and I wasn’t. I forgot how exhausting being pregnant  could be. Not only that, I forgot how much your weight becomes less evenly distributed and more a pain in the back, literally. I was spent. My knees were killing me from all of the climbing, my legs were tremendously sore from all of the up and down, and my back, well my back was punishing me for not taking as many breaks as needed and lifting objects above my specified limits.

If that’s not enough, baby was MAD at me! We aren’t talking, “Hey mom, I’m glad you finally sat down!” We are talking, “Ummm…excuse me?! Remember me? The person you are growing! Yeah, you exhausted me today and now you are going to pay for it!” Up until this point, I had felt mostly flutters from baby’s tiny movements and an occasional jab or left hook. Last night, I was getting kicked….hard. In retrospect, I probably deserve it.

I have a point….and I promise, I’m getting to it. The wonderfulness of this was twofold. The baby was finally moving so frequently and with such vigor that not only could we watch my stomach move, but Mike could feel the movements. Tiny and slight at first, but the more I rested, the harder and stronger baby began to move, giving Mike a chance to really connect with baby (one of his favorite parts of my pregnancies). These sudden, rapid movements also gave me time to reflect.

Remember how anxious I was just a few days ago? Remember how I asked for prayers? Prayers for calming thoughts and peace of mind? Well, they worked. You delivered. He delivered. When I needed them most, my support group came through with one of the greatest gifts given to me: the gift of prayer. God was listening, and he eased my fears with kicks of confidence! How I needed those tiny little uppercuts and kick boxing moves….

Until next time (baby gender time!!!)….Thank you for all of your prayers and support, and also for reading!