Celebrating Life.

4:46 PM

  With this ever-growing belly and my due date quickly approaching, I am constantly feeling the strain of my to-do list and all of the things I would like to get done before Baby comes.  One of which is catching up on my blog.  So here's a "catch-up" post from back in April when I threw a tea party for all of my pregnant friends.

    As you've probably gathered, there is a baby boom going on out here!  There was when Jocelyn was born too, and it has been so much fun getting together with Moms for play dates, and watching all of our babies grow together.  Being pregnant with friends somehow makes everything seem a little more doable.  And I am so grateful to experience this amazing stage of life with so many lovely ladies.

   Unfortunately it didn't suit for 4 ladies, so it ended up just being 5 of us at the party.  It would have been so much fun to get that picture of 9 bumps all in a row!  But it was still a lovely time.   We enjoyed tea, refreshments, a little baby trivia, and I sent them off with a book about praying for your children.  It was so much fun to sit at a table with women who had either gone through this many times before or were experiencing it for the first time and share stories, advice and little words of encouragement.


 
    
   I think something so precious and valuable that is getting lost in our society today, is the sense of community among pregnant women.  We have so many books, blogs, websites and YouTube videos to give us what we feel is a well-informed view of pregnancy and childbirth.  We will ask our doctors/midwives lists of questions, but fail to chat with the other pregnant woman in the grocery line.  I think so much is lost when you remove the element of personal experience.  When we fail to come together as a community and speak into each other's lives, then we're really not able to benefit from anything that anyone has endured before us.  And somehow it makes our experiences less meaningful, because they aren't able to accomplish as much. 
   But when we DO come together?  When we put our arms around each other and pass it all along?  Then it somehow makes everything we go through just a little more worth it.  The thought that I was not alone in my journey, and I did not suffer each step of labor for only myself and my child, but for the benefit of sharing my story with others, and hopefully it being a source of encouragement, education and empowerment.
 
Just my opinion.

   So I hope this inspires you to go out at do the same!  If you're pregnant, reach out to those around you that are as well.  Even if you're not the best of friends, or hardly even know each other yet, you will have one, big, wonderful thing in common!  And you will be amazed at how the connection of growing a life can bring people from all walks of life together.  So get out of your comfort zone, reach out, and you will be blessed.  I guarantee it. 
  (From L to R: Greta Ropp, Alisa Wilkinson, Shannon Krabill, me, Jessica Kauffman)

   Lucky Greta, Alisa and Shannon are already "on the other side" and get to hold their babies in their arms!  Greta had a boy, her 4th child, Judah Dean.  Alisa had a girl, first child, Trillium Sue.  And Shannon also had a girl, 5th child, Carita Renae.  If you know Shannon, ask her about her birth story sometime, it's an interesting one.:)  For the "in-a-nutshell" version, she had it at home, her labor went so fast the midwives did not make it, and her husband delivered the baby.  This is the 2nd time that has happened.  My labor with Jocelyn was fast and they say the 2nd goes much faster so I am a little worried! :)

   Don't worry, I'll keep you posted, and I'm known to be very willing to share my birth story with anyone who will listen.  I remember after Jocelyn was born, feeling the NEED to share it, as if it would help me recover and heal and slowly return back to planet Earth after that all-consuming out-of-this-universe experience known as 'childbirth'.  It rocked me to my core, and changed pretty much everything about me.  On December 20th, Jocelyn wasn't the only new person to enter the scene.  Me, as a mother, was a completely new person, coming to life in that one, excruciating, defining moment.  I wouldn't trade it for anything in the entire world.  

   So let's spread the love, ladies.  If someone you know is pregnant, reach out to her.  Send her an encouraging note, phone call, or plate of fresh cookies.  I know that the different ways people have helped me, has meant more than you can imagine.  

It is no small task, growing a life.  So let them know you care. 



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2 comments

  1. Christopher and MarcilleJune 1, 2012 at 7:08 AM

    what a cute party idea :) Crazy about Shannon! Can't wait to see your new little bundle when she is born :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJune 2, 2012 at 4:20 AM

    yes yes yes! agreed. tell. share. such a miraculous event deserves it! and YES, share your birth story...all of it! my second was fast, after a poky first birth. Let's just say riding in a car fully dilated isn't the most fun! =/

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