Our third baby boy is arriving in seven weeks, and as I prepare to welcome a little (okay, a lot) more crazy into my life, I’ve been reflecting on my other pregnancies more often. For us, the first one came after three years of trying, so I think I had the equivalent of beer goggles on during that time. All my memories of it are peachy keen – I was one of those women who LOVED being pregnant.

Even my second pregnancy is filled with blissful memories…was I really THAT nauseous during the first trimester? Nah. Naps still existed for my toddler, and therefore me, so once again, the goggles blurred my vision.

Now, as I near the end of my third pregnancy, which really hasn’t been very different from the first two, the goggles are finally off, and I’ve realized some truths.

1. The first and third trimesters are ten times longer than the second.

So, obviously I’m not being literal here, but when you’re pregnant, it sure feels literal. With this one, I really worried that the first trimester was never going to end. I knew by the week count that it would, but the feeling – the yuckiness, the exhaustion – was not going away when it did with the first two.

Then, I entered the magical second trimester. I felt good, looked legitimately pregnant and not pudgy anymore, and had gobs of energy. It lasted two whole days.

Now, I’m back to the inching timeline of the third trimester. I can barely get through the day without a nap, and I’ll give you one guess how often that happens with a four-year-old and two-year-old in tow.

2. Keeping track of the weeks is much, much harder.

“How far along are you?” With my first and even my second, I think I was able to answer this with the correct number of weeks and days – you know, “Oh, I’m 32 weeks, two days, three hours, yada, yada, yada.”

This time, it’s more like, “Hold on, I have an app for that.”

3. There’s less urgency to prepare.

When I was pregnant with my first, we had the nursery finished, the car seat installed, and my hospital bag packed weeks in advance. Even with the second, I had an impressive stock of freezer meals ready to go before the big day. This time, the baby’s room isn’t ready at all, his clothes are still packed away, the car seat is still in storage somewhere, and what are freezer meals? Yet, I just think, “Eh, I’ll get it done eventually. I’m going to make another futile attempt to nap again.”

4. Maternity pants are one of the most wonderful creations ever.

I’m not exaggerating at all; I have been living in my maternity leggings this pregnancy. And actually, the first time around, I was kind of excited to finally buy maternity clothes…but not until I was well into my second trimester. But this time? I’ll be honest – I broke out the stretchy waists the moment I got a positive test. It’s not like it was hard…I may or may not still wear some of them during the off season. Who’s to know except me?

5. One thing that hasn’t changed at all – pregnancy is still absolutely miraculous to me.

I’ve done it twice before, but listening to this baby’s heartbeat and feeling him move around still amazes the heck out of me. I am so lucky to go through this experience at all, let alone for a third time. Every discomfort, every crazy craving, and every hormonal breakdown is all worth it (however, do not ask my husband that – he would likely beg to differ right now).

So what does all this mean for the possibility of a fourth baby someday? That is a question that’s up for strong debate, so ask me again in a couple of years. I may have the goggles off now, but they have a way of creeping back on and blurring your memories when a precious, brand new baby coos at you.

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Heather Shotkoski

http://www.andwhatalovelymessitis.wordpress.com/ My name is Heather, and I am lucky to be surrounded by handsome men! I have been married to my high school sweetheart for over ten years, and together we have three lovably wild little boys. I grew up in a tiny town near the middle of Nebraska, and after living in the "big city" of Kearney for six years, my husband and I found our way back to the small town life. I am a stay-at-home mom, and each day is definitely a new adventure with three rapidly growing boys. I absolutely love it!

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