Thoughts on Having a Big Butt

I mean a big belly. Lately I have realized that along with getting bigger, I am getting older. I was sharing some of the strains on my body with by OB and he enlightened me that I am about a decade past the ideal age for bearing children, and this is number four-- things I hadn’t tried to focus on previously. Anyway, then we had a male friend come over whose wife is pregnant and he was talking abut what a hard time she is having as she gets near the end. He said, "I certainly wouldn't trade places with her." and the thought that popped into my head was, "well that's stupid."

It hit me that any man who wouldn't trade places with a woman to bear children, clearly doesn't really understand what it's like. I have been extremely ill with past pregnancies and I know there are plenty of women who have it 100 times worse, but he's missing some things. I have another body living inside me. A friend of mine was talking about having two heartbeats and I can't think of a better way to explain it. I am sharing every moment of my life with another person. A boy in my sister's primary class, when talking about the Godhead being three seperate beings, commented that it would be impossible to have two people share the same body. And he was right, it isn't possible, but God has a way of making all sorts of impossible things, possible. I have another human living inside me, and while sometimes I am certain that she is a baby chick trying to poke her way out, it is only because I can feel every little move she makes. I am with her constantly. I know when she rolls over, when she has the hiccups, and when she wants to stretch. Sometimes she will start to move and she will stop but I can almost tell exactly where she is going to move next and when. I know her that well and I haven't even seen a clear picture of her or heard her cry.

I think I have been watching too much Planet Earth because I was telling Peter how much I envy the kangaroo. As a human I am so excited for the baby to come so I can hold and cuddle her but I also know that within days I will catch myself wondering where the kicks are and why I haven't felt her move. A kangaroo gets to have it both ways. They get to have some cuddle time, and then they get to put baby back in so they can continue feeling every little squirm. In my next life I will be a kangaroo.

Even labor is hard but we are talking 13 hours hard. In exchange, you get to go through the wonders of pregnancy. You get to be the first one to hold the baby. And you get two days in bed where people will do everything for you so that you can just love the baby.

And many of us are lucky enough to be able nurse the baby. I have frequently said that the reason the Lord makes it so easy for me to nurse is because if he didn't, Peter would end up doing 80% of the feeding. He is entirely too willing to get up at night and I would be lazy and let him. Then I would end up missing out on another blessing of being the woman. As a breast feeding moms, we get to attend every feeding for the first 6-12months. We get to be the one that the baby wants when they cry, and we are the only person with the magical ability to make them feel completely better.

The truth of my sentiments can be verified by asking any woman who can't bear children or can't breast feed. You will never catch them saying, "I wouldn't trade her places" about a woman who can become pregnant or a mom who can breast feed. Somehow though, many of us, me included, frequently catch ourselves complaining about our blessings. This is sad since it isn't really the way we feel.

I don't think you would find a mother who would trade places with a man. I know I wouldn't. I'm grateful to fat, all the way around, I am grateful to be kicked from the inside out, I am grateful to get the hiccups twice as often as everyone else, and I am grateful to share my body with another person.
Sincerely,
One of few people who are productive every second of every day whether eating chocolate cake, lounging in bed, or blogging online. "I grew a baby today dear, what did you do?" (According to a wise mother or 14 children.)