Our darling daughter is nine months old, which got me thinking that we've now known her little face for roughly the same amount of time that I was pregnant with her. Add to this train of thought that friends of ours are excitedly awaiting the arrival of their first child, and that our next-door neighbour is due today, and it's no wonder I've taken a trip down pregnancy memory lane.
While I was pregnant, I often wanted to fast forward to being a mum, so I could meet our little one and, yes, say goodbye to the morning sickness and lay on my stomach again. Now with some distance, and after talking to soon-to-be parents, I'm reminded what a special time those nine months are. There are a number of moments I'll always remember, cherish and laugh at myself about.
There is something magical about seeing your growing child via an ultrasound. Our first ultrasound was at around six weeks, and I'll never forget how I felt when I saw that 1.8 cm jellybean-like shape on the screen: vulnerable. Just as mind-blowing were the later ultrasounds, which showed more detail, like the heart beat and those ten little fingers and toes. Similarly, I couldn't wait to feel my baby's first little kicks and hiccups, and share them with hubby when they got stronger. Towards the end of my pregnancy, my baby bump was often lopsided, and sometimes had the odd lump (aka foot) sticking out of it.
My husband and I did take a babymoon of sorts (we combined my birthday celebrations with one of his work trips). We went when I was five months pregnant, which in hindsight was the perfect time to go. My stomach wasn't too big to be uncomfortable, flying wasn't an issue, and I still had enough energy to walk around and be a tourist. Sure, I had to think about what I ate (no sushi or soft cheese), I replaced a birthday cocktail with a birthday mocktail, and I was generally tucked up in bed early, but I also squeezed in a spot of shopping and my last massage until Laura was seven months old (two of the usual things I like to do on holidays). Looking back, it was a great way for us to enjoy some time away together, for the last time as just the two of us.
Choosing names was interesting, especially as we decided to wait to see if we were having a boy or a girl. For a boy, I like strong, masculine names. For a girl, I wanted a name that she could grow with, and that she could introduce herself with in a company board meeting should she choose that route in life. I had a great time reading baby names books and pairing potential first and middle names. We had a boy's name and a girl's name picked out before we arrived at the hospital, although we also agreed if bub really didn't look like a Laura or a Jack, we'd pick another name.
Setting up the nursery was a lot of fun. Our aim was to create a colourful, gender-neutral space, which would also see our child through infancy, childhood and into the teenage years with simply a change of wall hangings and furniture (hubby and I had an ulterior motive: we both really dislike painting walls). It needed to be practical, flexible and fun. I think we've achieved what we set out to do — it's my favourite room in our house. Another fun pregnancy milestone was my baby shower (organised by two of my beautiful girlfriends). A gorgeous day, shared with friends and family; just perfect for a new mummy-to-be.
I've previously alluded to the fact that I like being prepared, and my preparation for my hospital stay was no exception. I did leave what I couldn't plan for to 'whatever happened on the day', but I had my bag packed four weeks before my due date (a helpful tip from a girlfriend was to pack a second set of toiletries so I didn't need to worry about collecting and packing them just before I jumped in the car) and a checklist to make sure I didn't forget anything. I confess I even wrote out our announcement message for friends and family (complete with blanks for name, time and date of birth) days before the event, and made sure we had a contact list for this announcement in hubby's phone. Laugh if you will (I am), but I'd do this all again, as such things were really the last thing on my mind when Laura was born.
One of my more funny-but-true memories was related to my nesting. In the final weeks leading up to my due date, I spring cleaned our house, organised the pantry, scrubbed our fridge and freezer, and folded every item of clothing in my closet and dresser. Hubby mentioned my failure to take things easy and rest to my obstetrician, I explained it was because I wanted to bring bub home to a clean house, and her response was, 'I don't think baby will be any the wiser. Enjoy these last moments where you can put your feet up.'
During my pregnancy, other mums would say to me, 'Enjoy this time, it's so special.' As the weeks went by, when my tummy became my personal herald when I entered a room, when I began to seriously consider trading my entire shoe collection for a single bite of brie, and when my unborn child and I had nightly wrestling matches over whether I would sleep on my left or right side, I admit I began to wonder whether these women had experienced something different. But jokes aside, it really is incredible to know that I made another human being, and that she is connected to me in more ways than I'm aware of. Just as I'll never forget the moment when I first heard my daughter cry, I'll never forget my journey that brought me to that moment.
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