I am sharing our Christmas cards before most people have received them, but we couldn't keep the news quiet any longer. A baby is on the way! We are so excited about this big (little) change that will arrive in June. This past year has held so much transition as we left our life in Amsterdam, moved across the world, and began to make a home in Portland. It has been a whirlwind of a year and the changes keep coming, but we couldn't be more thrilled.
When you announce you're pregnant, a barrage of questions usually follows. Here are some of the most frequent ones:
When are you due? June 23! It seems like a lifetime away, but good things take time. Right? It also happens to be right during the 2014 World Cup, so we're looking forward to having an extra cheerleader for the Deutsche Mannschaft.
How are you feeling so far? The first half of the first trimester was amazing. I almost didn't even feel pregnant, which was perfect for our trip to Mexico. Since the beginning of November, the evenings have been tough with nausea and exhaustion. At times it pretty intense, but overall I was relatively lucky. Now, I am almost at week 14 (one-third of the way there) and soon I should be able to stay awake past 9pm.
Were you planning to get pregnant? Ehm, well. We were starting to think about it and then it suddenly happened. Very quickly. Marcus and I thought maybe sometime next year and definitely after allergy season because there is no way I thought I could survive without medicine. Well, I guess I'm going to have to.
Did you always want children? No. I know many women who always knew they wanted to be a mom, but I wasn't one of them. In fact, for most of my life if you put a young child in the same room with me, I would gravitate to the opposite side. My mother always said, "You'll love your own", but I didn't think it was for me. Then my older sister had her first daughter seven years ago and her second four years ago and things changed. Becoming an aunt to my two sweet nieces, getting to watch my sister grow into motherhood, and watching friends enter motherhood with grace has been a joy. About one year after my first niece was born, I met Marcus. He was amazing, sweet, and was excited to be a father someday. As our relationship grew, I realized that being a mother was something I couldn't picture for myself alone, but us, together as parents, didn't sound so bad. And now, I can't even describe how much I already love the little baby growing inside me. Nine months seems like an eternity.
Where are you giving birth? Home births with a midwife are quite standard in Europe, but just starting to pick back up in the US. I definitely do not want to give birth at home, but will have a midwife deliver our baby. Marcus and I were both born with midwives and we both prefer a process that anticipates minimal medical intervention.
You're a vegetarian, do you think you'll eat meat? Actually, I eat fish, eggs, and cheese (lacto-ovo pescatarian), I just don't eat meat. I have heard that some vegetarians suddenly crave meat when pregnant. So far, the smell of cooking meat generally has me rushing out of the room. In fact, writing about it even takes a strong stomach. I have been trying to find more protein-rich recipes and I would love all recommendations.
Only 186 more days (or so) to go!