Portrayal of Pregnancy

Tomorrow will be 10 weeks. Ten weeks of the most inexplicable experience you can imagine!

One Wednesday some friends of ours brought over some homemade lasagna. I had a generous helping and went to knit at another friend's house. The entire time I was gone, I was experiencing heartburn like I have never had before. Granted, the first time I had heartburn I was 26 years old, so it's not exactly like I'm a seasoned sufferer. But let me tell you - that Wednesday was horrible. From about 7:00 until 11:00 that night, my chest was on fire. No amount of milk could douse my discomfort. Perhaps I should have stopped chugging the milk and I could have avoided the next problem.

11:30 I started to get some really uncomfortable stomach pains. Cramping, aches, and all-out misery. I couldn't sleep all night. Around 5 Thursday morning, the stomach pains became......um....productive? If you catch my drift? And from 5 a.m Thursday to 10 a.m. Saturday - I couldn't leave my house. By 2 a.m. on Friday, it had become more than I could bear. I woke my husband and choked back tears as I asked, "How much would you hate me if I asked you to go to the store for me?" His response? "Just a little." Yes, folks, the world's greatest husband got out of bed and drove to the store at 2:00 Friday morning to get me something to soothe my issues.

I had asked him to buy me some Pepto, as I had been told by another formerly pregnant woman, with a perfectly healthy child, that it was okay. Within 24 hours I consumed 8 tablets. That's when the next problem started. Apparently Pepto can cause some side effects, that I won't even bother to mention here. I started doing some research online and every site I came across, from doctors, pharmacists, and other pregnant women, said DO NOT take Pepto when pregnant. Pepto is bad, and you're bad if you take it!

Momentary panic. After talking to sister and Mom - panic subsided. I'm fine. I'm confident Ziggy is fine. Lesson learned. It's amazing all the things you can do when you're not pregnant, but as soon as you have a bean in your belly, there is an entire list do's and don'ts that seems to change depending on who you talk to.

I can't eat lunch meat. I can't eat soft cheeses - so my favorite snack of lignon berries and brie cheese baked in crescent rolls? No can do. I can't have sugar alcohol (found in sugar free items). I can't take Pepto. I can't take anything, for any ailment, save for Tylenol. I can't have as much (or any) caffeine. I can't scoop the cat box. (Not complaining about that one!)

Other can'ts: I can't wear a bra because my girls have quadrupled in size. I can't button my pants. I can't stop eating carbs. I can't sleep through the night. I can't believe I'm pregnant.

No, really, I can believe it, but it still hasn't sunk in yet. I suppose next week when I head to my first appointment and get that under my belt, it will be more real for me. Otherwise, it's just been a few weeks of feeling sick. And trying to wrap my mind around this full-blown miracle that's taking place inside my body. I am in no way complaining of anything I've experienced. These are all small sacrifices I'm willing to pay 1,000 times over if it means I get to enjoy a life with a happy, healthy child.

Psalm 139, David talks about being "knit together in my mother's womb." Being a knitter, I understand the attention to detail that takes, and the sometimes laborious efforts to create a wonderful garment. What's going on with Ziggy is more intricate than any garment I could construct with yarn or needles. It really and truly is a miracle of life - God's handiwork.