Things I won't miss

I love being pregnant, don't get me wrong. I fully understand and appreciate what a gift this is, and I am especially thankful that I've now had two healthy, 40+ week gestations without any major complications. I love these maternal curves, how food tastes better than ever during the 2nd trimester, feeling the baby kicks and twirls, and dreaming about what the future holds with this new family member.

I love it so much that I know I will miss being pregnant after the baby is born, like I did with Claire, even though I will be incredibly happy to have him/her in my arms. So, as a reminder for my future self, here are the things I will NOT miss about being pregnant. I want to look back on pregnancy with positive memories, but I don't want to waste energy on missing it...I think this will help. Here's what I won't miss:

• The frustration of dropping something, or needing to bend down to pick something up; the fact that I wonder, "do I really need this item? Is there anything else I can do while I'm down there? Maybe Claire could hand it to me, instead."
• Becoming breathless from simply walking across a room, let alone walking up the stairs. It takes forever to get things done!
• Not being able to lift or carry large or heavy items. Strong nesting urges paired with the inability to move furniture or haul large boxes of unwanted items to the curb or the Goodwill can really cramp a mama's style.
• Getting heartburn from a few sips of water, especially when I still want to eat a meal!
• Outgrowing some of my maternity clothes. I refuse to buy more when I only have a few weeks left, so I've just dealt with a limited wardrobe (including a really nerdy Spice Girls tshirt I got as a joke in high school. Not to be outdone, Mark strutted out of the closet one day wearing a Boys II Men concert tshirt...which he actually got at a concert.)
• Wishing we had access to a crane or bulldozer that would make rolling over or getting out of bed easier tasks.
• Not being able to fully hug Mark and Claire (or anybody else, for that matter).
  
• Moving "wrong" and feeling my hips shift unpleasantly out of alignment. When I feel and hear that distinct *snap!* on either side of my spine I know I'm in for it. These hormones have really loosened my joints up, which is good for the delivery but not so good for anything else. I've also read that the hormone relaxin may somehow be related to Fibromyalgia, which would explain the flares I've had during obvious hormone surges. It's no fun when every cell in your body aches! Thank goodness it's temporary, and hasn't happened often throughout this pregnancy.
  
• Speaking of hormones, the way I cry when I watch birth videos. I try so hard to maintain composure, but my eyes always spill over when the baby is born and I see the look of joy on the mom's face. Oh, wait, that happens even when I'm not pregnant!