SCORE

You know, I'm pretty sure there comes a time in every young woman's newly married life where she thinks to herself "I married the very best man in the entire world". But, well, I really did. I mean, really. Blair is the best. In my head, he's better than you would ever know.

I mean, there are lots of reasons. There really are. I would like to title this post "Score". :)

• So as far as getting sick goes, it's gotten better. I've been really tired and there are still some things that trigger my stomach and make me vomit. One of these, is dishes. I don't know what it is, I think part of it is that our kitchen is so small and contained that if there are ANY food particles in the dishes it just makes me crazy. So SCORE one, Blair ALWAYS does the dishes for me. And if I look at him and say "They made me sick, if you do anything today, please do dishes." He does it. I feel bad sometimes, because he works hard and work has been iffy for me for a while. So on top of my husbands 40+ hours, he takes care of me. 
• SCORE two, we were talking about when Baby Ellie comes in June (possibly July) and I confessed something that I'm a little worried about. We like to sleep a lot. We go to bed early, Blair gets up early and we just really like the way we get to sleep a lot. So with a new baby...sleep kinda....well, it just doesn't happen. There is no set schedule. There is no bed time. There is no system. At least not a little while. When I told Blair that I was worried about this, this man...Oh this man, he says "Maddie, it's not a big deal. I'll stay home with you two as long as I can, and when I go back to work, we'll make it work. We'll nap when we can. If you have to wake up in the middle of the night with her, and you need me to be awake with you, tell me. If you don't, it's ok. Just don't tell me to go back to sleep and then wake me up because you found out you did need me. I'd rather just be awake with you."
  I'm not sure he knows how much that meant to me...
• SCORE three, he loves talking to Ellie. It's hysterical. We've gotten to that fun point where she moves and wriggles. I can tell you the exact times that she gets excited, and there are certain places that she gets excited about. The other day though, Blair put his face right down close to her and talked and she freaked out. Baby knows Daddy's voice. I consider that a huge SCORE.
• SCORE four, he massages my back. I got the best birth ball from a friend and I sit on that sucker like its my job. I had a moment yesterday when I got real nauseated and I knew I needed to take a medicine before things got out of hand. Sometimes, it's hard, because it tastes bad, and I have to be very careful when taking it. Blair sat in there with me and rubbed my back while I tried to swallow it down. Labor is gonna be a breeze with him there. 
• Now we come down to SCORE number Five, he let me order Chinese food last night. :) 

I'm part of these groups on the Facebook that talk about HG and how they deal with their sicknesses. Some of them talk about how they don't have super supportive husbands...and I don't know how they survive. Never once have I felt like Blair wasn't there for me, or that he doubted how I felt about my body. Never once has he made me feel bad for not being able to work as much, and never once did I doubt that he was excited about his daughter. Sometimes, now, he just looks at me and smiles. She's getting so very big and moving so so so much. Every little noise I make he wants to know why. 

It's just...we've learned a lot this pregnancy. We've learned a lot about each other, what we want, and don't want. I've learned a lot about myself and about how to let people love me. 

And Blair...man...someone give the man a cold beer. He's winning. 

An Old Man, My Momma, and Pants.

Today was an interesting day. It didn't start off so well, but it ended up being pretty awesome.

I got sick yesterday and again this morning. I've been having a hard time convincing myself that bad days are just bad days, and that really, I will survive. I have a flair for the melodramatic so I get very "woe is me".

Yesterday, I made sure to get out of my bed. This is a big deal for me. When I feel that crummy, I don't want to move that much. I made it out to the mailbox, and when my Blair came home from work, I was on the couch not in our bed. I had a thought during the day "He would be so please, knowing I'm having a crummy day, if I was not in our bed." I was right. He was pleased. It was adorable.

This morning was one of those barely-make-it-to-the-bathroom type deals. So special. I'm laying bed thinking, Maybe today will be better, and my mouth fills with...well...it was very very special. I sat in our bathroom floor, cried for a second (throwing up usually makes that happen to me anyways) and then thought, How can today still be good? 

I'm tired of accepting defeat. I'm tired of having these days when I feel debilitated. So I got dressed. I picked up our bed room. I got a text from my Momma, asking me if I would like to go grocery shopping/baby carrier/stroller shopping with her. I went out on a limb and said yes, praising God the whole time that she was driving and I was not. When I drive on these days, I make it one  place and then head home, HG wears you out physically too people.

I folded a basket of clothes. Made the bed. Went out with my Mommy.

And it was ok. 

I got tired and had to sit sometimes. I had to be clear about how I felt and my limitations. I don't last long, and one or two things make me super tired. But there was some things that happened that made it so worth it.

For example, I met a man while I was resting who had been married 61 years. Told me that his wife was still the most beautiful and elegant lady that he'd ever seen. Told me where he was from, talked about Sight and Sound in Lancaster PA, and about his great-grandchild due in April. He explained that he hated shopping, but went with her because she liked it, and how hungry he was. He asked me how long I'd been married (a year this Sunday!!) and congratulated me on our Ellie Girl. We talked food, groceries, life, and the Bible. His wife called him over to help her get the groceries checked out, and on their way out, he shook my hand and said "God bless you, your husband, and your baby." His wife told me that if we didn't have a name picked out, that Rebekah was a great name (it was her name!). When I told them we did, and who and why she is named what she is named, they both big smiles, he said, "That's a beautiful tribute to what sounds like a great man and some great friends. That's a good name."

My mom checked out soon after, and told me she should have given me the keys to the car, but I'm so glad she didn't. That man made my day, and if he is the only reason I went out, then God knew what He was doing.

So often we see broken marriages, and hear the horror stories. This world can be harsh, cruel, subjecting us to some things that hurt our heart. Coming across a man, woman, human, that make our hearts burst with joy and love, that's something special.

I hope one day, when Blair and I are married for 61 years, Lord Willing, and out grocery shopping, he or I get the chance to sit next to a 22 week pregnant woman and encourage her like I felt today. A complete stranger...he has no idea how much that conversation stuck with me.

Most importantly today, I got to spend time with my Mommy. I covet this time with her. She knows that sometimes I can't do so much, and that I need breaks. She walked into my messy house and never said a word about it. Grace comes in all forms. I realize how special this time is, and how incredibly blessed I am to be near her. Granted, she knows and I know, we both have our own busy lives. We don't do EVERYTHING with one another, and she knows my time with Blair is very...special and we both covet the time we get to spend together. And I know she's still a Mommy to three younger siblings, those things are important.

As I am on the journey to holding my baby (I already am a mother...) I just think about what it was like for her, all those times she was pregnant, all those times she prepared her heart to bring into this world another beautiful Carrigan baby. When our Ellie Girl wriggles and moves (which feels like a lot right now!) I think, you know, once, my mom felt this way about me. The wonder and excitement never gets old, I pray that it doesn't even get old. Each movement, each flutter is a reminder that she truly is there, that she is ours for a while, that we are blessed.

She dropped me off this afternoon and I passed out for a while. :) I am not kidding when I tell you I get super tired. I'm feeling good, ok, and I'm excited, because this means I can go to work tomorrow, Lord Willing. Mornings in the past week or so, have become hard for me again. It's like November all over again. Each day is new though, and I've stopped trying to plan what will and won't happen. I can't do that. I don't know. I don't know if I will wake up tomorrow feeling awesome, or if I will want to crawl back into bed and pray that my stomach stops hurting, that I won't puke more.

God is Holy. And...the more I come back to Him, and focus on what He says instead of what I feel, I do better. It's hard. It's really hard sometimes. When I throw up, yet another time, it's hard to think He hears what I've been begging. But you know, at the beginning of this pregnancy all I ever did was pray and pray and pray that we would make it this far, I never even thought to ask Him to make the pregnancy easy.

So really, He's answered all my prayers, and I just keep praying that He would help me focus on Him. Because really, trust me, I'm a better human when I do. I really am. :)

On a different note, I finally bought myself a pair of maternity pants! I had to call my Blair to make it was ok, because it feels like a lot of money, but I do miss wearing jeans, and my regular ones really aren't very comfortable. But these suckers! Oh man! Why don't we wear pants like these all the time?! I'm not kidding...I'm gonna wear them after I'm pregnant, I know it. I really am. :) I also bought a size down from what I normally buy...one, because I couldn't find my "normal" size, and two, because these fit very well. It was....it's nice. It's not the WAY I wanted to lose weight (sometimes, I feel like I'm bulimic... to a point where I need to go the Dentist to make sure my teeth are ok..yipes!!!) but you know, it's kinda a blessing, and I will take those where I can get them.