15 Things You May Not Know About Me: Pregnancy Edition

I really enjoyed writing the 15 things you may not know about me. I feel like I opened up a little bit and let people see a side of me they don't normally see. Mostly because they're random facts that I don't usually talk about on the blog. Today I'm doing another round of 15 things, only this time it's about my pregnancy.

1. Everly was an unexpected but VERY welcome surprise. I do believe she knew what she was doing when she decided to join our family. If I'd waited until I was ready I would have waited forever. It also taught me that there is never a good time to have a baby. You just have to trust yourself to be strong because life is never the same again.
2. I would push my tummy out farther when I was early on because I wanted to look pregnant long before I actually did. I hated having to announce I was pregnant only to hear "you don't look it" like that was a compliment.
3. I started wearing maternity jeans when I was only 12 weeks. I didn't need them but they were so comfy! I secretly still want to wear them but I don't.
4. I could still button my "pre-pregnancy" pants the day before we went to the hospital. But they looked weird and honestly were uncomfortable. It made me happy that my butt didn't grow though. 
5. Due to HG (hyperemesis gravidarum), I lost weight and was so sick I didn't know if I would make it to the end. It was a very unpleasant 9 months. It's also a really scary thing to deal with, especially when the doctors don't diagnose you until it's far too late to be cautious or monitor.
6. I meditated every day for the last four months of my pregnancy. I was very in tune with Everly and my body and knew when things were not right.
7. We thought we were having a boy but were delighted when we found out she was a girl. I think deep down I wanted a girl but I didn't want to be disappointed if it was a boy so I just told myself that's what it was. 
8. We picked Everly's name as soon as we knew we were having a girl. Or more accurately, we picked 2 names but I liked mine better so I just started using it. I knew if Aaron hated it he would say so but instead he fell in love with it just like I did.
9. E was born in Japan, on a teeny tiny military base. She was the only baby in the hospital the entire time we were there (less than 24 hours).
10. One of the few things I could keep down was bacon. It stayed in my stomach at least half the time I ate it. It was like magic. Coincidentally, Everly loves bacon now.
11. I bought books for E my entire pregnancy and had quite the collection by the time she was born. Aaron used to read to my tummy. Now we read them together and I absolutely love it.
12. E was breeched until 37.5 weeks when she finally flipped her stubborn bum over. It was scary for me because if she hadn't flipped they would have forced me to have a c-section. I was so grateful to her for flipping. She was born exactly 3 weeks later.
13. I had a doula for my birth and I recommend one to every single pregnant mom I meet, no matter what kind of birth they want. I already wanted to be a doula before E was born, but my personal experience with one lit a fire inside me.
14. E was born after 13 awesome, intense, painful, beautiful hours of natural labor (2.5 hours of pushing). It was the most amazing experience of my entire life.
15. The moment I saw her perfect face I knew every second of the last nine months had been totally worth it. I was deeply in love and completely unprepared for what came next (no matter how many books I'd read!). 

I love my daughter deeper than words can express. My pregnancy was rough but also beautiful. I loved growing my daughter and giving her life. I feel so blessed that she chose me for her mama. I cannot believe the beauty that she brings to the world. Her light shines so bright, I'm always in awe. 

xo Sue