Not Pregnant to-do List

It's now been 5 months of trying to have a baby. Which pales in comparison to how long some wait to become parents, I know. But it's also 4 months longer than we waited for our first two pregnancies, so it's been tough.

In all, I've been less frustrated and sad with each passing month. Maybe some experience the opposite feelings, but for me the first month was devastating because I was convinced I was pregnant. The second month was quite hard too because I was expecting this pregnancy attempt to be brief like my first two pregnancy attempts were. Not so. But as the months have passed I've accepted more and more that we can't control these things, but that God can (and he is Good no matter what), and to trust him.

I think too, because it's taking a while to get pregnant, I'm now assuming we won't be pregnant with each passing month. I'm getting used to not being pregnant, whereas at the beginning I was not familiar with the wait.

One thing that's helping is I'm trying to enjoy not being pregnant for as long as God sees fit to have me this way. What are some things I can't do when pregnant? I should do them now and enjoy them fully! What are some symptoms I suffer when pregnant? I need to appreciate the lack of them in these days that I'm waiting to be pregnant. Have a look at the list I've compiled to help me do just that:

Not Pregnant to-do List:

Enjoy the mornings with Lily and Oli. Soon I’ll trade in smiling toddlers for a toilet bowl full of morning sickness.

Take the kids out and about most days. Soon I’ll trade in adventurous days for couch lounging and guilt that my kid’s haven’t seen the sun in days.

Bake sweets and enjoy eating them. Normally I have an aversion to sweets in my first trimester.

Eat low-sodium while I can. On that note, I often eat my weight in salted French fries when I’m pregnant.

Eat, Drink, and be Merry. Soon food will taste weird or awful and yummy drinks will be on the black list (I’m talking to you, Christmas ales, rich red wines, and good ol’ G&Ts!) and fatigue will override festiveness.

Stay up late and wake up early and live to tell the tale. Extreme fatigue is part of pregnancy that is doubled when I take meds to handle morning sickness, so I’ll try to savour the energy I have now.

Use my friend’s hot tub often. Hot water on the baby bump is ill advised but oh so relaxing.

Go out for all-you-can-eat sushi and take it seriously. As in really push the limits of the word “can”. Soon raw fish will be a no-no.

Guilt-free coffee guzzling. I’ve had coffee aversions in my 1^st trimester for both pregnancies, but after that, I always wish I could down several cups a day to combat the fatigue. I can now, so I must ;)

Back exercises and yoga. Speaking of mussles, my lower back muscles are in terrible shape after the almost- Irish twins. I’ve been told that strengthening my lower back will lessen pregnancy pain there, so I’ve got to find some exercises and get going!