The Miracle of a Healthy Pregnancy

Today is one of those days I am seriously counting my blessings.

First of all, grateful I was not in Boston last week! Scary stuff. Grateful they finally caught the guy and hopefully answers will follow.

Secondly, my healthy and easy pregnancy.

I will be honest, the first few months of this pregnancy I was really unhappy. Not that I didn't want to be pregnant, because I did! But because I had worked so hard for months to eat right and exercise and I was finally at a very satisfactory place with my body. I felt strong, confident, in shape, and happy. Then I got pregnant. I felt sick. I stopped running. I started eating worse. I felt awful about myself. Every time I looked in the mirror I felt huge, bloated, terrible. Truth is, looking back on pictures and the weight I had gained, you really couldn't tell I was pregnant....and I didn't look huge or bloated. In fact, I didn't really look much different at all, except bigger you know whats...

Anyway, it took a long time for me to grow out of that misery and self-corrosion. I admit, some days are still worse than others, but I have come a far way and I feel much better about myself.

Then I hear news of friends. Good friends. Strong women who are and were pregnant at the same time as me.
One who had her baby 6 weeks early and has been visiting the NICU daily in hopes of good news.
One who lost her baby just days after announcing their pregnancy.
One who finally got pregnant after much heartache, and found out her baby might not live to term.
One who is having her first and found out he has a severe heart condition, and may also not live to term.
One who just had her first and is waiting for her to be out of the NICU.

Then I think back to myself.

I am healthy.
I have had zero complications.
My baby is active and moving like crazy.
Our first ultrasound was perfect. Our second is scheduled for Tuesday.
I had a perfectly healthy baby number 1.
I feel great.
I'm not sick.
I have easy pregnancies.
I have no major pregnancy issues or concerns.
My doctor has told me several times that everything looks perfect and I'm perfectly healthy.

Why on earth should I ever for a moment feel the need to complain?
...because I'm human, and a woman, and that's what we do sometimes.

In reality, my heart is overwhelmed with gratitude for what I have and what I have been given. My heart aches for my friends and family who are struggling through such difficult trials. I don't know how to offer comfort other than prayers, words of encouragement, and support. I don't know what they're going through. I can't imagine the heartache and pain they must endure.

It makes me realize what a miracle pregnancy and childbirth really is.
It makes me grateful for how incredibly blessed I have been.

I know we all experience our trials in different ways, and some seem harder than others, but I know that God will never give us a trial we cannot endure. Thus I know that all of my friends are so strong and will be able to overcome.