well...it Depends.

Pregnancy is a beautiful, incredible blessing.  It's important to always remember that not every one gets the privilege of experiencing it.  Some don't want to (which is perfectly fine) while others simply cannot, despite trying.

Some people in the world don't think that miracles exist.

I'm thinking, regardless of different faiths and beliefs, HOW could one NOT believe that they exist.  Even if you put aside some of the other amazing miracles that I believe happen on the daily, I just think of the billions of women, starting with Eve, that have given the gift of life.  That's enough to remind me that miracles still exist to this day.

Riding around Queenstown, NZ, 2 days before the big news!

Even before I became pregnant, I thought it was just the most amazing thing to see a beautiful pregnant woman with a large baby belly.  I would find myself staring in amazement, almost a little embarrassed.  Like, is there an alien in there?  Could there really be a little human growing inside of her?  Is it squishy?  I wonder if she can feel the baby?  I wonder what it must feel like?

At the Ice Bar, 1 day before the big news.  I had a virgin bloody mary in every single bar we went to!

I flash back to a part in the first Men In Black movie where a woman gives birth on the side of the road...to an alien squid creature thing.  Remember that?  It always kind of freaked me out a little...but then intrigued me at the same time.

As soon as I met Brent, I fell in love with him so quickly.  Before I knew it, I was envisioning having his baby.  After we got married, he admitted to feeling the exact same way about me!

Of course, they had special fireworks JUST for us on New Years Eve! :D *4 weeks & 2 days*

*8 weeks & 1 day* Our first wee Kiwi baby ultrasound! 

Ok so this might weird you out even more...but here's another confession. Sometimes, when I ate a lot (usually Mexican, those dang chips and salsa get me every time!), I would pretend like I was pregnant and stick my belly out as far as I could just to see what it would feel/look like.  Granted, it was only a food baby.  But still.

I look at this & laugh because I thought I was so big, surely everyone could tell I was pregnant!

Did anyone else do this?  I'm totally ok with being the only crazy one by the way.

So anyways, let me get right to the point.  Some people make this blessing look strikingly easy.  At least that's what I thought from afar since I have never really been around a pregnant woman for an extended period of time.

You just grow a baby for 9 months, you look fabulous the entire time, time seems to fly by, before you know it you pop that baby right out, your body goes back to looking exactly the way it did before you became pregnant, the baby coo's and is always cute, and every one lives happily ever after.  Right?

I ordered my birthing kit the other day which is what inspired this post.  Here are some of the items that were included in the kit:

-Basic Underpads
-Deluxe Underpads
-Large Protection Plus Classic Underwear
-Enema

Needless to say, I freaked out.  Just a little.

Large Protection Plus Classic Underwear is just a nice way of saying, get you some Depends!  I mean, apparently, the baby isn't the only one that will need diapers!

Enema?!  I guess pooping hasn't exactly been on the top list of my priorities lately...

The underpads are for when you are laboring and don't want to leak amniotic fluid everywhere that you sit or lay.  Think of them as puppy potty training pads (actually I think that's exactly what they are).

*sigh*  You know, at the end of the day, none of this really matters.  Our bodies are doing something so incredibly amazing that all of the gross stuff that comes with it will seem so petty.

However, I do think that it's important that you have an honest, transparent view of some of the things that come along with this miracle.

You might pee yourself a little.  Brent laughs every time I sneeze, because quite frankly, I could have probably used a supply of Depends starting about..7 months ago.

Some women don't get stretch marks, while other women (like myself) still get them despite slathering themselves with oil all day and night.  You just can't escape the power of genetics.  Tiger stripes.  They scream "I grew a baby y'all!" and I shall wear them proudly.

Some women may gain exactly between the 25-35 pounds that the textbooks seem to find appropriate, while other women (again, like myself) may gain 43 pounds and counting.  Are you eating healthy most of the time?  Are you exercising and staying active?  If yes, then that number is just a number.  Move on.

Your uterus can take up to 6 weeks and beyond to fully retract to its original size.  Meaning, some women actually do go back to their previous size almost instantaneously, while most women do not. This is why I love Kate Middleton so much.  She wore her post-baby belly so beautifully.

{Photo courtesy@thehollywoodgossip.com}

Doesn't she look radiant?!  And I read she had an all natural birth. 

The greatest thing for me throughout my pregnancy has been the unconditional love and support of my amazing husband.  It has brought us closer in more ways than I could have ever imagined.  When I tell him about my fears and concerns, which are mainly focused on my own body image as I wrote about in this post, he tells me how beautiful I am and how much more he loves me every day for carrying our daughter so gracefully and bringing her into the world soon.

I am so thankful that we communicate about everything, including the potential use of Depends post-birth.  At least I won't have to get up to pee so many times throughout the night! :)

Happy living y'all!