Movie reel.

A few weeks ago I saw a little girl sprint off the school bus and run down the sidewalk to her beaming father. He was taking pictures of her as she ran to him, and I really can't find the words to describe the smiles on their faces. He grabbed her and swung her around, kissed her cheek while she talked at full-speed and he carried her home.

I captured their moment in my head and it spins like a movie reel on repeat.

Two weeks ago, on one of my regular Target visits, I listened to a little boy, who was sitting in the cart, carry on a conversation with his mother. And she spoke to him like an adult, not in baby talk, and he completely understood her. They talked about what kind of pillow to buy, which color of pillowcases he wanted, and what color his daddy would like him to pick.

I absentmindedly seemed to have added this to my movie reel. 

Last week, I rushed to my best friend and sister as it seemed she might be having their baby a little early, and there was no way that I was going to miss it -- I was on her delivery team!  Arriving just after midnight everything had calmed down and we were going to be able to wait. But it was a bit of a scare with her tiny breeched baby.

Because it was such a drive, and I was so afraid to miss anything, I stayed with her for a few days and we waited together. While she was too stubborn to stay on bed rest, we grabbed groceries and movies and tried any which way to get her baby to flip. We laughed our asses off at the things that only happen to pregnant ladies -- like the grunts that escape our lips when we try to get off the couch -- and, we cried about the miracles coming to us. I will forever cherish those days that we spent together.

My nephew, Grady = tiny perfection.

Baby Grady still had to be delivered through c-section but he came out ready to explore the new world. He was so bright-eyed and beautiful. The love I felt for him in that moment was instantly overwhelming. I have never felt so proud of my sister. Their perfect little family is just beginning their adventure.

I could go on and on as the reel keeps spinning as I keep attaching the scenes -- and chokes me up every single time.

Peeing your pants.

When you are pregnant no one tells you to be careful of peeing a little bit every time you cough or sneeze. No, you have to figure it out yourself when you start putting back-up underwear and pads in your purse and then weekly throw a pair or two away because you aren't home to throw them in the washer. And now...I swear for Jesus that I pulled my groin muscles sneezing and squeezing my legs shut to stop it from happening, over and over again. I do kegels all day with this in mind and it doesn't always matter, but it also doesn't help that I have awful allergies to keep this cycling.

Last week I was in my car, that was still parked in the driveway and running late for work as usual. I sneezed 13 times in a row. Imagine what that did to me, or you might not want to.  I swore like a madwoman and went back in the house to change with watery eyes and wet pants.

Not only did my storming into the house and banging drawers awaken my husband, but he knew exactly what happened by which drawer I pulled from. He laughed at me with one eye open and half asleep and when he asked me to calm down and be quiet, I almost punched him.

Are you effing kidding me? He doesn't pee his pants sneezing AND he gets to stay in bed another two hours every day! Seriously, do not say a word.

But fine, it was funny later.

TMI? I don't care. The mommas know what I am talking about and the rest of you have no idea what we really go through. When I feel my baby boy kicking me and moving around, I know that I would pee my pants a million times over to keep this little man growing, and I can't wait to meet him.

Care package.

Candy, Gardettos, a frisbee, The Plain Dealer, mints, Chapstick, ravioli...it's the box that I packed up and shipped off to my brother in Afghanistan yesterday.

He wanted lunch-y things because they are away from base. But I'm sure that anything from home tastes good when you don't get too many hot meals and crave pizza every day (he is a pizza whore). It's fun to pick things out that might make him smile and help him get through the day, even if it is a cold can of ravioli.

So, I gather my items and box them up in the USPS military flat rate box (it's $2.00 cheaper) and sit down to write him a note.

I'm always torn at this part. Do I tell him how much we miss him and all the things to catch up on? Is he mentally blocked off from us so that he can get through his duties with a clear head and emotional detachment? What is the right thing to do? What does he need to hear or know from us? We are getting through this too so we also block the emotions to ward off tears and heart-heavy reminders.

But, I started to tell him how thankful I am for Facebook and the internet because it has really made this time pass with being able to communicate. Just to hear from him, to see a picture of his Army unit together, or see his activity checking in on everyone, makes me smile. So, I tell him how we are all taking care of one another and can't wait for him to be home to see all the new babies that will just be arriving to meet their uncle. Maybe my lil man will even wait to say hello after he returns, it will be close.

I end with prayers of so much love, sealed in an envelope with trails of tears, hugs and kisses.

He is halfway home.

Not quite invincible.

I really, truly, thought that I would be invincible as a pregnant chick. There was no way that I could get sick with the amount of vitamins we moms-to-be take.

That is a big fat joke.

In actuality, pregnant women have a suppressed immune system, so they become quite the easy target.

Not only have I been congested with a truck through my chest, I have a cough and more snot coming out of my nose than I have ever had in my life (could be a slight exaggeration but I'm not sure). After double checking with my doc, I could take Tylenol for my aches and pains and hot steamy showers. I was in trouble, and not very happy since I barely slept for three days.

So, I don't think I could be any happier than when I woke up at 4:45am today and I had been breathing through my nose and not my mouth! One, I actually slept AND no more disgusting mouth film and cracking lips. Woohoo! Total celebration.

The best part of this week's trial though, as I seem to have had many pregnancy trials thus far, is my conversation with Ryan yesterday as we stood in the kitchen:

Ry: So are you enjoying your pregnancy so far?
Me: Um, not really.
Ry: Do you want to do it again?
Me: Probably a few times.

All we can do is hug and laugh.