19 Weeks
Today I am 19 weeks pregnant. I had my monthly ob/gyn appointment this morning and once again Russ and I were grateful and moved when we heard what the doctor described as a "very strong heart beat." Since I have yet to feel any movement, It's nothing short of reassuring when I am privy to that beautiful sound.
It occurred to me yesterday as I watched a man leave a restaurant, put on his sunglasses, and light a cigarette, that we humans have many rituals. I, myself am quite ritually-inclined and have become more so over the years.
I like to wake up about two hours before I leave the house to give me time to eat breakfast (either a bowl of several whole grain, high fiber cereals with soy and almond milk, or a bowl of oatmeal with flax oil and a sprinkling of Grape Nuts), watch a bit of TV (either The Today Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, or The Price is Right, depending on when I wake up), read and answer emails, check stocks and some news stories, use the rest room (I like to do this before showering, and I don't like to feel rushed. I also enjoy doing a crossword puzzle so I'm exercising my brain while exorcising my food), shower (every other day I wash my hair), get dressed, and put on makeup. Oh! I left out letting Bogie out, feeding him, and feeding the cats. And those are just my morning rituals!
I won't bore you with any of my other daily routines, but I will tell you that there are plenty of them. None are really as precious as my morning rituals, but they are all a part of my day, and they are all a part of who I am.
Well, it seems to me that these rituals are in for a big freaking wake-up call when this baby arrives. I think the days of long breakfasts, long showers, and long bathroom breaks are coming to an end only to be replaced by new rituals that include feeding, changing, clothing, coddling, and kissing a baby. I think I'm really going to miss my rituals, so I'm relishing them now. They are part of the reason I was willing to put this whole "breeding thing" off for so long. One of the things that makes us feel like independent adults are the quirky things we do that make us comfortable. I think a baby is going to throw all those comforts right out the window and kick my ass into adulthood the old-fashion way.
Having said all that... I'm quite sure my new rituals will be brilliant ones. I think they will be habits that make getting up in the morning miraculous instead of mundane. I'm pretty sure missing out on a long shower will quickly be forgotten the first time I wake up to the loving eyes of our son. And I'm sure I will develop new, comforting rituals of my own whenever I get the chance to spend some time alone. Besides, Bob Barker is retiring in June, so I probably would have stopped watching The Price is Right anyway.
It occurred to me yesterday as I watched a man leave a restaurant, put on his sunglasses, and light a cigarette, that we humans have many rituals. I, myself am quite ritually-inclined and have become more so over the years.
I like to wake up about two hours before I leave the house to give me time to eat breakfast (either a bowl of several whole grain, high fiber cereals with soy and almond milk, or a bowl of oatmeal with flax oil and a sprinkling of Grape Nuts), watch a bit of TV (either The Today Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, or The Price is Right, depending on when I wake up), read and answer emails, check stocks and some news stories, use the rest room (I like to do this before showering, and I don't like to feel rushed. I also enjoy doing a crossword puzzle so I'm exercising my brain while exorcising my food), shower (every other day I wash my hair), get dressed, and put on makeup. Oh! I left out letting Bogie out, feeding him, and feeding the cats. And those are just my morning rituals!
I won't bore you with any of my other daily routines, but I will tell you that there are plenty of them. None are really as precious as my morning rituals, but they are all a part of my day, and they are all a part of who I am.
Well, it seems to me that these rituals are in for a big freaking wake-up call when this baby arrives. I think the days of long breakfasts, long showers, and long bathroom breaks are coming to an end only to be replaced by new rituals that include feeding, changing, clothing, coddling, and kissing a baby. I think I'm really going to miss my rituals, so I'm relishing them now. They are part of the reason I was willing to put this whole "breeding thing" off for so long. One of the things that makes us feel like independent adults are the quirky things we do that make us comfortable. I think a baby is going to throw all those comforts right out the window and kick my ass into adulthood the old-fashion way.
Having said all that... I'm quite sure my new rituals will be brilliant ones. I think they will be habits that make getting up in the morning miraculous instead of mundane. I'm pretty sure missing out on a long shower will quickly be forgotten the first time I wake up to the loving eyes of our son. And I'm sure I will develop new, comforting rituals of my own whenever I get the chance to spend some time alone. Besides, Bob Barker is retiring in June, so I probably would have stopped watching The Price is Right anyway.
posted by Lisa at 8:29 PM
3 Comments:
One of MY comforting rituals is to read your exquisite blog. And I'm gonna instruct Bob Barker to get on it, too. He'll need SOMETHING to do what with all the newfound free time he'll soon have.
BOB: Listen, Jeff, Lisa's a great writer, but I'll be far too busy with my OWN blog.
ME: Oh? What blog will THAT be, Bob?
BOB: Why, a "spay and neuter your pets" blog, of course.
ME: (turning straight into camera) I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!
Great stuff!
P.S. Post pics of yourself so we can see Sesame (now look what you started) grow!
I know how much your morning routine means to you, so I thought this was a particularly beautiful entry.
I'm impressed on many levels.
You should post the picture Zeke just sent of you. It would compliment this perfectly considering you look beautiful in it.
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