My husband, Samuel, and I recently moved into a townhome from a 1 bedroom apartment in the middle of June. We are all settled in, enjoying the extra space, and it really feels like home. We are still deciding on a theme for our second bedroom which will be the nursery. We want the room to be cozy and peaceful, to enjoy spending late nights caring for our little bundle of joy.
As I approach the end of my second trimester of pregnancy with our first child, I have been feeling great! I have been very blessed with an easy pregnancy thus far and hope that continues through to the third trimester. Baby and I are healthy and I am looking forward to meeting our little boy in December. I am most excited to get to know his personality and enjoy baby snuggles.
As I reflect on my pregnancy so far, I am in awe of the miracle of new life being created inside of me. It is so special that I get to be a part of something so complex and beautiful. I feel honored to carry, deliver, and guide someone in this world. This journey has taught me so much already and I know becoming a parent will push me to grow even more.
Until the baby comes, I am soaking up all the quiet moments in the house, peaceful sleep, and an uninterrupted schedule. I think it is important to cherish every season because every season has its beautiful moments, challenges, and hard times. If we are always looking ahead, how can we truly enjoy the people and position in the present?
So many things change during pregnancy, the biggest one for me is the changes in my body. It can be challenging battling the thoughts surrounding weight gain and the fact that the clothing in my wardrobe is not fitting the same way or at all anymore. It is hard to choose to love my body in this season and to see my growing belly and general weight gain as a beautiful display of the life I am carrying. What has been really impactful is a book I just started called Victorious Emotions by Wendy Backlund.
In the book so far, it discusses the importance of emotions while not allowing them to rule over your life. Oftentimes we think that we are held captive to our current situation but Wendy challenges this by revealing that the true enemy is our negative beliefs that restrict us from experiencing true joy in our lives.
“Our belief systems are like the immune systems in our bodies; they will create healthy emotions and a sense of dominion over negative circumstances. The best decision I ever made was to stop focusing on how I felt and begin focusing on what I believe.”
In this season of my body changing, I choose to believe I am strong, not only physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as well. I choose to believe I have full access to joy in my life. I choose to be grateful for all the blessings I have been given: my husband, my home, my job, my community, and so much more.
When I shift my focus to believing positive things, it doesn’t allow the negative thoughts and emotions to have a stronghold on my life. I will not say this process is easy because I have to consistently evaluate my beliefs and renew my mind daily, but it is possible and you can do it too. Be honest and kind to yourself, we are all on a journey and can choose to become better every day.
I hope you are able to sit back and reflect on the season of life you are in, being thankful for what you have, while knowing that it will change, acknowledging what you believe, and knowing that you can change the way you feel in this season. Change brings new opportunities to grow into the best version of you.
