Mommy's Baby Steps

I have felt unusually on top of things lately - in fact, I don't remember feeling this way since before our son's birth! I finally organized our wedding photos into an album, I sent forward a medical form as soon as I got it in the mail (amazing!), I've been reading books for pleasure as well as for growth, and I helped my husband eliminate items from the garage that had been there since our move. This Friday, I'm meeting with a woman from church to talk about fear vs. faith and learn from her life (see my personal vision below for details).

This is all very exciting, mostly because for awhile after our son was born, life didn't seem like it would ever slip into a manageable routine again! Taking regular showers - that was the first big accomplishment. Eating (let alone cooking!) regular, reasonably healthy meals - that was another big step. Anne Morrow Lindbergh's book Gift from the Sea was a lifeline for my mind and soul during that time - life just had boiled down to the basics, and this book was a reminder that beyond the breastfeeding, waves of hormones, and sleep-deprivation, the heart of a woman was still beating. Having something else for my mind to gently ponder was food for my soul.

So now, in the midst of our joy as we anticipate our daughter's arrival in February, I'm realizing that I will soon return to those days. But now I feel like I have a distinct advantage: I've seen the other side. I know I won't be able to do much for awhile. I know what a c-section recovery is like. I know what it's like to struggle through breastfeeding for awhile and have it end up being an incredibly rewarding bond with my child. I know that at even 4 months later my tummy will feel so jiggly that I will hardly manage a slow jog.

But then...one day I will run again. I will run a 10K again like I did just this past May. I will have the energy to wash the dishes. I will dance with both our kids in my arms and take them out to visit friends. Taking a daily shower will be the first step. But one step at a time, and soon we'll have walked around the world. More than once.