an introduction

Welcome to my new blog, becoming mommy. I've been a blogger for a few years now, but lately my original blog, non fini, just doesn't fit the bill. That blog covers my daily life as a graduate student at the doctoral level. While that is still part of my identity, it's no longer the biggest part of it: Instead, I'm a wife and a soon-to-be mother and my family and my relationship with God (not my studies) are my first priorities. I want this blog to be about the rest of my pregnancy, the birth, and my experiences becoming (learning how to be) a mommy. There are several postings about my pregnancy in non fini, but I'll give you a run-down just in case you need it.

I'm thirty-four years old and thirty-three weeks into my pregnancy. For those of you who are clueless about how they count the weeks in a pregnancy (as I was), that actually means that I'm a little over seven months pregnant. Since many people don't know the exact date they conceive, the doctors add on a couple of weeks to the last day you knew you couldn't possibly have been pregnant. Confusing, I know, but that makes most pregnancies an average of 40 weeks, meaning I've got approximately seven weeks to go.

One of the first questions people ask me is, "Do you know what it is?" The answer to that is no (rare in this day and age, I'm finding!). My husband wanted to be surprised, so that's what we're doing. I'm kind-of hoping for a girl, but that's because I think I may never be able to have one (my husband's family is full of men and boys). If I have a boy I'll be perfectly happy. My husband (Al) doesn't have a preference (so he says). And yes, we do have names picked out: Liam Earl or Bridget Ella. Both first names are Irish (just like my husband) and a take on family names from his side, and both middle names are family names from my side.

If you're pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant, another question you're frequently asked (or will be) is, "How are you feeling?" Fine, thank you, except pretty uncomfortable, especially at night when I'm trying to sleep (trying is the operative word here). The baby is taking up a lot of room by now and moving quite a bit; it's a wonderful sensation to feel your baby moving, but those kids can hit some delicate spots sometimes! And since doctors recommend that you sleep on your sides as opposed to your back (which can cut off oxygen to the child and make it hard for you to breathe once you're big), my hips (which have developed bursitis) and legs go from okay to downright painful at night. You also might discover that some pregnant women are prone to carpal tunnel flare-ups because of the extra weight and fluid pressing on your nerves, as I am. But just remember: when that little one's here, it'll all be worth it (I'm sure it will be)!

In a nutshell, that's the context for this blog. If you're a mom-to-be, a new mom, someone thinking about becoming a mom, or just one of my friends along for the new blog ride, I hope you enjoy what I post here. I'll be chronicling my journey to and into mommyhood, posting stories, picture, and tidbits about the trip on my way. I'd love for you to join me!