Bring it on!

   So today, as I was making dinner, I received a text message from my Aunt, saying that her friend(who I  have met) had her baby boy the other day.  I instantly, like many women(I think) thought about what her birth experience was like. Then the reminder came to me, as I looked at my very round belly....I am going to have another birth story of my own very soon!! I am trying not to be anxious, and have sworn to myself to not try to do anything to kick start my labor, just let  it come naturally,  but the excitement is creeping, and I cant wait to meet her!!
     With that said....I also got the reminder of what birth and labor will be like.....PAINFUL!! This will be my third baby, in less than 4 years....so the memory of that pain never truly went away!! ? Many people  wonder why I am planning on delivering natural again, after already experiencing it, and :"proving:" i can do it(who needs to prove anything!). My answer is always this: I  have gone 40 weeks of feeling every kick and roll, heartburn, hips stretching, skin stretching, baby flipping......why stop at the best and  to me, most important part! I desire to feel my baby enter this world, the emotions that come with it, know that you and your baby are working together, so hard, to get this job done!! Its a personal choice, I give no judgement, its just my hearts desire, for my babies.
     As I was having this moment, I realized that just like in birth, those pains that come with the baby entering the world, they don't necessarily go away as the baby grows....they just are different!!! All the ages I have experienced so far(1,2 and part of 3) have each brought their own pains to me as a parent.  I constantly struggle to find the balance with letting my kids discover and use their emotions, feeling, actions, good or bad, and keep them in line with learning /doing what is right in the situation.  I , as a parent don;'t want my child to be whining (for an hour!!) about not getting to take his cousins home to VA with us, but have realized that he needs to feel that emotion, but learn how to deal with it. I don;'t want to give my children an 'life epidural" to get them to "behave, be quite, stop embarrassing me" Its going to be painful and hard for that season....however long that may be, but it will end!! Eventually,it will be over.  And if we don't feel it, we cant experience it, learn from it nor our kids!! And, just like in pregnancy, after your baby is here, your going to miss being pregnant!! Even minutes after all that pain....you might think how you miss it already!!
     And just like with my 3 year old that is testing me in all sorts of ways right now...if i don't feel this,I am going to miss it!!! Now i am not saying to let your kids act all sorts of bad crazy and be spoiled, I just mean, let them discover their emotions and learn how to express them so it benefits them. Its a process, just like labor, but it will be well worth it in the end!! At least that is my thinking right now!! i am not a parent expert, just trying to learn as I go, and discover what works for our family!!
    I must carry a sign that reads "over yet " because people keep wishing these years away for me, or that my pregnancy will be over sooner....Please, don't do that!!! I rush it enough myself, i don't need you too!! I want to remember and truly EXPERIENCE these years, no matter how challenging they are. I want to remember the struggles I had, the joys we felt...every emotion!!! Bring it on I say!! Because, most importantly, I  know that we(Shane and i) are /not alone in this! God has given us many promises to take heart, and trust in Him!! So with him, through him, I feel confident to say again, Bring it on!! I hope you can too!